Leftover (scrap) aluminum...

[CarlOrton]

Just curious; once you've finished building an experimental kit (or scratchbuilt) aircraft, you have at least a bucket or two of leftover trimmings.

Is it worth taking to a scrap metal dealer? I wouldn't think that a 5 gal pail of loosely-tossed metal could amount to much...

Recycle it?

[Frank Giger]

Heck no - keep it. There will always be a use for it during the annual condition inspection or when you want to change something, like installing a mirror, a headset holder, etc.

[CarlOrton]

Frank; yeah I get that part, and will keep all of the usable (yeah, OK, so it's ALL usable in one manner or another... but...) but the bucket is mostly filled with the coils of stuff left over after you use the snips to trim off 3/16" of the edge of a sheet, or the partial angle pieces that have had one leg removed from them, etc. I'm talking the true scraps.

[Matt Gonitzke]

In my area, aluminum scrap is currently 35-75 cents/lb. If it is all one alloy, you should get a higher rate (also alloy dependent).

At any rate, you'll get more money than you would by throwing it in the trash...;)

[Relic]

If nothing else, I take my scrap to the local collector rather than throw it in the trash. It may or may not bring a cash return. It doesn't end up in a land fill (wasted). In my case it brings great rapor with a local scrap dealer who in return calls me any time he gets worth while items that I might find usefull in my scope of building (anything) and in return charges me nothing for it.


In my area, aluminum scrap is currently 35-75 cents/lb. If it is all one alloy, you should get a higher rate (also alloy dependent).

At any rate, you'll get more money than you would by throwing it in the trash...;)