Every year, tens of thousands of appliances across the world reach the end of their lives and cease working. More often than not, these appliances will eventually find their way to landfill but, by removing the non-metal components, did you know that you can actually recycle them? Use the following instructions for getting rid of all this scrap metal from your home.

Step 1: Move all of the appliances and other scrap items to the area where they will be disassembled. A garage or carport is a great place to do this. Make sure that you have a helper on hand in case some of the scrap is overly heavy.

Step 2: Using your toolbox, begin to disassemble all of the appliances in your collection. Throw all non-metal components into a rubbish bin so that they can be taken to landfill.

Step 3: Load all of the scrap metal into the back of your car or into a trailer to transport to the dealer. If the objects will be open to the air, make sure that you cover them with a tarp to prevent them from falling out.

Whilst it is possible to taken broken down appliances directly to scrap metal dealers and let them remove all of the non-metal components for you, this will actually generate less of a profit. This is why it is best to remove anything that cannot be recycled from the appliance before you load it up. Whilst taking apart your appliances, make sure you wear the proper safety gear.

Brass

Over time, you may have noticed that the surface of your brass objects has tarnished and become dull. Tarnish is a natural process that most metals undergo and occurs due to exposure to the elements (mostly sunlight and moisture). If you would like to prevent your brass objects from tarnishing, you have two options – keep it out of the elements of give it a protective coating.

Option 1: Give the outside of your brass objects a regular coating of wax. To begin with, give the object a quick dust and wipe down to remove the old layer of wax. Then, apply the new layer by following the directions on the wax packaging. In most cases, this will need to be done once a week to ensure protection.

Option 2: Cover your brass objects in lacquer for a longer lasting solution. Take a piece of scrap metal and give it a test spray with the lacquer to make sure that it goes on clear. Then, cover the entire surface of your object. You will need to apply three to five coats to ensure protection.

You will only need to coat the exterior of your brass objects, as the inside is not exposed to the elements and, therefore, does not tarnish. To make sure that the interior of your brass objects is kept nice and shiny, however, you should give it a regular dust and wash with soapy water.

Keep in mind that, after coating your objects with either wax or lacquer, they will not feel the same as they did before. Wax, however, does feel fairly similar to uncoated brass so, if you would like to return this feel, you can apply wax over the lacquer to simulate it.

Scrap Aluminium

The collection and sale of scrap metal can be quite a lucrative business, providing that you pay careful attention to the proper details. Scrap prices are known to fluctuate on a weekly or even a daily basis (due to a number of different factors), and it is important that you keep an eye on these fluctuations if you want to get a good idea of what your metal is worth.

To begin with, you will need to ensure that you have separated your scrap into its relevant types. The reason for this is that each metal will have a different worth, and it is easier to work out how much you will make if you do each type separately.

Scrap Copper

You will then need to begin developing good relationships with the scrap metal dealers in your area. Prices can fluctuate depending on who you are dealing with, so it always pays to compare the prices offered by a few local dealers and going with the one who offers you the most. By developing a good relationship with this person, you will have an ‘in’ whenever you want to know how much aluminium or copper is going for.

You could also try visiting your local recycling centre or doing some research online to see what other people are currently paying for scrap. You might be able to get your hands on a scrap metal pricing chart, which could be invaluable for determining the best times to sell.

At the end of the day, the worth of your scrap metal will differ depending on the time of year, month and even week that you are trying to sell it. Once you have been buying and selling for a while, however, you will begin to become familiar with the trends in pricing, as well as developing an instinct for when you should sell and when you should hold onto your metal for a little longer.

If you are an avid scrap metal collector or you have found that you have mounds of junk lying around your workshop, shed or garage, you may be wondering how to best dispose of it. One way of doing this is to melt it all down into one larger piece of metal, either to sell to a scrap dealer or to make something new out of yourself. If either of these solutions appeals to you, you can use this guide to help you properly melt the scrap down.

Scrap Metal

Step 1: Separate all of your scraps according to type. This is highly important, as different metals will melt at different temperatures and this knowledge will allow you to adjust the heat accordingly.

Step 2: Put all of the scrap metal of one type into a crucible that is large enough to fit all of the pieces in. Pour a layer of baking soda over the pieces.

Step 3: Take a butane torch and adjust the flame according to the type of metal that you are melting. Copper, brass and gold, for example, will melt between about 926 degrees Celsius and 1,100 degrees Celsius.

Step 4: Put on a pair of thick work gloves and direct the torch’s flame towards the crucible. Wait until the scrap metal has melted into a liquid form. You can speed up this process by having a second person hold a second butane torch to the crucible as well.

Step 5: Once the metal has been liquefied, you can pour it into an ingot or other type of mould in order to form whatever shape you want. To avoid burning yourself, use tongs to move and tip the crucible.

You can repeat the same procedure for each of the different scrap metals that you have in your possession. If you are taking the materials to a scrap dealer, it is recommended that you place the liquefied material into ingot forms (as this are easier to weigh and transport).

These days, the scrap metal industry is a highly lucrative one with many opportunities for everyday people to make a little extra cash simply by getting rid of their old junk. If this is something that you are interested in getting involved in, the following tips may help you make some extra money:

• Most people hold garage sales on a Saturday morning and, by mid afternoon, anything that hasn’t sold is often tossed to the curb. You could do a drive-by to see whether anything of possible scrap value has been tossed out that you can salvage. 
• Remove any copper from the scrap metal that you collect, as it is worth more (especially when deposited in one go). This means cutting off the power cords from any appliances and electronics, as well as removing the copper coils and tubing from them. 
• Do some research online and at your local scrap metal dealer to determine how much each metal is worth at a given time – the prices can change from day to day, so it is always best to hold onto your scrap until you can get a good price for it. 
• Become familiar with the rubbish days in your local area, including the days when hard rubbish collections are scheduled. The night (and, in the case of hard rubbish, the week) before collection is often a great time to salvage some of the scrap metal your neighbours are throwing out. 

Another way that you can be sure to collect a considerable amount of scrap metal for selling to a dealer is to let your friends and family know that you are collecting old appliances and other metal objects. Most of the time, people cannot be bothered to haul these things away themselves, so they will be grateful of you taking them off their hands.