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A guy at the scrap yard tried to sell me 'foundry grade' aluminum that was clearly painted steel.

He swore it was a special alloy, but my magnet stuck right to it and the paint chipped off to show rust. I had to explain the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals while he kept pointing at the color. Has anyone else run into sellers who don't know their own materials?
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3 Comments
rose_perry12
Honestly that sounds like a Tuesday at my local yard. I once saw a guy trying to pass off concrete filled pipe as solid brass. Is it really worth the argument though? You got your magnet, you saw the rust, you just walk away. Some of those guys are just repeating what they were told when they found the stuff. It's not like they're selling fake parts for a space shuttle, it's scrap metal. Save your breath for the stuff that actually matters.
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jake_sullivan
Yeah, @rose_perry12, I used to argue until you made me see it that way.
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the_nora
the_nora24d ago
Rose is right about saving your breath, but man, I never learn. I'll stand there like a total nerd explaining metal types while the guy just stares at me like I'm speaking alien. My need to be correct is only beaten by my need to look like a smart guy who knows about magnets. It's a real problem.
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