# What to do with Trash Brass



## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

I have about a ten pound bag of trash brass I have accumulated over the years. Split/cracked cases, picked up trash, Not safe to reload stuff. I figured I would recycle it but the couple of metal recycling places I have called in Utah valley will not take it. I hate to throw it away but it is looking that way. Does anyone want it? The recyclers said that I would have to melt it into ingots for them to take it but I don't have the equipment and I doubt you would break even with the propane used to melt it.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Brass and Copper ingot casting is very popular lately. Lots of youtube videos on it. Its actually worth more than you would think. Gold and Silver bullion dealers now sell copper 1oz and bigger coins for investors, around $1.75 per oz!!!

But I'm in the same boat. I have a bunch of copper from motors and old welders... I need to find a cheap way to melt it all down.

-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I can't believe that scrap metal places won't take them. 

We used to dump all kinds of brass and dirty copper on them years ago. Granted we didn't get the best price but they took it. 
It reminds me of a time back in the 70's when a friend had a bunch of steel to get rid of. He called the scrap yard up on the old Ironton Hill between Provo and Springville and asked them what they were paying. He got two prices,one for clean steel and one for dirty. He took his dads truck down to the car wash with all the steel in the back of it and spend a couple of dollars on washing it all off. He quickly learned that clean steel wasn't steel that had been washed.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

To melt brass you need to reach 1700 degrease, and copper is 1900-2100 degrease. I have a propane forge for blade making and I'm now curious if it would melt copper and brass. I think if a canister was made (similar to canister damascus) it may work??? Removing the steel can around the brass/copper could be the more difficult part. 

I'd be willing to try it out and see what I can come up with. Send me a PM Airborne and we can talk it over.


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

I called around and found a place that would take it for $2/pound. Western Metals told me that no one would take it and I believed them but then I called MCR recycling in Orem and they will take it so I will drop it off there. I have watched some of those casting videos on youtube and they are interesting. I have too many darn hobbies to add another to the list!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

A problem with casting it into ingots is that unless you can do it in bulk it is going to cost you more in propane or another gas than you are going to get out of it at a dealer.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

Glad you found a recycle place to take it. After I got thinking about what I said..... I kind of asked myself, "what the hell".


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Critter said:


> I can't believe that scrap metal places won't take them.
> 
> We used to dump all kinds of brass and dirty copper on them years ago. Granted we didn't get the best price but they took it.
> He quickly learned that clean steel wasn't steel that had been washed.


That reminds me. If any of you have any junk silver you need to get rid of I would be glad to take that worthless junk off your hands.


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## jlofthouse16 (Oct 18, 2021)

O my gosh. Toss it in the garbage with the rest of the trash!


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

jlofthouse16 said:


> O my gosh. Toss it in the garbage with the rest of the trash!



I got $20 for it from MCR recycling. I'm not a fan of literally throwing away money


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## jlofthouse16 (Oct 18, 2021)

Well..... sounds like you had your answer before you even asked it. Hmmmmmm ....... check your temperature!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Airborne said:


> I got $20 for it from MCR recycling. I'm not a fan of literally throwing away money


That place confused me, I hadnt been there in more than a decade... I had a bunch of old appliances piling up. Last spring I finally loaded them all up and took them down there. The lady directed me to drop certain ones in one spot, others in another spot... I was driving back and forth across the lot, it was a PITA.

Went back to get weighed on the way out and she told me to go inside. I expected a bill for dumping them off... stood in line for my turn, the lady there ran some numbers and suddenly handed me a wad of cash. I went in figuring I was paying to dump garbage and walked out with enough money for a nice dinner.

LOL

-DallanC


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Even if it is just a couple of bucks it is a couple of bucks. 

As long as you can pay for the gas that you used you are money ahead.


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

For sure DallanC! Similar experience with my brass, walked around, parked twice, finally found the fellas to take care of it. Went back to the office, waited in line and got paid after giving them my drivers license so they know I'm not stealing brass! I'm really just glad that there is a place to take stuff like this local. After Western Metals told me to pound sand I was happy to find a place. If anything this thread could point others towards MCR--they were nice but the place seems to have a different pile for every type of metal but that's ok when ya get paid


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Airborne said:


> I have too many darn hobbies to add another to the list!


Dude… the number of times I’ve said this 😂

This is actually a pretty interesting thread. I’ve been holding onto useless brass too. I assumed it’d be worth something, someday after I had a few buckets full. Sad to hear that may not be my retirement hunting fund after all.


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## jlofthouse16 (Oct 18, 2021)

Haul it in and sell it. Then go fill your gas tank. If you have a bit left over perhaps you can have a cup of ice cream to celebrate?

Perhaps its like selling aluminum cans. I hauled in a bunch of aluminum cans and got paid. It was barely enough to fill the gas tank for the gas I burned hauling it in there.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

If you don't want to collect yours and others brass to sell then don't. 

I've made some good money by picking up someone's else's junk metals and selling it.

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Too bad the days of buying a 55gal barrel full of fired military LC 5.56 brass is over. I know a couple people buying it by the full barrel. then selling bags of 5000 each. Crazy. I cant imagine how many cases a barrel could hold.

Of all the brass to hoard for reloading, LC beats them all. That stuff is fantastic. Last LC brass I was able to get on a deal was some lady selling it on Etsy the goofy craft site... she was selling LC08 as table decorations. LOL!

-DallanC


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

I remember turning in our company's brass back in the army after range training. Dumpsters full of bright shiny 5.56 LC brass, Ft Bragg goes through a lot of ammo! I asked the civilian workers if I could take some ammo cans and they let me. I should have asked for brass but at the time I didn't reload being a bucket-a$$ kid. Woulda-coulda-shoulda!

One thing I did take was stripper clips for M16 magazines--those were always thrown away so I snagged a few thousand of those from the range. They come in handy storing ammo.

If you are interested in 30-06 LC brass from the late 1960's that's in great condition, never been reloaded, send me a PM. A buddy of mine inherited a 5 gallon bucket full of it and I can probably get ya a decent deal on some. I've bought several hundred from him and it polishes nice and shoots great. It still has the original primers in it so ya know it hasn't been reloaded.


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