Scrap Metal Business

[barleyfarmer]

Does anyone on here deal in scrap or know someone who does?The wife has an inlaw who does and I can't wrap my head around where they're making all this money!Only a year or two ago they were damn near on welfare suddenly they seem to have money falling out their azz!!New vehicles,trips to Mexico,US,Jamaica,just getting back from Spain,all within a couple months!I told the wife that I think their up to something because how can you go from barely having a pot to piss in to blowing money all over!I told her it was weird how they suddenly started making money with the scrap business about the same time the copper thefts in our area increased!Plus he offered me a couple thousand bucks for a pile of scrap I have that I was just going to bury with a hoe!!So is there that much money in scrap dealing or maybe they are just plain 'dealing'?They say they are just scrap brokers but they don't seem to have the proper equipment for all this scrap they handle!Something smells funny!!

 

[sweld]

I know a guy that started a scrap business and there real is huge money to be made, same thing he's making money hand over fist

 

[eclipse1966]

I am in the export business and one thing is for sure. A lot of scrap going overseas as container availability is very tight because of it.

 

[raceu4it]

you'd be surprised how quickly it adds up when your parting out sleds, 50 cents a pound for aluminum and $160 a ton for tin/steel. prices are a good indication of the manufacturing world.

 

[chadwik74]

Being an electrician and running bigger jobs, I have raked in about 20k in copper over the last two years. It's a big business, last haul was around 6k in hundred dollar bills!

 

[Riverjet]

Does anyone on here deal in scrap or know someone who does?The wife has an inlaw who does and I can't wrap my head around where they're making all this money!Only a year or two ago they were damn near on welfare suddenly they seem to have money falling out their azz!!New vehicles,trips to Mexico,US,Jamaica,just getting back from Spain,all within a couple months!I told the wife that I think their up to something because how can you go from barely having a pot to piss in to blowing money all over!I told her it was weird how they suddenly started making money with the scrap business about the same time the copper thefts in our area increased!Plus he offered me a couple thousand bucks for a pile of scrap I have that I was just going to bury with a hoe!!So is there that much money in scrap dealing or maybe they are just plain 'dealing'?They say they are just scrap brokers but they don't seem to have the proper equipment for all this scrap they handle!Something smells funny!!

BC is cracking down on metal thieves and apparently changed the rules for the scrap dealers and how they buy from just anyone. Perhaps the thieves are delivering their booty to Alberta. Is that where their business is?

 

[Cyle]

Copper is huge. Working for Epcor and seeing how much cheques were for when the were taking down the trolley lines was mind blowing. Nearly $100,000 in ONE night.....For a truckload of copper, and a few of steel.

 

[Marley]

Being an electrician and running bigger jobs, I have raked in about 20k in copper over the last two years. It's a big business, last haul was around 6k in hundred dollar bills!

Is the company you work for ok with you taking the scrap copper from the job sites?

 

[chadwik74]

Is the company you work for ok with you taking the scrap copper from the job sites?

Of course....I don't get it all, it gets divided up with the guys that did the job as well.

 

[Marley]

Of course....I don't get it all, it gets divided up with the guys that did the job as well.

It just seems like a conflict of interest as the guys would over order and underuse to make the scrap pile bigger - but if the boss is ok with it then that seems like a good deal you have going - always nice to have cash in the pocket.

 

[chadwik74]

It just seems like a conflict of interest as the guys would over order and underuse to make the scrap pile bigger - but if the boss is ok with it then that seems like a good deal you have going - always nice to have cash in the pocket.

It's a perk, ive never abusesed it in the way you are implying. A 20' car hauler with cutoffs and tails is a great score no matter what the size of cable. Of course the bigger stuff is nice to strip down and take in. Last I checked it was around $3.20 per lb for #1 grade. My boss makes it clear that the scrap copper is a bonus for me when he asks me to run a job(I share it to keep my guys happy). The oil and gas company's only care that there site is free and clear of all garbage and material. They don't bother with a mere 2-5k in scraps when they can pull that out of the ground in a hr.

 

[Marley]

It's a perk, ive never abusesed it in the way you are implying. A 20' car hauler with cutoffs and tails is a great score no matter what the size of cable. Of course the bigger stuff is nice to strip down and take in. Last I checked it was around $3.20 per lb for #1 grade. My boss makes it clear that the scrap copper is a bonus for me when he asks me to run a job(I share it to keep my guys happy). The oil and gas company's only care that there site is free and clear of all garbage and material. They don't bother with a mere 2-5k in scraps when they can pull that out of the ground in a hr.

Thats great. The oil business never ceases to amaze me at the money that flows in the good times...

 

[Summiteer]

I'd imagine there would be lots of money to be made buying copper from thieving crackheads at 10 cents on the dollar then taking it in to the real scrap man. Wouldn't need any equipment for that.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

My dad does reclomation on old mine sites. The scrap he has collected from there has paid for new trucks, time share and two trips to vegas every year. So ya I would say there is good money in it. One person's trash is another person's treasure.

 

[Summiteer]

Pretty common practice. Just make sure to ask before taking.

 

[chadwik74]

I've had a 300m roll of bare 2/0 swiped from a locked site with a chain link fence....they cut right thru it! Also any wire in plain view that's not live will be hacked off where it comes out of the ground where I'm at right now.....some guys make a living fom stealing copper! Sad really...but the money is good. The scrap places need a way to determine if it's stolen or not, but to them....scrap is scrap!

 

[S.W.A.T.]

Locks only stop honest thieves,

.45 seems to be highly more effective

 

[Marley]

I've had a 300m roll of bare 2/0 swiped from a locked site with a chain link fence....they cut right thru it! Also any wire in plain view that's not live will be hacked off where it comes out of the ground where I'm at right now.....some guys make a living fom stealing copper! Sad really...but the money is good. The scrap places need a way to determine if it's stolen or not, but to them....scrap is scrap!

If it looks like an inside job - it probably is. Unfortunatly I have seen very good tradesmen lose family and finance to drugs and corruption in the oilsands construction business. Guys that were used to running a crew of 50 that can't scrape together enough tools to do a journey mans days work after falling into the trap. My father always said when in doubt take the high road.

 

[Summiteer]

If it looks like an inside job - it probably is. Unfortunatly I have seen very good tradesmen lose family and finance to drugs and corruption in the oilsands construction business. Guys that were used to running a crew of 50 that can't scrape together enough tools to do a journey mans days work after falling into the trap. My father always said when in doubt take the high road.

Travis Vader, not a tradesman, but successful until the drugs.

 

[Summiteer]

I've had a 300m roll of bare 2/0 swiped from a locked site with a chain link fence....they cut right thru it! Also any wire in plain view that's not live will be hacked off where it comes out of the ground where I'm at right now.....some guys make a living fom stealing copper! Sad really...but the money is good. The scrap places need a way to determine if it's stolen or not, but to them....scrap is scrap!

Thieves dragged several hundred feet of instrument cable through the fence at Whitecourt Power last year and left it lying there when they realized it was pretty much worthless. Had to move the reel stands to the centre of the yard away from fence.
PITA reeling that stuff back up.