Results 1 to 13 of 13

best way to sell your copper wire

| Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
  1. #1
    bjf552 started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Sep 2012
    Location
    houston tx
    Posts
    3
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post

    best way to sell your copper wire

    Hi, was just wondering what you all think would be the best way to sell your wire? I have 7 or 8 pounds of extension cords and I was just thinking about stripping them then packing them together to be melted. Would that be the best way or you suggest i leave them unstripped?



  2. #2
    Gravitar's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Central Texas
    Posts
    1,086
    Thanks
    1,258
    Thanked 1,431 Times in 525 Posts
    Extention cords are a pain in the butt to strip. That's why I don't strip them. There is too much insulation, and not enough copper. I have about 25 lbs of extention right now, so I would only get about 5-7 lbs of copper out of it if I stripped it. Not worth my time.
    Last edited by Gravitar; 09-16-2012 at 04:21 PM.

  3. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by Gravitar:


  4. #3
    scraprecycler's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    44
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 11 Times in 9 Posts

    wire scrap

    In order to make it worth striping the wire has to have a high recovery. Let's say you had 1000 lbs of Romex wire the recovery is 62% so if you striped it you would end up with 620 lbs @ $3. A pound you end up with $1860 but if you don't strip it at 2 a lbs you would get $2000 with no work.

  5. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by scraprecycler:


  6. #4
    Mick's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Palermo, Me
    Posts
    3,405
    Thanks
    363
    Thanked 3,086 Times in 1,326 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by scraprecycler View Post
    In order to make it worth striping the wire has to have a high recovery. Let's say you had 1000 lbs of Romex wire the recovery is 62% so if you striped it you would end up with 620 lbs @ $3. A pound you end up with $1860 but if you don't strip it at 2 a lbs you would get $2000 with no work.
    That would work if you get $2 a lb for Insulated. But I just checked and with #1 copper at $3.05; Insulated was $1.20.
    People may laugh at me, but that's ok. I laugh all the way to the bank.

  7. #5
    billygoat's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Rochester, NY
    Posts
    630
    Thanks
    99
    Thanked 491 Times in 250 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by bjf552 View Post
    packing them together to be melted.
    What do you mean by that?

  8. #6
    scraprecycler's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    44
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 11 Times in 9 Posts

    wire recovery

    Not all wire is purchased at the same price and if your buyer is doing that you need to get a new buyer. I sold Romex last week and I was paid 1.90 a lb

  9. #7
    Mick's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Palermo, Me
    Posts
    3,405
    Thanks
    363
    Thanked 3,086 Times in 1,326 Posts
    All the yards in the area have one category - Insulated Copper Wire. I'm not going to drive 200 miles.

  10. #8
    scraprecycler's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    44
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 11 Times in 9 Posts

    wire

    Then all the yards are not being fair to there customers. I'm willing to bet that after you leave they sort it out in to its recovery grades. That's what I would do.

  11. #9
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Feb 2012
    Location
    OK
    Posts
    5,728
    Thanks
    6,814
    Thanked 3,464 Times in 1,989 Posts
    looks like the OP ran out of cord ; )

  12. #10
    KeyCityRecycling's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Iowa
    Posts
    94
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 57 Times in 36 Posts
    Romex can be categorized as #1 insulated wire which would be worth more.

    Extension cords will be #2 insulated wire since they are made with stranded wire that is not big enough to be classified as #1 insulated.

    Don't waste your time stripping the extension cords, just sell them as #2 insulated and use the time you will save looking for more scrap that you can sell to make more moeny.

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to KeyCityRecycling for This Post:


  14. #11
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Aug 2021
    Location
    East coast major hub.
    Posts
    1
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
    If you don't mind stripping it. (I mean I strip everything I consider useless because it's part of my routine for a long time. I don't look for scrap. It just comes... I'm an electrician!)

    Do whatever makes you happy. I recommend making a cheap spring loaded utility knife into a slot perfectly aligned with a hole sized for the wire.
    You'll first have to strip the outer jacket with some kind of sharpened up romex casing glide stripper, or squeeze it just right between two long boards using clamps you'll have to keep hoping over as you cut with a knife like dissecting a frog. might take you 2 hours to get them all stripped if you focus. Then the 3 insulated wires will need to get pulled through that simple rig with the razor blade. (drill a hole through it to put a long bolt between two upright boards screwed to a block then attach an extension spring from the top end of the utility-knife handle, pull it enough to have sufficient tension and drill your second bolt there in front of the blade tilting away from you. As the spring pulls on the back it drives the blade down into the slot. You have to first make the slot, then carefully drill the hole to where the tip of the blade can go 60% into the hole path. (a drill press is best) Now fasten the rig to a table or sturdy wall... and feed the wire from the back side away from the spring and blade so it is being pulled through the blade.

    You could design a block with multiple slots and sized holes for each kind of wire you encounter and the blade can easily slide when you push it to stretch the spring more, lifting the blade out of the slot.
    This would be a low cost efficient way for you to strip the stuff. It will add up. store it in a vacuum bag and tear it open the day you decide to take it all in. (1000 lbs or more and refined, and you can negotiate way better rates). I called them up the other day before taking in 5 tons of purity tested bare bright copper. try to guess how much cash I walked out with and then tell me who the scrap yard is going to sell it to. Betchya can't!

  15. The Following User Says Thank You to Mac789 for This Post:


  16. #12
    DiamondN's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Indiana
    Posts
    912
    Thanks
    2,150
    Thanked 378 Times in 243 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Mac789 View Post
    I called them up the other day before taking in 5 tons of purity tested bare bright copper. try to guess how much cash I walked out with and then tell me who the scrap yard is going to sell it to. Betchya can't!
    I'm game...How much...?

    PS...Welcome to the SMF from Indiana...

  17. #13
    kss's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    May 2019
    Location
    PA
    Posts
    839
    Thanks
    465
    Thanked 715 Times in 403 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Mac789 View Post
    I called them up the other day before taking in 5 tons of purity tested bare bright copper. try to guess how much cash I walked out with and then tell me who the scrap yard is going to sell it to. Betchya can't!

    My guess is ~$45,000, and my guess for who its going to is..... china, or someone in china


  18. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. recycling copper from copper coated steel wire
      By hector13 in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 20
      Last Post: 11-21-2016, 11:58 AM
    2. Copper wire question - hair wire
      By wayne1956 in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 11
      Last Post: 01-18-2012, 08:37 PM

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook