What can I do with steel?

[skyline27]

I'm filling my work space with empty steel cases and towers. In the spring I plan on cashing them in at the scrap yard. I've never dealt with steel so I'm looking for some experienced advice to maximize my return and prevent getting fleeced.

-How much can I excpect to get payed per pound?

-Is there any benefit to cleaning up the steel (ie. removing plastic, stainless, etc.)

Any other advice/tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Never_Evil]

Call your local scrap yards. The last time I brought in steel it was $200 per ton ~ 10 cents a pound. Right now I think most recyclers are paying around 5 cents per pound. Some require the steel to be pure otherwise they only pay you a penny or half a penny per pound. Do some calling and find out and hold on to it until they pay YOUR price. Sometimes you can negotiate with them, sometimes they dont budge on price. Late winter / early spring is when the price jumps the highest for aluminum and other metals.

This is just is just my two cents of advice.

Dennis

 

[Anonymous]

The material you discribe would be classed as tin such as appliance material like washers and dryers. We get it into our scrap yard often and although I buy it as tin I will flatten it with our magnets and then it will make prepared iron if small enough in size. It isn't good iron but so far no one has hollered. No other material should be attached to it such as plastic. In your area you should have some scrap yards so give them a call and see what they tell you. In our area, Salem, Oregon, I pay in the 3 to 4 cent a pound area for that type material. $60 to $80 a ton.
Hope this helps.
Jerry

 

[mwren]

I just took in 1900 pounds of steel cases and towers and I got $190.00. But I also live within a spitting distance of a steel mill.

 

[whitesid]

i live in New Jersey and i get .07 a pound for steel

 

[ThePierCer]

I've been getting $120 /ton from my local scrap yard. Like with all recycling, seperating them to groups of like materials always pays more. Also, the smaller the pieces the better. with steel, #1 2-foot pays the most. I fold and flatten my casings so there around 18".

 

[hyderconsulting]

ThePierCer is right. Separating the steel out by its grade and size will get your more for your scrap. Computer cases will usually fall into the shreddable steel or tin scrap grade. I'm getting about 7 to 8 cents per pound for it right now with a minimum weight at about a 1,000 pound to get this price. ThePierCer says he bends his down to get them 18 inches or under. This may qualify them as No. 2 scrap instead of Shreddable (No. 3 grade) getting you more money. But in my area No. 2 and No. 3 pays the same so it isn't worth the effort on my end. Do be careful about the plastic in the scrap metal. If there is too much of it the scale master could downgrade your load and give you less money. As far as the stainless steel, it goes for $1.10 per pound right now in my town so separate it out. Regards, Chris Hyder.