Falling Scrap Iron prices

[Tugger2]

They scrap guys say the bronze market is terrible of course. Id bet they could hold an auction for it. Theres a line up of people who want it as an artifact.

 

[hosspuller]

Any plans for the prop?

It would make a heck of a lamp base ...

 

[Birken Vogt]

Heres this weeks progress on the ship demo. It turns out the engine was built in 1955.

Is/was it common to put an old engine in a new ship like that?

Especially a diesel built in 1955 in a ship built 1980, seems like diesels were still pretty crude back then.

 

[DMiller]

Old man on Alton Pool, fleet servicer, built his own boat off Hwy C in Kampsville MO, along the Slough to Alton Pool in 1978. Everything he used to build it was scraps and scrap bought to repurpose. 3 6/110 DDs, had some Offbreed LST or other Landing Craft rotating drives that rotated the position of the props. Still had the Typical River Tow twin rudders(2 Ahead and 1 Behind the screws} but had the added attraction of these positionable drives, like giant I/O units. Had a Common rudder control at center, had THREE drive controls and three separate throttles. I had the honors of servicing the Centrifugal Oil Filtration system MORE than once. Could direct one prop to the side and crab the boat sideways at full power forward. Out of the water the drives looked like giant outboards tucked up under the hull tail. The Drives and Engines were 1950's bought Junk outside of N'awlens.

 

[John C.]

I was told the reduction gears in the cruiser I was stationed on back in the mid seventies were refurbished from another cruiser that had been scrapped in the sixties. I got to look into the starboard red gear once when a plate was removed for inspection. I've never seen so many brightly finished herringbone gear sets in my life.

 

[DMiller]

Old well fitted well maintained machines lasted a lot longer than today's equipment. Were meant to stand the test of time.

 

[Old Doug]

Old well fitted well maintained machines lasted a lot longer than today's equipment. Were meant to stand the test of time.

It seams like up until the 70s things were made with the ideal how can we make this last longer then after that they were built with how long dose it need to last.

 

[John C.]

The pace of technology changed a lot of thinking when designing new machines. What I see is people dumping older machines in order to obtain the latest and greatest gee whiz bang by golly faster, cheaper to operate more efficient what-zit. There are lots of twenty to fifty machines still out working. The problems with them are the availability of parts and their cost. Things like undercarriages, engines, transmissions and hydraulic components last a lot longer now than when I started in the business. There are just fewer companies willing to keep paying the money to keep something running for multiple decades.

 

[hosspuller]

The biggest problem as I see it is the electronics and software part of equipment. There are half century old machines are still working with recycled, aftermarket or old stock parts. The new equipment, once the manufacturer quits support will be scrap. Especially those parts that require dealer "calibration" for the individual machine. Case in point, I have a 8 year old Ipod classic. It holds ALL of my music collection. It needs a new battery, Apple wants almost the same money as it originally cost to just replace the battery. Newer models the price is nominal. Then there was the 1994 Chrysler mini van. The electronic dashboard went out, there were no replacement parts available at any price. I drove it with a GPS unit for a speedometer until it was totaled by an distracted driver (In my driveway !) So I support the farmer's crusade for "right to repair"

 

[Tugger2]

I keep hearing ,rip out the old engine and replace with new electronic even if the old engine runs fine. How much wasted energy goes into scrapping the old stuff and making new from it? Is this even a point of argument?

 

[DMiller]

Many electronics machines are already there, lack of support and parts, trying to find electronics repairman to fix the bad processors and then develop the programs to set them is near to if absolutely impossible.

 

[Tugger2]

Nothing left of the ship now. We sent the last load out yesterday

 

[DMiller]

So what is on the list as 'Next'?

Very tidy as to clean up after done.

 

[Tugger2]

Looks like its back to piledriving,I have some sheetpile to do .

 

[AllDodge]

Great pics thanks for posting

 

[Old Doug]

Looks like its back to piledriving,I have some sheetpile to do .

If the price was up and you had a magnet i could use you you for about a week.

 

[Tugger2]

That would be cool Doug ,a magnet is one tool i havnt used yet with a crane .Anyone see any hope for the price?

 

[Ronsii]

Really hard to say with talking to the guys I know in the business... but personally I think(hope) they will start coming up some... albeit probably not near the 300 mark like the good ole days.... but I think there is room to come up 10 - maybe 20 percent in the next year or so.

 

[Tugger2]

Lets hope, sure miss those 300.oo ton days

 

[Ronsii]

Lets hope, sure miss those 300.oo ton days

Tell me about it.... I have a couple D8's and various other pieces of 'scrap iron' sitting around here that at the time I thought...Hmmmm I might use those one of these days and they still got some life left in em'..... I'll keep em' til the price goes up to 4 hundred.... what was I thinking!!!!