Copper
Bare Brite
Used for all sorts of electrical wiring. Usually includes 12 gauge solid strand sized wire or larger that’s been stripped. Should appear very clean, bright, and shiny.
#1 Copper
Clean copper pipe or stripped electrical wire about #16 gauge or thicker. Should not contain any solder, corrosion, or other non-copper material. Small amounts of chemical build up inside the pipe is OK as long as outside shows no contamination other than tarnish. If the wire was burned to remove insulation, the insulation must be completely gone and ash should be shaken out. If the burnt wire is brittle, it will be purchased as #2 copper.
#2 Copper
#2 Copper that has contamination present, this could include: soldering lead and fittings, paint, small amounts of insulation, caulking, etc. Copper wire thinner than 14
Sheet Copper
Copper pressed into a sheet-like material with minimal residue present. Commonly used for gutters, flashing, and roofing material. May also include some flower pots, pots, pans, and other household decorative items. The approximate thickness of 1/16” or less. Sheet copper may contain a little contamination in terms of paint, oxidation, caulking, etc. Anything with more than very small amounts of these materials will be bought as sheet iron.
High Grade Insulated Copper Wire (HICW )
Clean Copper wiring with the insulated cover still present. Should contain 75% or more copper by weight. Usually, any wire with strands the size of a 12 gauge solid single strand or larger would qualify.
Low Grade Insulated Copper Wire (LICW)
Copper wiring with less copper present, roughly 40-60% by weight. Insulated cover still present. Includes lamp, appliance, most extension cords, wire harnesses from cars, and electrical wiring found in homes.
Low Low Grade Insulated Copper Wire (LICW)
Christmas lights and internal computer wiring containing approximately 3-5% copper.
Copper Radiator (Clean)
Radiators containing copper fins and either copper or brass tubes and brass
Copper Radiator (Unclean)
Copper radiator with the steel mounting brackets, radiator cap, and steel or rubber tubing attached.
Copper Transformer
Transformers with copper windings as opposed to aluminum. Can be closed or open, like found in a welding machine. Must be DRY transformers, if they are tar filled they are considered sheet iron. If windings remain orangish color when scratched, then windings are copper.
Aluminum
Aluminum Extrusion
Aluminum that looks like it has been pushed or pulled through a mold rather than bent or stamped. Can be window and door frame parts or heavier material that looks pushed or pulled into shape as opposed to being bent or stamped. No other material present such as steel springs, weather stripping, or die cast or it will be purchased as sheet aluminum.
Thermal Extrusion
Aluminum extrusion with a vinyl or plastic strip molded into place that is usually difficult to remove. In many cases, you have to look at the end view to see it. This DOES NOT include fuzzy and/or rubber weather stripping you see
Aluminum Wire
Old, unalloyed aluminum wire free from hair wire, wire screen, iron, insulation, and other nonmetallic items. Some aluminum wire may have a steel center core. In this case, the material is classified as sheet iron.
Insulated Aluminum Wire
Aluminum wire with insulation present.
Aluminum Clip
Clean sheets of aluminum with no other material present. Minimum .015” Thickness. Heavy aluminum channel and angle iron, clean tubular aluminum, diamond plate, window/door frames that are clean with all die-cast and steel inserts removed, and running boards with the sandpaper removed would all be considered clip. Powder-coated, factory paint is ok. Any additional paint will be purchased as a painted aluminum clip.
Aluminum Radiator
Radiators with aluminum coils and fins. If scraped, fins will appear silverish in color. The top and bottom pieces are usually plastic. Must not contain any liquid. These are purchased as sheet aluminum.
Aluminum Copper Radiator (Clean)
Radiators with copper tubing and aluminum fins that have the steel
Aluminum Copper Radiator (Unclean)
Aluminum Copper Radiator with steel ends still attached and/or contamination present.
Aluminum Sheet
Aluminum that is too thin/light or contaminated to qualify as a different class of aluminum or is heavily painted. Aluminum with caulking, steel rivets, screws, nail, or other attachments would be classified as sheet aluminum. Examples include satellite dish, old lawn furniture with the fabric/plastic webbing removed. If steel attachments represent more than 5% of the total weight the item will be purchased as sheet iron.
Aluminum Wheels
Single piece, un-plated alloy 356 aluminum rim with
Chrome Aluminum Wheels
An aluminum wheel that is chrome-plated. The tire, wheel weights, inserts, valve stems, etc must be removed. Entire rim must be aluminum in order to fall under this classification.
Aluminum Truck Wheels
Alloy 6063 aluminum rim that is typically found on industrial trucks.
Cast Aluminum
Aluminum casting with all iron, brass, and other contaminants removed. Oil/grease not to total more than 2%. Cast Aluminum can be almost anything that is CAST. Pots and pans with the contaminants removed, broken pieces of electric drills, cast machine parts, aluminum engine parts with steel rings removed, ETC, are all examples of Cast Aluminum.
Litho Sheet
Consists of 1000 and/or 3000 series alloy. Used to print magazines/newspapers. About 1/32” thick with printer ink on one side. It should have no paper backing or dividers of any kind present.
Aluminum Siding
Clean, aluminum siding scrap. May have FACTORY APPLIED paint. Includes clean gutters, downspouts, soffits, and flashing. No steel nails or roofing can be attached otherwise it will be purchased as sheet aluminum or sheet iron based on contamination.
Irony Aluminum
Irony Aluminum shall consist of assorted scrap aluminum contaminated with Iron, the aluminum content must be a minimum 60% and iron may not exceed 40%. Any more than 40% contamination will be purchased as sheet iron. Must be free of excessive plastics, oils, and fluids.
Aluminum Cans
Common drink cans. Non-magnetic. Little contamination present. There is a standard 10% deduct for every can load to cover moisture and other contamination. More than 10% can be deducted if deemed necessary. This is to cover moisture and contamination other than cans. Cans may be crushed or
Aluminum Screen
Self-explanatory – screen made of aluminum. Classified as sheet aluminum.
Aluminum Transformer
Transformer with aluminum windings as opposed to copper. Can be closed or open, like found in a welding machine. Must be DRY transformers, if they are tar filled they are considered sheet iron. If windings turn silver when scratched, then windings are aluminum.
Stainless Steel
Non-Magnetic Stainless
Stainless Steel with little to no magnetic pull. Non-magnetic stainless with magnetic attachments (i.e. bolts, screws, steel parts) will be considered Irony Stainless.
Magnetic Stainless
Stainless steel that is magnetic. Magnetic stainless with steel attachments (i.e. bolts, screws, steel parts) will be purchased as sheet iron.
Irony Stainless
Irony Stainless Steel Scrap shall consist of stainless steel with iron (Ferrous Steel) attachments (rivets, screws, bolts, etc.). May not contain more than 10% attachments by weight.
Carbide
Scrap tungsten carbide aka scrap carbide is commonly found in mill tools, as carbide tools can last decades with just a few sharpenings. Inserts come in various shapes including, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon or octagon.
Inconel
Consists of Nickel alloy scrap with nickel content ranging from 70-75% and 15% chrome. Used where high heat, chemical, and abrasion resistance is needed. Non-magnetic.
Monel
Nickel/Copper alloy with a minimum of 60% Nickel content. Slightly magnetic. Used for it’s resistance to corrosion, acid, and for its workability.
Lead
Lead
Soft, heavy, non-magnetic material free of attachments, such as drosses, battery plates, lead covered cable, collapsible tubes, type metals, aluminum, zinc, iron and brass fittings, dirty chemical lead and radioactive materials. Grayish/silver in color.
Car Batteries
Lead Acid batteries that are typically found in automobiles and motorcycles. Do not attempt to drain them as we accept them as-is.
Industrial Batteries (Forklift)
An industrial lead-acid battery with a steel casing. Typically found in forklifts.
Zinc
Consists of clean dry scrap zinc, such as sheets, jar lids, clean unalloyed castings and anti-corrosion plates.
Die Cast (Clean)
A Die Cast object can be made of many different types of alloys. In our
Die Cast (Irony)
This has the same description as Clean Die Cast but it is contaminated with other material such as steel, or aluminum attachments. This contamination should not exceed 30% by weight.
Computer Towers
Complete towers with drives and boards still inside. Laptops, not included.
Computer Monitors
CRT Monitors must be in one piece and unbroken.
Household/Consumer Electronics
This category can include just about any household electronic item that has a circuit board in it. This might include stereo equipment, video players, DVD, VCR etc. It does not include TV’s, Monitors, Computer Printers or Copiers.
Computer Boards
Any circuit board from inside a computer besides the motherboard. These will include the video board, soundboard and PCI cards where the cables plug into the back of the computer.
Whole Laptops
Must be 100% intact and unbroken.
Printers/Copiers
Must be 100% intact and unbroken.
Televisions
Must be 100% intact, including the screen. Includes old CRT’s, LED, LCD, or plasma.
Ferrous Material
Sheet Iron
Any magnetic ferrous metal material less than ¼” thick. This commodity could include metal roofing material, automotive body parts, bed frames, lamps, file cabinets, dehumidifiers, air conditioners etc, etc. There is a $4 freon charge for all Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers.
Heavy Steel
Magnetic ferrous metal ¼” thick and thicker. This commodity includes Schedule 40 pipe, nuts, bolts, automobile parts. Does NOT include rebar or manganese railroad stock.
Plate and Structural
¼” Thick or thicker. Includes flat plate, tanks made of plate, angle iron, channel iron, square tubing. Schedule 40 or thicker pipe can also be included but must be 4” diameter or larger.
Cast Iron
Similar to Iron/steel but with more mottled, rougher appearance. Could be anything from a sewer pipe, some pump housings, bathtubs, sinks, radiators or machine bases from factory equipment.
Engine Blocks
Gasoline automobile engines with or without the oil pan and transmission. Does not include lawn mower/garden tractor engines.
Diesel Blocks
Diesel automobile engines with or without the oil pan and transmission.
Cars
COMPLETE cars with engine, transmission, and rear end still included. Must have
Drums and Rotors
Clean drums & rotors with no wheel studs, hubs, bearings, or brakes attached.
Electric Motors
All electric motors are included in this category including 110V household furnace blower motor, heavy duty 440V industrial motors, either AC or DC, automotive starters, generators
Common Household Motors
Power Tools:
-Newer tools: with plastic housing is sheet iron
- Older tools: that are die cast are considered electric motors
Ceiling Fans:
-With blades still intact, counts as sheet iron
- Steel housing no blades qualifies as
Submersible (Sump) Pumps:
–Sheet iron
1602 Selinger Ave
Erie PA 16505
814-838-7628
986 N. French Street
Meadville PA 16335
814-724-2241
