Pics of what I want to cut

[Mikeymetal]

So here is some pictres of the kind of stuff that me and my brother want to cut with the new plasma cutter we will soon be getting. If they dont show ill have to figure out what is going on. I read the post on how to post pics but i dont know how to put them in the text. anyhow if they show, it's 2 old crusty semy trailers that have aluminum skins. The scrapyard pays lots more if you bring the stuff in prepped. I think prepped means down to like 42 inche pieces or less.

[wruehl]

Well a plasma cutter would be my tool of choice for that job, let us know how it goes. Heck even take some pictures as they come apart, that would be pretty cool to watch.

[everlastsupport]

Make sure the deck is not wood, could get exciting. I know of guys that chopped them for door and to add them together. Looks like a lot of cutting. Get the Smith on once side and the plasma on the other if you need to go fast, but the plasma will be cheaper to run. You have plenty of power there for the compressor and plasma I hope.

[DaveO]

I'm sure you've pegged those trailers as past their useful life, no longer roadworthy, or whatever, but do they have value as anything else? Construction offices? Storage containers? Beach rentals to college kids?

[Tritium]

I have a 45' aluminum skinned shipping container. The entire inside is wood except for the top which is solid aluminum. If they are weather and rodent proof they have much more value as storage than as scrap I bet.

Thurmond

[DaveO]

That's what I was thinking. I would never try to talk somebody out of buying a new machine, but cutting those bad boys up for scrap, dealing with all the non-scrap (junk wood, tires), sharp edges, things catching fire, transporting to the scrap yard and paying the junk yard... seems like a long road to walk down.

[jakeru]

Have you ever heard of a 'cut rod'? I'm not talking about air-carbon arc.

There are rods that can be used with just a "plain jane" stick welding power source and stick electrode holder, (and no compressed air), which can pierce, and reach through thick box-like metal sections and cut through areas that might have considerable thickenss (like a "box frame"), where the back side would otherwise be difficult to cut with something that can only cut what's right next to it, like a plasma cutter. Supposedly the cut rods work on aluminum, too. I have no idea if they are long lasting and fast enough to cut an entire trailer, but you might want to look into them more for project:
http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/e...r/Cut-Rod.aspx

[DaveO]

I'd never heard of a cut rod- I did a search for "cut rod video" and all the results were for a Rod Stewart song, definitely not interchangeable for a welding video. The cut rods you mention are available online starting about $6 per pound, also something to think about in this truck scrapping exercise, and some are meant to be used underwater. It'd be cool to have a few on hand, just to try them out.

At first I thought you were talking about a thermal lance, an oxy-acet process. That dredged up a story my Dad told me a long time ago- definitely hauling up the deep storage memories- that a company he worked for was hired or asked how they would break into a remote building, and challenged to bring back some proof that they'd been inside. Instead of attacking the heavy door they used this acetylene lance to melt through the outside concrete block wall, and brought back whatever proof was required.

[Canada]

Sad to see them go as scrap. But If I was going to cut them down I would use a gas powered cut off saw. Rough and fast but its going to scrap. Up here it is 3 feet for steel scrap. But that is probably set by the mill they sell to. I would recommend checking with them on how they are going to grade your materials. Tell them what it is, it does make a difference. This would probably be a low level of aluminum. For aluminum they will probably check with a magnet for impurities. Anything sticks and you will be down graded in a hurry. Just my thoughts.

[deranged]

Since the aluminum skins usually have thin ply wood behind(plasma won't work, torch is dangerous), why not use a circular saw with a fine tooth count and carbide tipped blade for the box. Then after removing the decking go after the frame and running gear with either a plasma or the torch. Given the frame is most likely rusty be sure to buy a plasma machine with pilot arc or you will be grinding areas to be able to start your cuts.

[jameswswanson]

Try to sell them on craigslist before scraping them out. If your going to scrap them and the plasma won't work cut them up with a saw, but I'm a carpenter and I like saws. If you know someone with a gas powered partner saw I'd borrow that.

[DaveO]

Yikes- given the amount of work y'all are talking about, might be money ahead to >give< them away on Craig's List.

Why is it dangerous to cut the aluminum with a plywood sheath right underneath? Because the compressed air or sparks / slag have nowhere to go?

[wruehl]

My cousins all used to own outfits that put up prefab steel buildings. Before all this really cool cold saw, and plasma cutter tech, we used a plywood blade installed backwards in a circular saw. It would cut metal stock like crazy. Hearing and eye protection where a must, but it worked well.

[Mikeymetal]

more than anything this is an excuse to buy the mac-daddy plasma cutter that we've been mulling over. and good fuel for the conversation fire. These trailers have served their purpose as on-site storage for over 2 decades now. we had another one that a guy was paying to leave here and a storm came by and wasted it. I would rather we go about breaking these down in a orderly fashion than dealing with a train wreck. thought of the craigslist thing but theres already a guy that wants to pay us $300.00 each to take them and do the same thing. we figure that if he's willing to do that, there must be double that in scrap value. Anybody out there got any idea just hoew much they're worth in scrap??

[DaveO]

There's online metal suppliers that have tons of information on their sites. This one, for instance
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant...858&top_cat=60
...gives the weight per square foot of various sheet metal types. Using that and measuring your trailers you could get a pretty close estimate of the total weight- you'd have to select the trailer alloy and research it. Then, multiply by the per pound price your scrap yard gives you. Metal prices change daily, kind of like stock market prices. Someone in an earlier post suggested talking to the scrap yard to find out the optimal size and condition to get the highest price.

You might be able to game the system if you find out what the price is linked to, or if the price is online you could see the daily fluctuations and try to sell on the highs.

Please post pics of the demolition! I'm sure it will be an adventure. Maybe you could have daily challenges with your brother...

[Mikeymetal]

Thanks for the input but I was hoping someone would say like "i scrapped one like that and got $600.00" or "Probably 600 pounds of aluminum and 2-1/2 tons of steel. The math is all good but a ballpark figure would work too.

[Tritium]

Non-magnetic stainless was selling for 65 cents a pound today when I was at the scrap yard so. Clean Yellow brass was $1.50 lb., Clean #2 copper was $3.15, Clean #1 copper was $3.40 lb., Unprepared steel was $170 a ton. I did not have any aluminum to sell so I did not check the price but it was recently 50 cents a pound for old irrigation tube.

Thurmond

[Krookz]

Have you ever heard of a 'cut rod'? I'm not talking about air-carbon arc.

There are rods that can be used with just a "plain jane" stick welding power source and stick electrode holder, (and no compressed air), which can pierce, and reach through thick box-like metal sections and cut through areas that might have considerable thickenss (like a "box frame"), where the back side would otherwise be difficult to cut with something that can only cut what's right next to it, like a plasma cutter. Supposedly the cut rods work on aluminum, too. I have no idea if they are long lasting and fast enough to cut an entire trailer, but you might want to look into them more for project:
http://www.harrisproductsgroup.com/e...r/Cut-Rod.aspx

I believe they have a similar effect to the Thermite cutting torches... They're just run by electricity instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mShRdpo7PT0

[DaveO]

The math is all good but a ballpark figure would work too.

The math would get you the ballpark for the aluminum, at least: with the weight per square foot in hand, you'd just need the height and length of the sides. Axles, frame or undercarriage, the front jack stands or whatever they're called are all steel but guessing those weights? I did see that unsorted bulk steel scraps at $170 per ton.

[Mikeymetal]

Well at $170.00/ton, I would GUESS that a trailer has to be in the 2-3 ton range. lets just ballpark that at 5000 lb. toss out all that rotted wood inside the trailer (add a bag of weenies and a garden hose and the disposal process becomes a "recreational fire"). toss the tires, and whatever else aint metal, now down to 3500 lb. 1.75 x 170 = $297.50 x3trailers = $892.50. If tyhat math is right and i forgo a case of beer, I think I just figured out how to pay for a new plasma cutter! If I'm not even close, someone say so, so I can conjur up something else.