Craigslist for newbies

[ilikesilver]

so since Ive just started this adventure, even though i have collected several hundred pounds already of computer scrap. I decided to throw out a add in the computer section of craigslist for free ewaste pickup. Within 8 hours nothing. Didnt really expect much of a call, maybe a few dead laptops or old desk tops. In the 9th hour of the add being out i get a email from a gentleman that apparently use to work for a company called sun electronics? and according to him, they threw out everything, but he kept it all. He has a basement full. He's telling me several truck loads of rack mounts, all free to come and get. All industrial electronics.

Ok, since i am a newbie a few questions.

Who is sun electronics?

And whats a rack mount?

thanks for any help

Tim

 

[Dan Dement]

Dear Ilikesilver,

Sun was one of the bigger Server computer company's that I believe Orcalce bought up around 2010. A rack mount computer is usually a better server higher level machine that is set up on a rack as in 10 machines set in a rack on the wall instead of a Tin Box. This could be the mother load for you so I would get right over there and pick them up. Kinda of hard to beat free! I am not a EScapper so that's about as far as I can help you.

Dan

 

[FrugalRefiner]

ilikesilver,

I'm not sure about Sun Electronics, but Sun Microsystems was a manufacturer of computers. They built a lot of file servers. Large server systems were often built on rack systems where many servers were stacked several feet high on the racks. Each server could slide in and out of the rack as needed.

Dave

Edit: Dan beat me to it.

 

[ilikesilver]

Thank you guys for the quick reply. Sun microsystems is the company that he use to work for. Thank you for that. Yes, i have a meeting with him tomorrow evening at 530 after we both get out of work. His house is 5 minutes from were i work, so will be going over to see exactly how much he has. He is moving to texas in the next few months so he told me i had plenty of time to get everything out. Then he started throwing in all kinds of other stuff if i want it. should be interesting, sounds like im going to be busy.

thanks again

 

[ilikesilver]

so i found out today, that it was not sun microsystems he worked for, it was a private company call Suzz electronics here in vermont. I picked up a load today in my care, took some pictures of one rack unit, that i have 5 of sitting in my shed now that he gave me. In these racks, definately the not the normal computer stuff you would see, will take some research to see whats good or not. The board that is in it, both sides are covered with silver. Im sure copper underneith. And the pictures of the small eproms were interesting with gold squares on top of them.

Tim

 

[MMFJ]

Nice load! (although, you really do need to practice more with your camera.....)

Those gold-top chips are worth some nice cash (or refine to keep).

The other stuff is too hard to see in the pictures, but look like test board stuff (pre mass-manufacturing). They could be silver topped or simply solder (some testing needed to tell....).

Also looks like some parts could be pulled.

With some cleaner pictures, it will be much easier to discuss what category of board they are, but certainly you have a nice haul - even with just the few computers!

 

[ilikesilver]

yeah sorry about the pics, from a black berry terrible huh. I will charge up the camera and take some better pics of the car load of stuff i got today.

 

[Pantherlikher]

Vermont'd be a long drive for me here in Pa.but I'm there if you aint... Ha ha .
For best close up pics. Stand away from object and use the zoom feature alittle. I've found it lets the camera focus very clearly and get the detail you want.

BS.
Some people step in crap and smell roses... Me?...I just stink...

 

[Smack]

Those are all custom built, not manufactured in a factory but all hand built.

 

[g_axelsson]

If it is prototypes of an early sun workstation it is probably worth a lot more then the gold content. Ask the owner for a detailed description (model number... and so on) and I could try to get hold of a collector in the area.
The better the description the higher possibility that I can get you a good deal.

I just hate to see anything rare going as scrap.

If it is custom builds for different companies then it probably have no value for collectors, but you never know. I made a lot of $$$ a couple of years ago when I found two racks with PDP-computers in them.

Göran

 

[ilikesilver]

Ive come to the conclusion that these are not computers by any means. These are large power supply units made by a private company call Suzz Electronics, Not Sun. There is a occasional micro computer in the mix or a desk top unit, bot not units they built. After some research i figured this out today. Thankyou for all the help though. I did a lot of breaking down the units today. Found some real good stuff. One 500 volt unit, had a large plug in, in the front of the case with a very strange handle on it. Normally i wouldnt bother with a plug in, but a had one large about 5 inchs long encased in metal, one medium about 3 inches long encased in metal, then 7 small ones about 1.5 inchs long encased in metal. all along the front of this unit. In the past ive heard by hear say that large power units normally will use silver for there connectors. Wow, it was true. 2.6 ounces of silver in the large connector and the medium connector. the small ones had copper or bronze of some sort. I will get a picture of the pieces up this weekend after i get my camera charged up.
The desk top unit i cracked open had some nice memory cards and other stuff in it, but the motherboard was pure crap. A copper motherboard. Pretty cool to look at, but that dont pay the bills. I pulled everything off of it, and three it in the stack of boards. All these cases that im getting are all clean aluminum. I estimate ive got 15 pounds of aluminum and double that in #1 copper so far. By the end of next week i estimate i will bring my first load of aluminum down to cash that in. Hopefully around 50 pounds. Im keeping my copper to smelt down. Planning this spring to build a little back yard smelter to make copper ingots. Im thinking I can probably due 1 lb ingots. Stack those up in the seller till copper gets higher.
So he called me again today to set up for a monday load. Says he is sorting through all kinds of stuff. According to what he is telling me he has 30 full tower units pulled out so far. Hopefully there descent quality pentiums with some nice chips. But most of the boards for these power units, havent got nothing on them, a lot of copper and a lot of little doo dads that i have no idea what the stuff is. Oh well

 

[qst42know]

Don't melt copper to sell as scrap, it is a recognizable scrap grade as is and questionable once melted.

 

[ilikesilver]

good to know on the copper thank you.