scrap computer metals where to sell?

totalguy

ive seen all over the internet about what to strip from a computer and which bits to throw away but i cant seem to find anywhere how you would sell the stuff you stripped. i mean where can you sell the gold etc ?

phill99

The only place I have come across is Specialised Metal Services based in Tilbury Essex.

Here's the link

http://www.sms-essex.co.uk/services.html

unlucky67

Phone your local scrap merchants and ask! If they don't do it they will know someone who does...
Try and get a few names and then phone them and ask what the rate is and any minimum quantities etc...
I've got a few kilos of copper from my house rewire - there is still some to come out - but then I'll be looking to sell it and that's what I plan to do...(have some other bits as well - half a cast iron bath, a couple of old steel radiators etc...)
(although a plumber told me the highest copper price is usually just before Christmas - so I've missed it!)

phill99

unlucky67 wrote: »

Phone your local scrap merchants and ask! If they don't do it they will know someone who does...
Try and get a few names and then phone them and ask what the rate is and any minimum quantities etc...
I've got a few kilos of copper from my house rewire - there is still some to come out - but then I'll be looking to sell it and that's what I plan to do...(have some other bits as well - half a cast iron bath, a couple of old steel radiators etc...)
(although a plumber told me the highest copper price is usually just before Christmas - so I've missed it!)

Most normal scrap merchants don't take electronic scrap as it's a highly specialised area.

Ectophile

Unless it's a huge 1960's mainframe, the amount of gold you will get will be tiny. Modern computers only use the thinnest layers of gold on the gold-plated connectors.

Assuming you do somehow manage to survive the toxic chemicals needed to separate gold from the base metals, any good gold refiner should give you a few pennies for it.

spannerzone

There's a lot of videos on youtube showing people cutting gold looking metals from various computer components, then immersing in various nasty acids etc. The result is a miniscule amount of 'gold' literally a tiny spec on a tissue.

Nearly all of them fail to say (or they just don't realise) that most gold coloured metal is probably copper or a mixture of metals that may have a very small quantity of gold, or more likely may not. It doesn't stop people spending their lives using very dangerous chemicals (often while they're barefoot in the lounge!) trying to recover some gold.

forgotmyname

I have watched the youtube video's and read all the blogs about doing this.

As mentioned the amount of gold you get is tiny. Unless you work with the chemicals and can get them for free and rate your time at 0.00000001p an hour with an endless supply of free computers you wont get anything for them.

I will have all your aluminium though, I melt that down.

Heatsinks/hard drives etc.

Are you TDDI ??

unlucky67

phill99 wrote: »

Most normal scrap merchants don't take electronic scrap as it's a highly specialised area.

But hopefully they will know a man who will...;)
Seriously I would guess they are the most likely people in your area who would know...I guess computer repair shops might as well ...or the someone who works at the council dump - or if you have a reuse/recycle centre (we have one that is kind of like a charity shop...they used to take non-working things to strip down but have been less keen over recent years as scrap prices went down... ..)

totalguy

i dont think ill bother then its more hassle than its worth it seems

Captain_Flack.

totalguy wrote: »

i dont think ill bother then its more hassle than its worth it seems

Not something you researched too well was it?

totalguy

Captain_Flack. wrote: »

Not something you researched too well was it?

no not really, i saw t hem using acids on youtube and showing you which bits to cut off boards etc thats about it.