many years ago as a new grad metallurgist on a training program observed professional sorters. They could separate red brass, yellow brass, tin bronze, aluminum bronze and manganese bronze. Main tool was a steel file which they used to strike an exposed edge on the piece. Judgement based not only the color of the fresh strike but also the perceived hardness of the piece.
Kicken brass and taking names great video my man could totally see the difference! Good lighting is key for me to tell the difference I have a good light right next to my grinding wheel ! You know my motto is you can't find it grind it! Keep up the great updates and you are funny also to boot.
I sell a lot of this to export buyers . Yellow and red brass and copper combined . I keep the percentage high in the yellow brass range on these things..No complaints so far . Buy low and sell high , Love you boss .
This is new to me, I assumed it was either yellow, irony, Or Bronze. I'm gonna have to get the grinder and check out my brass stash. Great info and video.
You can tell on video. It's way harder than real world, but def one looks more rosey silver color and one looks more yellowish gold. Dam man, UP North Scrap culture is so different. I just wish I could go to your scrap yard like yours someday. The scraping up here in Massachusetts is night and day. If you ask to speak to scale operater/management. The woman on the phone will either give u an attitude or just hang up. I've seen customers turned away if everything is not clean and scratched. I've seen low Ball prices/rigged scales...I've even saw workers in the yard almost get into fist fights, with customers. No joke.
That is ridiculous fighting in the yard but I believe it and I believe all the other things rig scales. One time I walked over to the scale and he wrote down 43 pounds and I got a glance at the scale and they were 63 pounds so I said to him hold on don’t take that off the scale. So we put it back on the scale and it was 63 pounds he tried to get me because I wasn’t looking
You touched on my #1 trick to separating brass! I felt damn smart the day I figured out to have a nice piece of red to compare against! Especially because certain lighting, especially outdoors, it can sometimes play tricks on the eyes! What I've noticed are some things, like ball valves, may be red for the main body. BUT there can be a yellow brass nut on one end of the valve. If a customer grinds both parts, how does Bracken (or other yards) classify that? It's not much yellow, at the most maybe 10% weight. Is it meaningless at that point and toss it in the red bucket? What about a difference once the yard sells to a refiner and the percentage translates to a more significant weight? Anyway, thanks a bunch for all the videos, I show them to friends who ask about the wonderful world of scrap metal!
Max, great comment and questions. I know exactly what you are talking about with the ball valves. At our yard it doesn't really matter, we still put it in the red. And if it has 10% yellow, it is usually is not a problem. But this all depends on who your yard is selling to. If they won't buy it, it doesn't mean they are getting over on you. It just means their buyer might have stricter requirements. Hope that helps!
Red is more because of the amount of copper that is in it. Brass is an alloy. In my area I have never been able to sell red as red they just won't give any higher price. I've been scrapping for many years.
There is another way to determine yellow from red. Using a STRONG magnet, yellow brass will slightly attract the magnet and red brass will not. I learned this from the company I sell my scrap too.
Could you do a video on zinc versus aluminum? I've always thrown my zinc in with my cast aluminum and the scrap yard has never questioned it. However, wouldn't zinc be worth more? Am I cheating myself?
typically my zinc comes in the form of fan blade supports from ceiling fans. My yard tells me to pull them out though I forget if they are more than cast, I'd hafta find an old ticket somewhere to see the price at the time.
Next time you make a video comparing and contrasting similar colors put a piece of black poster board behind the items and it will help people distinguish slight differences in shades of color 😃
yes it was hard to see in the vid this may not work but you could try different lighting sunlight i find best but if you do this alot black lights or polarized sun glasses may help uv or infrared somethings gotta help .if i make mistake at the scrappers they always let me know and pull out the expensive stuff and weigh it separate then teach me why and how i drive past at least ten different scrap yards to get to them. i bet you got clients like that
Anthony, yes I do. This is a really good point. I have made assumptions in my head why this might be but I don't have the actual facts behind the theory!
If I remember correctly, been awhile since had to do any metallurgy. The red brass has more of a copper percentage. Won't find a lot of it nowadays since that's what the smelter was using for a recipe way back when. Now its all yellow brass. Including the figurines ( animals, shoes). Lol Have a couple ? for you do most scrap yards buy range brass? And on copper wire what is the dividing line between #1 and #2? I would like to find out based on a average wire gauge (AVG) scale just so I know.
We buy range brass but we refer to it as range lead. I'll put a link to my copper video and another video that shows you where to find isri specs. I hope they help answer the copper question! ua-cam.com/video/oUEYNCRKquQ/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/Z26ge2LvHOE/v-deo.html
Barry, right now most buyers are paying about $0.15 (plus or minus) more for red brass. This spread between the two will fluctuate from time to time. If my memory serves me correct It has been anywhere between $0.10 to $0.30 spread in the past.
I was hoping no one would catch that! I messed up and forgot to talk about it! But Ryan hit the nail on the head in his comment below. It is the copper content!
Probably shouldn't ask your local scrap yard to "talk to a manager" or most likely they will tell you to f*** off.. hahaha Unless your a good customer too them they are normally not soo nice.. lol
gotta call before going ...true if youre on spot with youre material they know your kind off stuck ther its bracken that give me that hint and it work weight your stuff separate them well and make a phone call telling what you have and ask what there price you will be suprise of how better price you could get
You are so right, I see comments like this all the time and it really bums me out to hear it. Scrapping IS FUN and should be a great experience for people. If anyone at my scrapyard talked to a customer that way they would be fired on the spot. I don't tolerate that one bit!
I know the difference between yellow and red brass but your video the red brass looks yellow there is NO red tinge able to be seen . its simply not as bright as the yellow but only slightly .. does not look like red brass
Your still kinda dragging out the videos with how many techniques there are to scratch it and a call out to a friend and is the camera angle right, can u see this, I’m not a plumber-. 1:30 and still? Com-on And btw those are both Moen faucets and both the same grade of brass-just saying Well edit. Just noticed the vid is from 3 years ago-so how are things going for u now?
The red brass did not show up as red..It basically just had a white look.Someone said in the comments that red brass has a chrome coat . Some times it does but that is not a good indicator. The coating is some times a nickel plate . Also sometimes will see copper that is nickel plated.
Joshua, I can't tell you if they are telling the truth to you without knowing their situation. Sometimes yards won't separate it because they don't generate brass fast enough and don't want to gamble with the market. This is why you will see a wider spread for brass items at smaller yards or yards that just don't generate a lot. My only recommendation to you is to see if they are putting it in another box after you sell it, or look to see if they have a separate place for it (sometimes the don't separate till later for various reasons).
Watch your show every time I can get there I have a question for you the over here in Palm Springs California they have this scrap yard out here with a couple of them they pay a dollar and $0.20 for shiny wire and dollar copper per pound aluminum pri alumin is 10 cents pound brass is 25 cents per pound batteries are $0.10 per pound I'm 70 years old and I like that you make a little bit of money doing things like scrapping but how can anybody make money with these people at the scrap yards just trying to rob you it doesn't make any sense to me and there's some kind of ethics code you guys go by
many years ago as a new grad metallurgist on a training program observed professional sorters. They could separate red brass, yellow brass, tin bronze, aluminum bronze and manganese bronze. Main tool was a steel file which they used to strike an exposed edge on the piece. Judgement based not only the color of the fresh strike but also the perceived hardness of the piece.
I was watching, couldn't tell at all.....I walked away for 30 seconds and came back to watch, now I see exactly what you are saying!
Kicken brass and taking names great video my man could totally see the difference! Good lighting is key for me to tell the difference I have a good light right next to my grinding wheel ! You know my motto is you can't find it grind it! Keep up the great updates and you are funny also to boot.
Dang, I should have named the video Kicken brass and taking names! I like that!
THANKS! We will be looking out for this now that we just found brass!
I sell a lot of this to export buyers . Yellow and red brass and copper combined . I keep the percentage high in the yellow brass range on these things..No complaints so far . Buy low and sell high , Love you boss .
Thank you Baler!
Hi baler can u sell brass scrap in india.
This is new to me, I assumed it was either yellow, irony, Or Bronze. I'm gonna have to get the grinder and check out my brass stash. Great info and video.
Thank you Hinote, glad it helped!
I have a valve that is red with a yellow packing nut which makes comparison easy
Another great video! The yards in my area consider chromed brass yellow.
ditto in my yard. it's a VERY thin layer so there really is no reason not to consider it yellow brass.
Most yards will. It also changes here at Bracken recycling from time to time. It just depends on who I am selling to at that time.
Usually it's a nickel plate.
You can tell on video. It's way harder than real world, but def one looks more rosey silver color and one looks more yellowish gold.
Dam man, UP North Scrap culture is so different.
I just wish I could go to your scrap yard like yours someday.
The scraping up here in Massachusetts is night and day.
If you ask to speak to scale operater/management. The woman on the phone will either give u an attitude or just hang up.
I've seen customers turned away if everything is not clean and scratched. I've seen low Ball prices/rigged scales...I've even saw workers in the yard almost get into fist fights, with customers.
No joke.
That is ridiculous fighting in the yard but I believe it and I believe all the other things rig scales. One time I walked over to the scale and he wrote down 43 pounds and I got a glance at the scale and they were 63 pounds so I said to him hold on don’t take that off the scale. So we put it back on the scale and it was 63 pounds he tried to get me because I wasn’t looking
You touched on my #1 trick to separating brass! I felt damn smart the day I figured out to have a nice piece of red to compare against! Especially because certain lighting, especially outdoors, it can sometimes play tricks on the eyes!
What I've noticed are some things, like ball valves, may be red for the main body. BUT there can be a yellow brass nut on one end of the valve. If a customer grinds both parts, how does Bracken (or other yards) classify that? It's not much yellow, at the most maybe 10% weight. Is it meaningless at that point and toss it in the red bucket? What about a difference once the yard sells to a refiner and the percentage translates to a more significant weight?
Anyway, thanks a bunch for all the videos, I show them to friends who ask about the wonderful world of scrap metal!
Max, great comment and questions. I know exactly what you are talking about with the ball valves. At our yard it doesn't really matter, we still put it in the red. And if it has 10% yellow, it is usually is not a problem. But this all depends on who your yard is selling to. If they won't buy it, it doesn't mean they are getting over on you. It just means their buyer might have stricter requirements. Hope that helps!
New subscriber thank you very much I needed this video I have a whole bunch of parts like that but I need to separate.
Is red brass and yellow brass a different price at the scrap yard?
Red is more because of the amount of copper that is in it. Brass is an alloy. In my area I have never been able to sell red as red they just won't give any higher price. I've been scrapping for many years.
There is another way to determine yellow from red. Using a STRONG magnet, yellow brass will slightly attract the magnet and red brass will not. I learned this from the company I sell my scrap too.
I thought only bronze would attract to magnet ever so slightly.
Thank you for the side by side!
Could you do a video on zinc versus aluminum? I've always thrown my zinc in with my cast aluminum and the scrap yard has never questioned it. However, wouldn't zinc be worth more? Am I cheating myself?
typically my zinc comes in the form of fan blade supports from ceiling fans. My yard tells me to pull them out though I forget if they are more than cast, I'd hafta find an old ticket somewhere to see the price at the time.
Zinc is typically worth less than cast aluminum at scrapyards.
Bracken, you could also tell by weights. I found that most red brass will be heavier. But like you said, grind or scratch is 💯 the safest.
I have all ryobi plus one tools...love the grinder
Ryobi has really stepped up their game!
Next time you make a video comparing and contrasting similar colors put a piece of black poster board behind the items and it will help people distinguish slight differences in shades of color 😃
yes it was hard to see in the vid this may not work but you could try different lighting sunlight i find best but if you do this alot black lights or polarized sun glasses may help uv or infrared somethings gotta help .if i make mistake at the scrappers they always let me know and pull out the expensive stuff and weigh it separate then teach me why and how i drive past at least ten different scrap yards to get to them. i bet you got clients like that
Always scratch my brass... and now my local yard knows they can trust what i bring and don't need to check.
The red actually look clearer than yellow on video
Do you find that red brass usually comes from older valves etc that were made years ago than more modern valves etc?
Anthony, yes I do. This is a really good point. I have made assumptions in my head why this might be but I don't have the actual facts behind the theory!
A lot is over in the uk we call it Gun metal. (Red brass)
cool informative thanks for sharing
You're welcome!
I have about 600lbs of brass fitness. Would it really be worth it to separate everything? Everything is chrome plated, my scrap yard doesn't care.
stupid question but do they do figurine in red brass????
Honestly I don't know. Most of them seem like they are yellow but I never scratch to find out!
i bet you never scratch them lol
and how about brass plated is it a thing possible??
I'm not sure!
If I remember correctly, been awhile since had to do any metallurgy. The red brass has more of a copper percentage. Won't find a lot of it nowadays since that's what the smelter was using for a recipe way back when. Now its all yellow brass. Including the figurines ( animals, shoes). Lol Have a couple ? for you do most scrap yards buy range brass? And on copper wire what is the dividing line between #1 and #2? I would like to find out based on a average wire gauge (AVG) scale just so I know.
We buy range brass but we refer to it as range lead. I'll put a link to my copper video and another video that shows you where to find isri specs. I hope they help answer the copper question!
ua-cam.com/video/oUEYNCRKquQ/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/Z26ge2LvHOE/v-deo.html
The first couple items looked like mixing valves to me
More than likely tub valves. Single handle mixing type.
is there some pieces that are more red hen other but still red
is there different tint of red???
Yes some pieces are very easy to tell and others not so much! It sucks sometimes!
I've heard the word pink every time I've tried to sell as red. Some are lighter shades of red.
Have you done a vid on gun metal? I find that confusing with brass also
Red brass when scratched looks like a chrome colour.
Thanks bro....
Thank you scrap and pallet man!!!
Is this in older plumbing ? and this is the first I have heard it!
Where are you located?
The second piece is red brass 5%sn more expensive than the first one with 2-3% sn
what's sn?
whats the difference in price
Barry, right now most buyers are paying about $0.15 (plus or minus) more for red brass. This spread between the two will fluctuate from time to time. If my memory serves me correct It has been anywhere between $0.10 to $0.30 spread in the past.
cheers
My scrap yard separates all my brass and copper so i get the most cash.
I don't know if a brass animal has ever been actually melted. I think they all are sitting on shelves, desks, any flat surface at all the scrap yards
True.
Some of the bronze ones are worth good money. Way more than as scrapmetal
The red one is c metal not red brass they all change in sn zn pb and cu ofcourse
Can u send me in jamnagar gujarat india. I have many customer
Why is red brass worth more? you said you'd explain later. I didn't think you meant later in another video.
Higher copper content
I was hoping no one would catch that! I messed up and forgot to talk about it! But Ryan hit the nail on the head in his comment below. It is the copper content!
It also contains more tin which is also worth more.
Probably shouldn't ask your local scrap yard to "talk to a manager" or most likely they will tell you to f*** off.. hahaha
Unless your a good customer too them they are normally not soo nice.. lol
gotta call before going ...true if youre on spot with youre material they know your kind off stuck ther
its bracken that give me that hint and it work
weight your stuff separate them well and make a phone call telling what you have and ask what there price
you will be suprise of how better price you could get
jackpot digger oh yeah definitely better to call ahead especially if you have a bunch of one thing
You are so right, I see comments like this all the time and it really bums me out to hear it. Scrapping IS FUN and should be a great experience for people. If anyone at my scrapyard talked to a customer that way they would be fired on the spot. I don't tolerate that one bit!
Bracken Recycling Wish I could come to your yard! Lol.
I'm not complaining either though my local yard treats me pretty good
Red brass gunmetal, yellow brass is just brass
Brass and ganmetal
How do you tell when yer color blind
You can't unless someone else looks at for you.
👍
I know the difference between yellow and red brass but your video the red brass looks yellow there is NO red tinge able to be seen . its simply not as bright as the yellow but only slightly .. does not look like red brass
Your still kinda dragging out the videos with how many techniques there are to scratch it and a call out to a friend and is the camera angle right, can u see this, I’m not a plumber-. 1:30 and still? Com-on
And btw those are both Moen faucets and both the same grade of brass-just saying
Well edit. Just noticed the vid is from 3 years ago-so how are things going for u now?
The red brass did not show up as red..It basically just had a white look.Someone said in the comments that red brass has a chrome coat . Some times it does but that is not a good indicator. The coating is some times a nickel plate . Also sometimes will see copper that is nickel plated.
thxx buddy
after checking most i can ...here anyway there just not at all
i think over 300pieces i founded one piece
My local scrap yard won't pay more for red brass they try to say its all the same
Joshua, I can't tell you if they are telling the truth to you without knowing their situation. Sometimes yards won't separate it because they don't generate brass fast enough and don't want to gamble with the market. This is why you will see a wider spread for brass items at smaller yards or yards that just don't generate a lot. My only recommendation to you is to see if they are putting it in another box after you sell it, or look to see if they have a separate place for it (sometimes the don't separate till later for various reasons).
Bracken Recycling I just stockpile it and drive to another area most of the time
Daniel Son!!
Watch your show every time I can get there I have a question for you the over here in Palm Springs California they have this scrap yard out here with a couple of them they pay a dollar and $0.20 for shiny wire and dollar copper per pound aluminum pri alumin is 10 cents pound brass is 25 cents per pound batteries are $0.10 per pound I'm 70 years old and I like that you make a little bit of money doing things like scrapping but how can anybody make money with these people at the scrap yards just trying to rob you it doesn't make any sense to me and there's some kind of ethics code you guys go by
Don G there are shitty yards out there. Check around. Find a new one. The bigger the better.
contaminated copper/brass
Any Brass scrap seller here
On the vid one looks yellow one looks silver.