Old Anodes

AIDY

AIDY

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Over the last x years I've seemed to acquired a small box of old (well half used anodes). Has anyone taken some recently down to the scrappy / metal recycling center to get some cash for them ? Just wondering what they are worth as scrap metal if anything.
 
I think that zinc is around £1.20 per kg, ( I stand to be corrected ), so you won't get a lot at the scrappie. OTOH, I have just paid about £20 for an anode of about 1kg wt. , about double the cost of the last one, "because of the rise in price of metals due to Chinese demand".
It's an ill wind and all that!
Hope boatyard thieves don't add anodes to their list of desirable items.
 
I haven't taken them for scrap so can't comment on their scrap value, but if you make a simple mould, you can make them into an anode you hang over the side of your boat! A more complex mould will make one to go on your shaft etc. If you have got the time and inclination, it might save you a few ££.

Zinc melts very easily with a blow torch, but usual warnings apply for playing with molten metal. Drips and splashes burn holes in flesh very quickly! Don't sniff the fumes either.
 
I was in the process of clearing out shelves of old PBOs and found an article on casting anodes from scrap. The zinc was metled off the old anodes with a blow torch into a bean can with a bit of flat bar bolted to the side as a handle. (By the way Lidl is selling blow torches this week from Thursday.)

The article was about making engine anodes, but I wondered about making a sand mould to cast hull anodes. Anyone know what is used as a binder for the sand? The metal bar from one of the old anodes wouild be used as the support bar in the "new" one.
 
You have to ensure the sand is bone dry.Bake in the oven first. Any damp will cause the molten metal to spit.I dont think you need to add anything.Just use fine sand.
 
Hi John,

funny you say that: I am thinking of doing exactly that. I am now collecting my old anodes.
 
Sand is not the whole story. I've used Mansfield in the past which is a naturally dug up mixture of sand plus the all important clay that makes mould hold it's shape. Yes, dry is crucial otherwise explosion of hot metal. Wood will do for stop gap moulds for lead - lots of smoke of course. Haven't looked up zinc melting point but that might be an option.
 
I met a guy in Mallorca last year when we were antifouling our boat and he did the rounds of the marinas, picking up all the discarded bits of anode (including mine). He said he could easily collect enough to get a good price from the local scrappie, but found a better return on melting down and making anodes that he sold to local boatowners. Current zinc prices make it a worthwhile enterprise.
 
You can trace the London Metal Exchange price for zinc here...
http://www.lme.co.uk/zinc.asp
there's a graph facility to track back for years.
Its priced in USD $, so the exchange rate to local currency is required.
The price was stable for many years until about summer 2005, when it started rising to a peak about four times the previous.
Today the price is dropping, so the best time to sell scrap was Christmas 2006, now down to about twice the previous long term stable price.
Buying zinc in bulk for galvanizing etc the price today is about £1200 per tonne or £1.20 per kilo. Melting point is 419C
 
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Anyone know what is used as a binder for the sand?

[/ QUOTE ]

Modern casting sands are oil based, sorry I do not know the details. Most are bought premixed under a trade name. I seem to remember "Petrobond" is one. When I was at school you had to mix the sand with water to the correct consistency; too much water and the results were rather diverting.
 
by heating the nut it will change the properties of the material, not a good idea. your best bet is to drill the anode out and re tap a thread
 
Could one simply clamp two bits of steel together and drill the correct sized holes in the interface...
Then put the bit of (in my case 5mm) althread in the smaller hole and pour molten whatever in the other end??
Then unclamp the two pieces to extract??
What would one use as a release agent tho'???
(For pencil anodes of course!!)
Cheers Bob E...
 
I guess that in this case the simplest thing to to is bite the bullet and buy a new plug..
(Unless you have some decent toolroom facilities.)
Even then the time taken in turning down hex, blind drilling it and threading it internally and externally would be better spent talking about it at the bar or checking on your antifouling!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Have fun tho'..
Cheers Bob E....
 
Yes , that would work fine. Used to make screwdrivers that way using scrap ally for the melt. You must be sure to preheat the steel mould and do not (on any account) introduce any agent to the sides of the mould. It will come apart with no problem.
 
Thanks Brian,
That's really very encouraging I'll give it a go sometime soon
Have you seen that very pretty Contessa 32 in Braye....?
Brand new two years ago... My Sadler32 fell in love with it at first sight and the owner (a lady air line pilot) is my dream but I'm past it!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Cheers Bob E..
 
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