Processing My Own Boards (how far?)

[PinkFloydEffect]

I have been toying with scrapping electronics and doing research, finally drove me here. I pull all the transformers and visible copper components such as inductors then anything I can't pull #2 copper from myself goes into the transformer bucket. The aluminum heat sinks are pulled, all wires go in barrels, ICs and flat packs are saved, so are MLCCs and tantalums, crystals, some other things I am still unsure about being worth in bulk, then I am only able to process them so far until the rest turns into garbage I throw into my light iron since they accept electronics in my light iron anyway. Basically I am not sure how far you have to process before it outweighs selling the boards as is (without heatsinks and transformers) if I tear some things off I have to keep going far enough to make it worth downgrading the boards, any board that has gold traces under the silver I will not throw in light iron.

For example here is a cheap board, none of those leds, resistors, or capacitors are worth anything to me in bulk besides light iron price including the fiber board. I would pull the IC, the few transistors, and possibly that tan thing I think is a multi-layer ceramic capacitor but not sure if they can be thrown in my MLCC bucket:

These pieces I have like this are another example of drawing the line down to light iron (if your yard accepts electronics in your light iron). The left I see no value in it is ready to throw in light iron for me that is $0.12 where the piece on the right I would pull those orange capacitors because I think they are tantalums...then toss that board into li-iron too.

 

[jimdoc]

Those boards can't get any more low graded than what they started at.
Please take some time to study the forum. All your answers are here already.

Jim

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

But if I remove everything worth money then why would they still give me the same price if I sold the boards? I will look around here I have on most sites and have yielded little about processing your own boards and where the cutoff line is, no point in doing extra work for the same profit as shipping them off as is.

 

[Geo]

check into selling the boards whole or even depopulated. check with www.bordsort.com or if you are in the south east, you might try BARE Metals LLC 2912 S Market St, Chattanooga · (423) 648-4551.

 

[butcher]

As an electronics project the top board in the the picture is interesting, connections look to be marked, battery speaker and 4 switches, I can only see the voltage rating of one capacitor 10 volt, if other capacitors were similar rated the battery voltage would probably be around 5 to 9 volt, I would but a battery and speaker to the circuit board short some of those switches to see what that circuit board done, then would see if I could use it in some type of project.

The LED's have a tiny bit of gold (but I feel if the LED circuit board works or could be reused that tiny bit of gold is not worth enough to justify scrapping them, the Toshiba Integrated circuit may or may not have any gold, actually there would not be much value in that circuit board as scrap value for recovery, but as an electronic scrap bin it could be worth saving.

 

[bmgold2]

As an electronics project the top board in the the picture is interesting, connections look to be marked, battery speaker and 4 switches, I can only see the voltage rating of one capacitor 10 volt, if other capacitors were similar rated the battery voltage would probably be around 5 to 9 volt, I would but a battery and speaker to the circuit board short some of those switches to see what that circuit board done, then would see if I could use it in some type of project.

The LED's have a tiny bit of gold (but I feel if the LED circuit board works or could be reused that tiny bit of gold is not worth enough to justify scrapping them, the Toshiba Integrated circuit may or may not have any gold, actually there would not be much value in that circuit board as scrap value for recovery, but as an electronic scrap bin it could be worth saving.

Here's an idea I have had for some time and never tried yet. Remove some of those electronic parts that look like they could be re-used like the LED's, resistors, diodes, capacitors - basically anything that still has long enough leads to still use. Some pre-cut wires might also be included in the deal.

A desoldering iron would be a good tool to do this. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731

Then, put together an assortment of these parts and post an add on Ebay as a scrap bin assortment with a low starting bid and a couple dollar or so shipping fee depending on what is included. I'm not saying anyone would bid or buy it but if you ever get post-it-free offers from Ebay, what do you have to loose? If it doesn't sell, then don't do it again. If it does sell, you just might get more than the scrap yard would pay you and some experimenter would get some cheap components to re-use. I've never bought any scrap electronic parts but I have built stuff from salvaged parts before.

Just an idea. Use it if you want. In fact, I might just try it myself. You never know what someone might buy.

reduce / REUSE / recycle

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

I deff would rather sell the boards depopulated if I can make more, not interested in saving it for projects but I could fill huge bags of things like LEDs untested with short leads for dirt cheap on eBay for reuse because I can't process the LEDs for gold. I know this website is about gold but I will recover many precious metals.

I began processing the hundreds of lbs of saved boards today, removing the components and restacking them for a hot sand bath in the future to get the small capacitors. I did notice from removing ICs some don't even have gold bonding wires at all...

This website is very awesome and helpful for what I am trying to do: http://www.scribd.com/doc/20327561/Scrap-Parts-Comp-Identification

 

[Geo]

This website is very awesome and helpful for what I am trying to do: http://www.scribd.com/doc/20327561/Scrap-Parts-Comp-Identification

kind of interesting for someone that hasn't dealt with this for forever. the problem i see with that document is the inaccuracy. many items listed as having no PM value actually contains PM values. for example, electrical switches. every one pictured contains (at least) two silver contact points. thats just one and there were quite a few more. its ok for ID purposes but do not rely on their say as far as PM content.

and search for resonating crystals on the forum. very nearly all have PM value. Of the ones with PM value, about 90% will have silver and 10% will have gold based on my own observations.

 

[Pantherlikher]

So what you are saying Geo is if you are not sure...search for it here in the forum?..
Huh... what a great idea...

I'm stuck on the notion that tin works good enough on those micro-connectors used everywhere. Why not silver plated? cheap as they're small enough.

B.S.

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Thanks GEO, I will continue to keep my crystals and switches than.

Searching can take hours just to get keywords right alone! Forum searches suck and probably will for the next decade.

 

[jimdoc]

Searching can take hours just to get keywords right alone! Forum searches suck and probably will for the next decade.

It sucks more as a "forum old timer" dealing with questions you have heard hundreds of times.
Also new members can find answers to questions they didn't even think to ask yet. New members need to study the forum for a while and suck it all in. That's just the way it is.

Jim

 

[sharkhook]

Do NOT discount Geo or butcher's advice. I have learned more from those two in just a few month's than I have learned on my own in the past year. A wise man will heed the advice of those with more knowledge and experience. On the other hand, there will always be those who must do it the hard way. The hard way is usually the more expensive of the two.