rusty old nails from the pallets

[spader]

I am taking out 100s of the old rusty nails from the old pallets. (a very tedious job indeed)
The dismantled woods will be cut into the lengths and made into a new door for the garden shed, replacing the old rotten shed door, and some slats will be patched on the rotten parts of the shed.

Any ideas for recycling these rusty large nails? or making into something else?
After all, they are made of steel too. Look like carbon steel.

 

[foxhole]

You might get £5 for a bucket full .

 

[spader]

You might get £5 for a bucket full .

Who buys them?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Scrap metal dealer, they'll probably be a few in your area.

 

[scbk]

I use old metal paint cans (5l) or old steel drums (20l) as bins for all old nails/screws/small steel items. They go in with the general scrap whenever I have a clear out at the scrappies.

Last time round it was about £150/tonne - 15p a kilo.
So a paint tin full is gonna be about £1.

Atleast the stuff will get recycled.

 

[morqthana]

How rusty are they? And how mangled? (Or how unmangled could they become?)

People who make furniture out of upcycled firewood pallets might be interested, as they like to use fixings which aren't all shiny and new.

Not saying you'd get any money for them, but it doesn't look as if scrappage is exactly retirement to the Bahamas money, and re-use is one step up from recycle.

 

[spader]

They are rusty but not too bad. Most of them are bent when pulled out from the pallet woods with the claw hammer.
The nails are not that many to sell for money to scrap metal traders. At max. they could be about 200 - 300, or full in a shoe box.
I was thinking of heating them with a gas torch, and forge into a wood carving knife or gouge.

 

[big-all]

i have collected nails old blades and other metals for no other reason than natural resorces need protecting in the past washing machine or fridge in the front garden with please take and a asay container 4kg off "metal" will go within a week
zero interest in value 100% interest in recycle as valuable resorces

 

[JohnD]

You could sell them to a local tyre fitting company.

I believe they pay builders to scatter them on the road from their vans.

 

[spader]

Yes, metal is a natural resource which could be recycled to turn into something useful. The rusty nails which lie on the ground, drive way or garden path can cause damage to tires of cars or wheelbarrows, so they need to be picked up and cleared from these areas.

I have been thinking about how to recycle them, and it seems cool idea to heat them and forge into carving tools. It would be interesting project, and if works well for wood carving practices, then I would be very happy.

 

[lostinthelight]

Yes, metal is a natural resource which could be recycled to turn into something useful. The rusty nails which lie on the ground, drive way or garden path can cause damage to tires of cars or wheelbarrows, so they need to be picked up and cleared from these areas.

I have been thinking about how to recycle them, and it seems cool idea to heat them and forge into carving tools. It would be interesting project, and if works well for wood carving practices, then I would be very happy.

You would have to try and temper a nail to see if it can be hardened or anything made from forging them wouldn't hold an edge unless combined with a bit of alchemy

 

[RepairingDave]

I get them out with a combination of a crow bar, claw hammer and sacrificial block of wood and most stay straight enough to reuse.
They are usually ring shank nails which don't vibrate loose, but can be very stubborn.
Any which aren't straight enough or the heads aren't good will go for scrap.