GLL
10-07-2006, 03:11 PM
Several members have mentioned the local radiator shop as a great source of tin (60/40 solder). I gave it a try yesterday and was pleasantly surprised ! The shop owner and I struck a deal that I could have the small amount of scrap (sludge) in his cleaning tank for $12.00 but I had to muck it out myself. He furnished the long rubber gloves and along with the Mexican helpers got to watch while eating their lunch.
I recovered 41 pounds of "stuff" out of the tank (semi-dry weight), paid my $12.00, and drove away happy.
I washed the muck a bit to remove the anti-freeze and the finest oxides (mainly rust). Heating the stuff was a pretty stinky job and the neigborhood smelled like a major antifreeze leak. I watched the heating process upwind and indoors until it volatized off.
The result was 22 pounds of solder from the original 41 pounds of muck for $12.00. It was a fair amount of dirty work but the result was well worth it. It worked out the cost of the tin content alone was a little less that $1.00 per pound. The owner told me to come back again next month for another lunch time adventure ! :)
Jerry
http://www.fototime.com/7D15931F35477FE/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/3D9E4C790723581/standard.jpg
I recovered 41 pounds of "stuff" out of the tank (semi-dry weight), paid my $12.00, and drove away happy.
I washed the muck a bit to remove the anti-freeze and the finest oxides (mainly rust). Heating the stuff was a pretty stinky job and the neigborhood smelled like a major antifreeze leak. I watched the heating process upwind and indoors until it volatized off.
The result was 22 pounds of solder from the original 41 pounds of muck for $12.00. It was a fair amount of dirty work but the result was well worth it. It worked out the cost of the tin content alone was a little less that $1.00 per pound. The owner told me to come back again next month for another lunch time adventure ! :)
Jerry
http://www.fototime.com/7D15931F35477FE/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/3D9E4C790723581/standard.jpg