Fair price for solder drippings

[wantoutofca]

Does anyone have an i an idea what a fair dripping price would be? I am apparently the first caster to try our local radiator shop and of course he asked me to make him an offer. He has one full bucket that is pretty clean and another that's not quite as nice. Any thoughts on a price per lb?

[lwknight]

Offer a dollar per pound. That is more than he will get at a recycling center.
You would actually get out unhurt at $5.00 per pound but no one wants to pay that.
Tin is expensive and the drippings will be at least 30%

[dieguy59]

+1. I would also add that once a satisfactory deal has been struck make a return trip with some pizza and or donuts. Keep 'em happy.

[wantoutofca]

He said that the scrap guy gave him "22 cents a lb or something" and that sounded way low. I don't want to take advantage of the situation because I would rather have a source for something so hard to find than get a one time deal. I'm thinking of offering him $50 for the bucket that my well calibrated arm figured weighed about 80lbs.

[rintinglen]

Do it, although I have found that a twelve pack often goes further than the same amount of dollars will. That stuff is great-- I got a half bucket of it one time and used it 1 - 25 with wheel weights for some of the best casting alloy I have ever used.

[dieguy59]

Be sure and let us know the end yield. Nice find!

[dale2242]

I have smelted solder drippings a few times.
Flux- flux -flux is the key to recovery.
The solder drippings I smelted had a LOT of waste.
Don`t expect recovery on the same level as CO WWs....dale

[mold maker]

Sure wish I had this problem. There used to be radiator shops in every town. Now they aren't repaired. The disposable age is upon us.

[H.Callahan]

Sure wish I had this problem. There used to be radiator shops in every town. Now they aren't repaired. The disposable age is upon us.Yeah, we had a HUGE radiator shop here in town that did most of the radiator repair in about a 100 mile radius. I could haul that stuff out by the bucket fulls for free. No one recycled stuff back then -- it was just thrown out.

Unfortunately, the shop is long gone and I don't think there is even anyone in town that does radiator repair anymore.

[wantoutofca]

Well I just got back from the radiator shop and got all they had for $0.50lb. I told them that I would buy every bucket full they make and they guy seemed really happy about the whole deal. Looks like I got myself a source!!. Next time I will bring him a 12er or something but things are looking good regardless.

[Jailer]

Well I just got back from the radiator shop and got all they had for $0.50lb. I told them that I would buy every bucket full they make and they guy seemed really happy about the whole deal. Looks like I got myself a source!!. Next time I will bring him a 12er or something but things are looking good regardless.

Reward him well. That's a great price and should give you plenty of cheap tin for your casting needs. With the advent of aluminum/plastic radiators, radiator repair shops are few and far between these days.

I paid my local guy $20 for a 3 1/2 gallon bucket about half full of drippings. I ended up with about 22lbs from that and he even threw in a bar mold and ladle that he used to use to recover his own drippings in the past. Unfortunately I don't know how much longer he will be in business as there is hardly ever any cars in the parking lot there. He says about all he gets for business any more is large commercial vehicle radiators.

[wantoutofca]

I hear you about the radiator shops going away. We used to have a few now this guy is all that's left. He does good business so hopefully he will be around for a while. He said he generates a couple of buckets a year and at 110 lbs apiece that should keep me setup for a while.