So, we've all been there... You are sitting in deep contemplation, wondering with all your might what the item you have in your hands is made of. If only you had some way – some incredibly easy, almost magical way – to tell what type of metal your item is made of. Well, I present to you: The Magnet Test!

The Magnet Test has long since been used in the world of metalurgy to distinguish iron, nickel and cobalt from other non-ferrous metal. With a litle practice you can quickly start it to work for you!

The first step is to get a magnet, something that is obviously integral to the Magnet Test. If you must, use a refrigerator magnet! These are always handy in a pinch, or make an electromagnet to test your metals. Identifying metal alloys and elemental metals with The Magnet test shoud be a quick thing, however.

Once you have a magnet, try to get it to stick to the metal. If you feel a gental pull, then you have a ferrou alloy, or nickel or cobalt alloy! This is great news!

If it doesn't stick to a magnet, you have a non-magnetic non-ferrous alloy! This is also great news!!! This also means you have a much larger group of possible metals. Things like copper, zinc, lead, broze, brass, gold, chrome, and many more are all non-ferrous! These metals in general will be worth much more then a ferrous alloy, and will be great when selling for scrap metal.

This is good to keep in mind when trying to fidn the value of something; non-ferrous alloys are usually worth more then ferrous alloys, but in some cases, like stainless steel, it can be the other way around. The magnet test, however, sorts that right out! That is because non-magnetic stainless steel is worth more then magnetic stainless steel!

So if you are out searching for a new gas grill after recycling your old grill, you will want to bring a magnet! if it sticks to the magnet, then it is cheap stainless steel. If it doesn't stick to the magnet, then it must be worth even more!