What Is NOT Carbide
High-speed steel, coated tooling, and mystery metal all look like carbide until you know the tells. I show you how to spot the difference so you never leave money on the table.
IRONCREST LEARNING CENTER
The Learning Center.
I buy scrap metal for a living, and I wrote these guides to level the playing field. Everything here is plain English. You will learn what your material is, how to identify it, and how to get full value for it. No jargon, no fluff. When you are ready, send me photos and I will give you today's price.
FRESH OFF THE BENCH
New This Week
The newest guides in the Learning Center. Start here if you are new to carbide.
Carbide Myths
Ten myths about tungsten carbide scrap, busted with plain facts. If you have believed any of these, you have probably been underpaid for your material.
Carbide in Everyday Life
Carbide is hiding in your kitchen, your garage, and your toolbox. A fun tour of where tungsten carbide shows up outside the machine shop.
BROWSE BY MATERIAL
Resource Centers
Deep libraries on each material I buy. Pick your pile and dig in.
Carbide Resource Center
Grade guides, market intelligence, identification and sorting guides, plus interactive tools for tungsten carbide sellers.
Copper Resource Center
Wire types, grades, stripping guides, and market explainers for copper sellers. Copper is my number one focus.
Electrical Resource Center
Breakers, panels, transformers, and surplus electrical equipment. What I buy and how it is graded.
Generator Resource Center
Commercial and industrial generators. What makes a unit valuable and how I evaluate them.
Network Cable Resource Center
Cat cable, fiber, and low-voltage wire. Construction, performance, and scrap value explained.
SELLER INTAKE
Have Material to Sell?
Reading is good. Getting paid is better. Text me photos of your pile and I will give you today's price. You can also call me directly.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Learning Center FAQ
Are these guides really free?Q.01
Yes. Every guide in the Learning Center is free to read, with no account and no email required. I write them because an educated seller is my favorite kind of seller.
Will reading these guides tell me exactly what you will pay?Q.02
The guides teach you what your material is and what affects its value. Your exact offer depends on your specific lot, so send me photos and I will give you today's price.
I am new to scrap. Where should I start?Q.03
Start with the three newest guides above, then pick the resource center that matches your material. If you would rather just talk it through, call me at 312-880-8174 and I will walk you through it.