Cash in Five Hidden Treasures in Machine Shops

Human beings enjoy the surprises felt when theykey hidden treasure.
unearth a treasure that has been long forgottenNext go through and collect all of the used carbide
or hidden away. Movies and fictional books aboundcutting inserts that have been deemed dull or
bookshelves that deal with the findings of lostover used. Most of the time, the binding agent in
treasures. From the garbage picker that goesthese cutting inserts used in machining applications
through the waste baskets looking for treasuresis cobalt, which is quite expensive. Carbide scrap
to sophisticated people that auction off expensivecan fetch several dollars per pound and can be
antiques that they did not even know theysold to carbide manufacturers who can remelt
possessed, we all enjoy the element of surprisethem and make new inserts for sale. Hence used
and the monetary gains obtained when we unlockcarbide inserts is another hidden treasure.
a hidden treasure either left behind for us by ourThirdly, go through all of the drills that have been
ancestors or ones that we collected but simplysharpened several times and deemed unfit for
forgot about it because it was not easilyuse and recycle them. Some of the drills and
accessible or hidden away somewhere.reamers also have significant amounts of cobalt
In this article we will deal with similar situationsthat can fetch a pretty penny and so instead of
that exist in many machine shops throughout theforgetting about them, sell them to a metal scrap
world. There are so many items that getdealer to get some cash.
purchased for a specific machining application or aFourthly, old pieces of tooling and work holding
specific machining job, but once the job getsfixtures that are no longer used for existing
completed, they get put away for years andmachining jobs can similarly be sold for scrap
generally forgotten about. There is money inmetal value.
these tools and items and one simply needs toFinally, wooden pallets that are in good shape,
keep focused and look for it and convert all thoseespecially the four feet by four feet and six feet
hidden treasures to liquid cash.by six feet wooden pallets that are collected
First, go through all of the metal chips and scrapfrom incoming materials and generally stacked
that has been collected and sell it to a recyclingaway in a corner collecting dust and occupying
company. Metal scrap nowadays is worth a lot ofspace can be sold to collect cash. Collectively, all
money considering the rising price of commodities.these five steps can end up providing some good
Depending upon the chemistry of the materialreturns and are really hidden treasures that every
some metal scrap can bring in several dollars permachine shop owner needs to address and take
pound of scrap whereas others may bring in aadvantage of.
few cents per pound. Hence metal scrap is one