Going Full Bore With This

[austexdude]

In just 3 months, as a starter, I have managed in my spare time to collect almost 5 lbs of gold pins, over 2 lbs of gold fingers, serveral processors, 3 lbs of flatpacks, almost 2 lbs of silver, 30 lbs of clean copper, 10 lbs of insulated copper, 10 lbs brass, 25 lbs of aluminum, and about 100 lbs of stainless. Not to mention all the monolithic capacitors and tantalum capacitors

I did not pay a penny. All this stuff I just picked up off the side of the road or went to give-aways.

All this, part time, for 3 months.

Now, I am in the process of finding funding to open up a facility. I have a dynamic business plan am going to start collection on a mass basis soon.

 

[Oz]

Now, I am in the process of finding funding to open up a facility.

I would not borrow a dime to set up any facility to refine until you see the value you can recover from the scrap you have listed. I think it is very posible you are over estimating values and underestimating hard costs and labor. Electronic scrap is fine as a hobby but you would need truckloads a day to make money once you subtract chemical and labor costs.

 

[austexdude]

Now, I am in the process of finding funding to open up a facility.

I would not borrow a dime to set up any facility to refine until you see the value you can recover from the scrap you have listed. I think it is very posible you are over estimating values and underestimating hard costs and labor. Electronic scrap is fine as a hobby but you would need truckloads a day to make money once you subtract chemical and labor costs.

Ahhh...But there is another aspect of this that I have not mentioned because if I do everyone will jump on the bandwagon before I even get started.

What I was saying is that in a short time, just one guy, spending about an hour a day, has collected that much. When my two ideas are sewed together it makes it well more than worth the time.

This actually involves MUCH more than just metals. The metals are actually just the "savings" aspect of the business. There will be other things that keep the bills paid and facilities open.

Watch what happens in America in the next decade. China and India's massive populations are about to go full scale consumer and that will tax the world's metals...I plan to take full advantage of this.

I will elaborate after I get my facilities set up.

 

[Harold_V]

I will elaborate after I get my facilities set up.

That's assuming you'll have two nickels left to rub together.

You apparently don't understand the amount of work involved in breaking down these items to component parts. If recycling e scrap was profitable on a small level, there would be no problem with over accumulation. There would be more than too many people involved. At this juncture, it can be successfully processed only at the expense of intense labor.

I caution you to use good judgment where this issue is concerned. Even getting your material free, I have serious reservations about your ability to earn even minimum wage. I hope I'm wrong, for your sake.

Harold

 

[bmgold]

As a newbie myself with big dreams I would suggest you take the comments of the more experienced people on this forum into consideration before getting into it to big. Try your idea small scale before jumping right in. I think there is money to be made at this especially if you consider other scrap along with the gold but the chemicals and protective stuff that would also be needed are not free. Your time has to be considered as worth something too. Large scale would equal large wastes also. Some may just need a dumpster but others may need hazardous materials disposal which I expect means expensive. Research the time and costs both money and labor before getting in to deep. Your idea might work so don't give it up with just a few comments but remember that many people offering advice might actually know what they are talking about from personal experience and don't want to see others make the same mistakes.

Good luck but be careful. It isn't free to go bankrupt either.

When asked if you could make a living prospecting for gold, my answer was and is...Depends on how good you want to live.

 

[austexdude]

I will elaborate after I get my facilities set up.

That's assuming you'll have two nickels left to rub together.

You apparently don't understand the amount of work involved in breaking down these items to component parts. If recycling e scrap was profitable on a small level, there would be no problem with over accumulation. There would be more than too many people involved. At this juncture, it can be successfully processed only at the expense of intense labor.

I caution you to use good judgment where this issue is concerned. Even getting your material free, I have serious reservations about your ability to earn even minimum wage. I hope I'm wrong, for your sake.

Harold

Once again...the scrap metal is not the business...I can't elaborate that enough. If I went into detail about the plan, then everyone would jump on.

The metals are just a by-product that would normally gone to waste otherwise. Because the nature of the business I plan to start will put me in contact with tons of metals, it is a good idea to recycle them.

I understand the labor involved...I guess you just won't understand until I get it laid out and start promoting it.

 

[Harold_V]

I understand the labor involved...I guess you just won't understand until I get it laid out and start promoting it.

Good enough. I'm the first to admit that I don't know everything, and certainly do not claim to know what you propose. We'll all be watching, and pulling for you.

Harold

 

[Rag and Bone]

If you're dealing with e-scrap, don't get metal crazy and lose site of the highest value. Today I'm buying components to rebuild systems that I once had in quantity but scrapped. Mostly various cards.

Same goes for oddball equipment. It's easy to scrap it and move on. Sometimes it's worth good money whole to the right people.

 

[bmgold]

Here's an idea inspired by Rag and Bone's comment. Some parts might/should have more value for reuse than the scrap value. Marketing might be a problem but maybe an online store or even ebay may be an option. Research costs. If a part could be removed that could be reused it might be worth more than scrap value to someone. Being a former electronics experimenter I know that parts are harder to find now that Radio Shack and other local stores no longer have the selection of stuff they once did. Obviously most parts wouldn't be worth even trying to reuse let alone try to sell for reuse but some might be worth a shot. Heat sinks are one thought. Maybe large transformers or large electrolytic capacitors.

I don't know if there would actually be any profit in selling reclaimed parts considering the labor and costs involved but if you have the junk and are ripping it apart anyway it might be worth looking into. Maybe packs of electronic junk box assortments sold at ham radio flea markets. How about packs of 10 or so ?torroids? (those round things that the power wires are looped through as a filter). Maybe 50 cents or a buck a pack but what else could you do with them.

I'll stop here but we don't know your big idea so these are just some thoughts. I hope you have come up with some overlooked, million dollar idea and I hope you hit it big.

 

[silversaddle1]

Well it's real hard to make a lot of money on recycling computer scrap. We do about 20 to 40,000 pounds a year in e-scrap. We do mostly large, mainframe type stuff, and with some pc or desktop type stuff now and then. You will need some type of insurance. You will need permits from the state and maybe even the city you live in. You will need trucks to transport materials in. You will need a large building to store stuff in. You will need a large building that is heated and cooled to tear stuff down in. You will need a forklift or bobcat to move stuff around with. You will need employees.

We do metal recycling full time. Railroad contracting to be specific. The computer stuff is a part-time/hobby to me. Yes, you can make some good money at it, but you have to do most the work yourself to come out big time.

Looking at your post and seeing what you have gathered in 3 months, figure up what it would all be worth right now, today, if you sold it. Then devide that by the time and labor you have spent sorting and collecting it. Let us know what you ended up earning per hour.

 

[banjags]

In my experience doing this hobby part time for over a year now. I make on average $20 dollars per hour depending on the source computers. I do not refine any of my own materials. I take steel, copper and aluminum to a scrap yard, sell some working parts on ebay, and sell all my boards to a buyer for $2 per pound (I pay shipping). This is my break down based on my average sales per computer. (Not at current scrap prices)

Steel 10 lbs .50 (I was getting .05 / pound)
Aluminum 1 lbs .70
Insul Copper .5 lbs .35
Motherboard and cards 2 - 5
Processor .5
for a min total of $4.05
minus shipping $1 (per machine for boards)

I can dismantle approx 10 machines per hour $30.00 - transportation $10 (to and from scrap yards) So I make approx $20 / hour just working out of my basement.