Tin ?

[sfcairborne]

ok so yesterday I stopped by one of my local scrap yards looking for some tin. The owner said the only tin he had was a spool of 100% plumbers tin solder. This spool ways 20 pounds, and I can get it for 25.00. So heres my ? there was no label on the spool, to show what the make up of the solder was. We cut a piece off and it melted with just a lighter, into a nice shiny pool, he has no metal xray to show the composition so how do I determine if this is legit or not?

Thanks

[jsizemore]

Even at $1.25/lb you won't get hurt. When you get it home do a specific gravity test.

[Smoke4320]

If its Plumbers solder Its generally one of 2 alloys....
either 50/50 Tin/Lead (Melting temperature: 361° - 421°)
For 95/5 Tin/antimony (MELTING POINT 450 Degrees ñ 464 Degrees F)
'
SECTION 2
HAZARDOUS INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS % CAS NUMBER SEC 313
Tin 95% 7440-31-5 No
Antimony 5% 7440-36-0 Yes
================================================== ================================

[bangerjim]

Grab it! You will not be wrong.

I picked up a similar 25# spool last year for 75 cents/pound. It was 50/50 because many plumbers are going with the no-lead solders these days for EPA and local regulation reasons.

Their loss is our gain! Rarely do gubmint regs go in our favor. Here is one that does!!!!!!!!!!!

banger-j

[pworley1]

Either way it is a great buy.

[white eagle]

tin goes for alot more than what you are paying even at 50-50 you get a deal

[scottfire1957]

Buy it from your guy, then call around to see if another yard can X-Ray. Scrap yards are listed in the yellow pages.

[sfcairborne]

thanks guys gonna pick it up tmrw

[Doggonekid]

My local scrap yard around here wants $10 per pound for tin and $8 for pewter.

[RogerDat]

My local scrap yard around here wants $10 per pound for tin and $8 for pewter.

You should avoid your local scrap yard like the vampires that they are. Those are pretty much the prices you would get in swapping and selling forum and I'm guessing they bought it for less than a buck a lb. Unless they sort into "clean" lots of tin or pewter in the yard they won't wholesale at those prices when they sell it.

[Geezer in NH]

You should avoid your local scrap yard like the vampires that they are. Those are pretty much the prices you would get in swapping and selling forum and I'm guessing they bought it for less than a buck a lb. Unless they sort into "clean" lots of tin or pewter in the yard they won't wholesale at those prices when they sell it.
So the selling and swap are vampires by that logic?

[62chevy]

You should avoid your local scrap yard like the vampires that they are. Those are pretty much the prices you would get in swapping and selling forum and I'm guessing they bought it for less than a buck a lb. Unless they sort into "clean" lots of tin or pewter in the yard they won't wholesale at those prices when they sell it.

What would you call Rotometals then, they charge 20 bucks a pound for tin and pewter.

[RogerDat]

Rotometals is selling you manufactured ingots of precise alloys. You pay for that quality assurance and consistent material.

Swapping and selling is cheaper by a significant amount than Rotometals but more than the scrap yards. I figure you are paying for the time and effort in addition to the materials cost. I'm darn sure I have made a lot of trips looking for lead and alloys that netted little or nothing. My body sure knows it when I have spent several hours casting ingots, with that not free propane, on equipment I had to purchase. So if person in swapping and selling charges for those trips and that work and the materials they are darn sure not being a vampire.

Scrap yards on the other hand generally charge wholesale or at worst resale scrap value. Around here they invested maybe 25 cents a lb. and sell for 75 cents to $1.20 a lb. Sometimes for something premium like a large batch of bar solder they will charge a bit extra but nothing anywhere close to $8 a lb. Charging $8 a lb. for pewter in a box of misc. cast scrap after you dig it out from a pile of junk is rude. I would rather give a member here $10 for some pewter ingots than do business with that scrap yard.

I have no warm feelings for the scrap yards charging casters a premium price for wheel weights that otherwise they would be selling as "dirty" or mixed lead scrap at a fairly low price. If they keep their pewter or high tin alloys separate and were going to sell it wholesale as tin and they charge you a price that resembles what they would get for it as scrap that would seem fair but I'm pretty sure they won't get $8 a lb. selling it as scrap metal.

Maybe "vampire" is a bit strong but blood sucking seems appropriate comparison.

[bangerjim]

A yard selling for $8-10/# is the definition of highway robbery in my book. They buy for a few cents/# for everything "lead related" and then try to jack up prices like that?

I would definitely find a different yard, even if it meant driving to a different town or area.

Can you say ROAD TRIP! :guntootsmiley:

banger-j

[62chevy]

The last time I went to a scrap yard for lead they wanted $1.75 a pound so I bought 20 #. That was March 2013 and haven't went back since. That got me started and was able to find lead for a buck a pound delivered to my door already in ingots. Had his prices be fair I would have went back several times by now.

So I understand where you are coming from. Just think of all the business he lost from gouging.

This site is great with all the info you can get by just doing a bit of reading.

[RogerDat]

I don't mind paying a fair markup or pay a fair price for someone's labor and effort. I also will make a pretty significant effort to vote with my wallet, avoiding businesses that I feel gouge to do business with those I think treat me with respect. Buying and selling is after all a business partnership. I want a good partner in my business venture.

Part of what this site provides is what 62Chevy suggests. Information. Folks can find materials from members or through members spreading the names of places or members that treated them right. Or just sharing how or where to scrounge for materials and equipment.

I'm sure I the advice I received from members on using eBay to purchase reloading equipment helped me score a couple of items I needed at a decent price.

$1.75 a lb. for something selling on the open market for less than a buck? Quick check showed 98 cents a lb. in March 2013 for spot lead vs. 81 cents today. Scrap price received by yard from smelter is below spot price. A rough guess would be more than 10% lower. Maybe vampire was a little weak of a description for that yard. When spot price for actual lead is 85 there are yards selling it for 75, and I don't know if any scrap yards sell at a discount to retail public below the price they can wholesale it but I'm pretty sure the one I'm most familiar with doesn't. They check a price sheet that changes almost daily for the price of what I purchase.