Metal Parts Recycling?

[RESen]

Many of us are hobbyists who got into the habit collecting of extra parts for conversion and kit bashing. I have been doing this for a long time now. I have a fair amount of extra parts I don't want to take the time to sell or trade. I would rather see the materials used to make new models. Is there anyone out there I can send/sell pewter too for recycling? Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks
Ryan

[s_o_r_r_o_w]

You can send it to me. I'll be happy to add it to my bitz box.

[MagickalMemories]

The problem is that the bits you have aren't pewter.
Some of the oldest stuff might be but, if you've been building THAT long, you might have lead pieces in there.
Also, there will be plenty of tin, as well. For years now, GW has been using a tin based metal.

A quick Google search pulled up West Coast Metal Recycling in BC Canada.
Here's a link to what they're willing to accept for recycling:

http://www.westcoastmetalrecycling.com/materials.htm

No pewter or lead ( ) on that list, but tin's there.

Honestly, I doubt you have so much that you'd get much for it. You'd probably be better off bagging it up in gallon sized ziploc bags & posting a thread in the Bits forum with "firm" prices for each ziploc.

Just my opinion.


Eric

[RESen]

Hmmm ok thanks guys. I'll look into it.

[HarlequinZero]

I know Maelstrom Games in the UK takes in any excess metal and pays by the kilo. I have no idea about similar services in other countries.

[Steven H.]

Many of us are hobbyists who got into the habit collecting of extra parts for conversion and kit bashing. I have been doing this for a long time now. I have a fair amount of extra parts I don't want to take the time to sell or trade. I would rather see the materials used to make new models. Is there anyone out there I can send/sell pewter too for recycling? Any help would be appreciated.

There's a local guy who makes his own line of minis, but I'm not sure what he can use as feedstock.
What ~mass?

[eman1_2]

Reaper also takes metal trade in, but it may only be at their conventions they hold there.

[montaa]

One of the guys in our gaming group casts a fair number of molds using metal. He is always looking for most scrap to melt down.

[TheRhino]

I resmelt my metal junk, as well as the junk donated to me by my gaming group. As some of the traders here know, I've been known to pay for old junk petwer minis and parts if the price is right.
Pewter is a tin-based alloy, typically 98% or more tin, with copper, bismuth, and antimony in the mix. That's why metla minis are so spendy now...the industrial boom in China has upped the demand for tin for tin/lead solders in electronics and such.

Reaper Miniatures does indeed take metal as a trade-in during their annual ReaperCon event. They won't pay you for it, but if you contact their customer service, they might be willing to give you an address to send it to, so that it will get recycled into minis someday. i think much of that non-Reaper metal they accept ends up in their P-65 line, since they can't guarantee the lead content of trade in scrap. P-65 is a leaded versionof their normal lines, for "adult use only". Honestly, lead minis are perfectly safe after they're primed and painted. It's just the handling of bare lead that's bad for you.

I had a guy in our LGS the other day who was trying to oddload a ton of old metal WW2 minis. he wasn't sure of the source or manufacturer, and the LGS owner cautioned him that it was illegal to try to sell lead-based figs now. I wasn't sure of the accuracy of that statement, though. I was going to offer to take the lot off his hands and try to ID it, but didn't want to jump over my LGS owner.

Folks who do their own bullet casting and reloading also like to buy small lots of stuff like this. There's a sector of the reloading crowd that use the tin/lead combo stuff to alloy down their pure lead to make rounds with different flight and penetration characteristics. I briefly talked to one guy who bought up tin/lead solder scrap from plumbers, and combined it with lead wheel weights from an auto shop to cast his own shot and bullets. Lots of work, but fascinating!

You can also do as MagikalMemories said, and bag the parts up in a Ziploc. Get an accurate weight of each bag, and offer them up for sale in the Bits/Parts forum. Weight is very important for scrappers like myself, as it's the easiest way to measure approximate volume and value. If possible, you might also try to group the bags by manufacturer. If you can't do that, and are unsure of the content of the metal, I'd highly recommend youput a LARGE disclaimer about possible lead content.

The stuff has an inherent value, so don't just throw it out!

[MagickalMemories]

I had a guy in our LGS the other day who was trying to oddload a ton of old metal WW2 minis. he wasn't sure of the source or manufacturer, and the LGS owner cautioned him that it was illegal to try to sell lead-based figs now. I wasn't sure of the accuracy of that statement, though. I was going to offer to take the lot off his hands and try to ID it, but didn't want to jump over my LGS owner.

Not sure about the veracity of that statement.
I know the shop can't sell them, though. It's in their standard insurance policies, now.
At least, the 3 shop owners I've spoken with over the years since lead was done aways with all stated that they had to have "no lead" clauses in their insurance policies, or their insurance company would drop them.

Of course, that was a while ago. Things might've changed since then.


Eric