Common Computer Scrap PM Salvage Database

[Chumbawamba]

I've spent a lot of time taking apart old printers, scanners, fax machines and assorted other miscellaneous computer scrap and have found sources of precious metals that, while not as bountiful as that found in computers themselves, is there and is free, or at least the cost of your labor.

Now, keep in mind that I am scrapping and selling off all components of the units I tear apart. I currently get $.02/lbs for whole printers, scanners, and other similar (low yield) devices. However, if I take a printer and produce a pile of metal, plastic, circuit boards, etc., I get a bit more for it. Though it might not be enough to justify the cost of MY labor, it is perhaps worth the cost of the labor I hire to help me, and I then end up with the good stuff (gold and silver bearing components, or useful surplus bits).

The intent of this database is to identify the devices that have known traces of PMs or other (less valuable) metals that can be targeted and harvested from the unit, while keeping enough of the original unit in tact so that it can be thrown onto the $.02/lbs pile and sold off.

I will add sample photos of the PM scrap I pull out of these devices as time permits, which should clear up any confusion as to just what part has the good stuff.

This database will be edited and appended as new sources are found. I intend to develop this into a useful resource for those willing to work a little harder for their PMs when there are no other good sources. Keep in mind that there are other metals inside these devices that add additional value to your labor, such as copper, aluminum, stainless steel, etc., as well as PCBs, but usually in only small amounts. Also, there are other useful components that can be sold as surplus, such as gears and motors, guide shafts and bronze bushings, optics (lenses from the better scanners than can be used as loupes), and other fun stuff.

Please feel free to post suggestions for other bits you may have found in your investigations and I'll add them into the database proper as I get time.

PRINTERS

Canon BJC-2110:
1. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage
2. Ink carthridges used with these printers also have a small gold-plated PCB on them

Canon i320, i470D:
1. PCB with gold-plating (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Gold plated pins (ink carthridge carriage)
3. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage)

Canon iP1500:
1. PCB with gold-plating (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Gold plated pins (ink carthridge carriage)

Epson Stylus Color:
1. PCB with gold-plating (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Minimal gold plating on pins (ink carthridge carriage)
3. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage)

Epson Stylus C80:
1. PCB with gold-plating (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Gold plated pins (ink carthridge carriage)
3. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage
4. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage)
5. Some stainless steel

Epson Stylus Color 740, 980c:
1. PCB with gold plating (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage)
3. Gears & motors

Epson Stylus Color 777:
1. PCB with gold-plating (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Gold plated pins (ink carthridge carriage)

Epson Stylus Color 850:
1. Crap

Epson Stylus Photo 1280:
1. PCB with gold plating (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Gold plated pins (ink carthridge carriage)
3. Ink carthridges used with these printers also have a small gold-plated PCB on them
4. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage)
5. Gears & motors

HP Color Inkjet CP1160 (needs editing):
1. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage
2. Silver traces on flex cable connecting to small PCB behind front button panel
3. Small gold plated PCB (duplexer portal)
4. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage)

HP DeskJet 648c, 660c, 682c, 697c:
1. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage
2. Silver traces on flex cable connecting to small PCB behind front button panel
3. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage, not all models listed have these)
4. ~1/4lbs stainless steel
5. Gears & motors

HP DeskJet 694c:
1. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage
2. Gold plating on small PCB behind front button panel
3. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage)
4. ~1/4lbs stainless steel
5. Gears & motors

HP DeskJet 710c, 722c, 825c, 842c, 932c, 940c, 952c, 970cxi:
1. Gold-plated pins and PCB (ink carthridge carriage)
2. A couple ounces of stainless steel
3. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage, not all models listed have these)
4. Gears & motors

HP DeskJet 1200c:
1. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage
2. PCB with gold-plating (ink carthridge carriage)
3. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage)
4. Some stainless steel
5. Gears & motors

HP DeskJet 6940:
1. Gold plating on mylar film in carthridge carriage
2. 1/4lbs aluminum (exterior panels)

HP LaserJet 2100TN
1. Ceramic heating element (fuser)

Lexmark z11:
1. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage

Lexmark z32, z52:
1. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage
2. Bronze bushings (ink carthridge carriage)
3. Gears & motors

Okidata Microline 192:
1. Gold plated PCB (contacts and edge connectors) beneath head-carriage assembly
2. Gold plated pins (on mainboard)


SCANNERS

HP ScanJet 5300c:
1. Gold traces/bonding wire in scanning element

Umax Astra 1200S:
1. Gold traces/bonding wire in scanning element
2. Optic lens (scanner element assembly)
3. Scanner carriage casing is cast aluminum (12oz)

Umax Astra 1220S:
1. Gold traces/bonding wire in scanning element
2. Optic lens (scanner element assembly)


MULTI-FUNCTION UNITS (PRINTER/SCANNER/FAX)

Brother MFC-4550MC, MFC-5440CN:
1. Minimal gold plating on ceramic scanning element strip(s)

Epson Stylus Photo RX500:
1. PCB with gold plating (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Gold plated pins (ink carthridge carriage)
3. Print carthridges used with these printers also have a small gold-plated PCB on them
4. Gold plating and bonding wires in scanning element
5. Optic lens (scanner element assembly)
6. Small amount of stainless steel
7. Gears & motors

HP LaserJet 3055:
1. PCB with gold plating (keypad)
2. Gold plating and bonding wires in scanning element
3. Ceramic heating element (fuser)

HP OfficeJet 5510:
1. Gold-plated pins and PCB (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Gold plating and bonding wires in scanning element

HP OfficeJet Color 600, 610:
1. PCB with gold plating (keypad)
2. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage
3. Print carthridges used with these printers also have a small gold-plated PCB on them
4. Gold plating and bonding wires in scanning element
5. Optic lens (scanner element assembly)
6. Small amount of stainless steel
7. Gears & motors

HP OfficeJet, OfficeJet T45
1. Gold-plated pins and PCB (ink carthridge carriage)
2. Keypad mylar has silver traces

HP PhotoSmart 3310
1. Gold plating and bonding wires in scanning element
2. Ceramic heating element (fuser)

FAX MACHINES

Brother Intellifax 1820c:
1. Gold-plated PCB mated to gold-plated pins in ink carthridge carriage

Brother Intellifax 775:
1. Keypad mylar has silver traces

HP FAX-750:
1. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage
2. Small amount of stainless steel

HP FAX 1020:
1. Gold plating on flex cable connecting to ink carthridge carriage

Panasonic KX-F155, KX-FM210, KX-FP121, KX-SL501:
1. Gold traces on scanner element

MISCELLANEOUS

GN Netcom Headset:
1. Gold plating on the PCB in the earpiece.


NOTHING OF INTEREST

These are products that one should not bother checking for PMs as they contain nothing of extraordinary value. I'll eventually move these to their respective categories above to make identification easier.

Epson Stylus Color 600, 850
Oki Okifax 4580

 

[Chumbawamba]

Hmmm, I don't seem to have the option to edit my postings so I can go back and add more data later. Is it possible to give me such access? Would make this a lot easier and cleaner to manage.

 

[Barren Realms 007]

You should be able to edit you own messages.

Lower right hand corner of your message.

 

[jimdoc]

You should be able to edit any post that you made.

Jim

 

[gold4mike]

Good start on the list!

I'll try to remember to record Make/Model in the future to help you with it.

I take the time to scrap printers when I have a lull in the action scrapping system units. I do as you do - making piles of components I can sell off later. I've bumped into several HP Inkjet printers that have small, completely coated gold pins that are pushed against the ink cartridge by equally small springs that are gold plated as well.

Many laser printers have a small device resembling a 3-legged transistor that is gold plated. You'll find it behind the optic glass lens.

The most profitable part of scrapping printers, for me, has been selling the empty ink and toner cartridges to Office Depot for $3.00 each on a Rewards Card. They have a limit of 5 cartridges per day so I can make up to $75.00 per week on my lunch break from my full-time job. Then I use the Rewards Card to buy hard drives to replace those that have been removed from the machines I refurbish for sale. Most of what I get comes from local large businesses and they don't like to let the hard drives out of their facilities. I took apart an HP Business Inkjet printer last night that had two print cartridges and 4 ink tanks which will net me $18.00 simply for removing them.

 

[Chumbawamba]

g4m,

Good score on the Office Deport rewards thing. I have been accumulating ink and toner carthridges pretty much since I started my business 7 years ago for lack of time to sort and pack them. Actually, I did send off one batch but was not happy with the payout and ever after saw them more as a nuisance than anything. I am tempted to just rip all the gold plated PCBs and mylars off of them and get the gold but I know they're worth more as empties if I just take the time to stick them all in one big container and send them off to one of these desperate fools who keep calling me begging me to sell them my stuff

As far as refurbishing computers, I have guys that do that for me and I just have them give me 50% of whatever they sell it for. I move a lot of stuff this way and I don't have to hassle with it myself. I lost patience for that crap a long time ago. It's bad enough when I have to fix one of my production computers.

As for the gold plated pins, that's what I'm referring to in the HP models when I record, "1. Gold-plated pins (printer head carriage)". It can be a nightmare to disassemble those, especially if you're fumble-fingered, and I think we discussed this a while back, but yeah, when there's nothing better to do there's some free gold right there for not too much time/effort if you're careful

 

[Chumbawamba]

And nope, I do not see an edit link. At least it isn't obvious to me, and I may not be smart, but I'm slow.

 

[Barren Realms 007]

And nope, I do not see an edit link. At least it isn't obvious to me, and I may not be smart, but I'm slow.

What is next to your quote button?

What system are you using to look at the board with?

 

[Chumbawamba]

I'm using IE right now to test and it seems like it's a browser issue. Firefox has really gone down the pooper lately.

EDIT:

So, using IE currently, now I can edit my messages. However, when I'm reading threads, I no longer see when a message was posted. This is why I hate computers. This is why I enjoy ripping them apart these days, whereas in my younger days I would consider such a thing to be a cardinal sin. Then again, it's not the fault of the computers, but the idiots writing software for them. Unfortunately, you can't scrap programmers. Not that you can't, but they're not worth much once you rip them apart...not many PMs inside

 

[samuel-a]

i have a few of those waiting for a rainy day, decided to tare apart one of them to chip in this thread.
figured picturs are best....

main board:
gold fingers, a few IC's, onw flat pack, connectors, memory slots and a memory card.


a few secundery boards:
gold fingers, a few IC's, gold contacts, slots, pins


power supply units:
no PM's, but give good weight to the e-scrap pile

 

[glorycloud]

Just for grins, google the part numbers from those boards
or search up on ebay for them and see what they are worth. :shock:

I see just an 1120 engine board with p/n 56P1014 selling wholesale
for $50.00. That means someone might inventory it if it came
from a working printer for $10 - $15. That would be at least 10 times
it's scrap value. What about the big main boards value??

Parts from old printers can sometimes be resold boys and girls.
It is a way better and safer business model than to scratch through
printers for a glimmer of gold to refine with hazardous chemicals.
But what do I know after 30 years of reselling computers and printers. :lol:

 

[samuel-a]

thank you for the comment, the printers ware outside during this winter...
so i don't see any other option...

 

[Chumbawamba]

Hi GC.

Sure, it's more profitable to re-sell whole parts & modules, but then you're talking about a commensurate amount of additional work and hassle to get that additional value.

First, you have to advertise to find the buyer for your one obscure part. Now, granted, certain devices--in this case we're discussing printers--are common and plentiful in the market and there might be quite a few potential customers looking for replacement parts for their defective product. However, in my experience--and unless the printer is worth a thousand dollars or more (i.e. worth fixing)--most people will simply toss their old one and buy a new one. Heck, when the economy was at the height of its debt-fueled frenzy, I used to get dozens of perfectly good printers in every week. There was nothing wrong with them--except the ink had run dry. So going to the store, you find that new ink costs you $80-120 dollars, while a new printer costs you $150, including new ink. So, guess what happens?

Nowadays, now that the credit spigots have run dry, we only get a fraction of the stuff we used to for recycling. More people are squeezing more life and value out of the hardware that they have. In fact, right now is a great time to sell parts & modules as the newfound frugality of the American consumer brings moribund repair businesses out of the throes of obsolescence.

That being said, it's still a lot of work to pull boards, TEST (<== the most important thing), inventory, catalog, advertise, etc. This all takes TIME. Lots of it. And then you have to deal with the buyers. And the intermediaries (eBay? no thanks...and craigslist isn't that much better these days, let alone for trying to reach BUSINESS customers, the most likely buyer of your goods). Then you have to worry about packing and shipping, warranties, returns, screw-ups, damage in shipping, etc. Bottom line: you have to be set-up as a retail business to extract retail value out of your scrap goods.

No thanks.

It's much easier to scrap, sort, and sell. Pennies by the pound...the more pounds, the more pennies. No hassles, no dumb customers, no shipping, no testing, etc. Just stick it on a pallet or on a gaylord and move it out. Let the downstream buyers have all the fun.

 

[glorycloud]

No worries. You can lead a horse to water but..........

We all have our niches in life. Mine works for me and
I am glad that yours works for you. 8)

 

[Chumbawamba]

We all have our niches in life. Mine works for me and
I am glad that yours works for you.

That's all I'm trying to say.

Also, keep in mind that different areas have different market dynamics, and those are always changing. GA is a long way from CA

 

[pinwheel]

I just throw the printers in steel loads. That is .08 a pound right now. You are short changing yourself. I even have a buyer who will let me dump an entire load of ( only ) printers as steel so its not me being shady at all.

 

[jimdoc]

I just gave a guy at least 25 printers to get rid of them.
He advertised on craigslist or freecycle that he wanted
any printers in any condition. I guess he is turning them
in for the $50 credit when you buy a new printer, and my
guess is buying ones close to the $50 credit value. Then
selling them on Ebay, or where ever.
I just wanted them out of here because I am trying to cleanup,
and my truck is still not running. Got to do the timing chain.
The guy couldn't fit one more printer in his SUV, he had them
packed every where he could fit them. He said he would take
any others till the end of the month, I guess that is when the
$50 credit thing runs out.
Jim

 

[Chumbawamba]

I just throw the printers in steel loads. That is .08 a pound right now. You are short changing yourself. I even have a buyer who will let me dump an entire load of ( only ) printers as steel so its not me being shady at all.

That might be cool where you're at but in my area my downstream scrapper would have a hissy fit if he found a bunch of plastic-covered steel in his steel bin. We get $.02/lbs for printers and such in these parts, which is why I strip out the good stuff and sell off the rest...for $.02/lbs., which is what it's worth after I'm done with it

 

[darshevo]

It's much easier to scrap, sort, and sell. Pennies by the pound...the more pounds, the more pennies. No hassles, no dumb customers, no shipping, no testing, etc. Just stick it on a pallet or on a gaylord and move it out. Let the downstream buyers have all the fun.

I love it my friend. I just took in 1000 lbs of new blower motors / fans and 500 lbs of strip heaters. I tried to sell them on the open market, but as a rule I wasn't getting any action on an item with a Grainger price of $35/ea. So today $35000.00 worth of inventory went by the wayside for a whopping 500 bucks. As I have myself gotten real good at telling bystanders/competitors "Its all weight to me"

-Lance

 

[Barren Realms 007]

It's much easier to scrap, sort, and sell. Pennies by the pound...the more pounds, the more pennies. No hassles, no dumb customers, no shipping, no testing, etc. Just stick it on a pallet or on a gaylord and move it out. Let the downstream buyers have all the fun.

I love it my friend. I just took in 1000 lbs of new blower motors / fans and 500 lbs of strip heaters. I tried to sell them on the open market, but as a rule I wasn't getting any action on an item with a Grainger price of $35/ea. So today $35000.00 worth of inventory went by the wayside for a whopping 500 bucks. As I have myself gotten real good at telling bystanders/competitors "Its all weight to me"

-Lance

That is a shame. If they were new I might have been interested in them. Where are you located?