Hot Water Baseboard / Aluminum Finned Copper Pipe

Separated some aluminum fins from copper pipe today before taking it in...Easy to do and increased the profit by about 1/3.
http://i929.photobucket.com/albums/a...l/100_7500.jpg

Used a grinder with a thin cutting disc mounted on it to cut through the fins but being careful to not cut too much into the pipe.
http://i929.photobucket.com/albums/a...l/100_7502.jpg
http://i929.photobucket.com/albums/a...l/100_7503.jpg

Once cut the fins peeled away easily.
http://i929.photobucket.com/albums/a...l/100_7504.jpg
http://i929.photobucket.com/albums/a...l/100_7505.jpg

Some of the pipe ends had fittings sweated on them so they were cut off and put in the #2 bucket and the rest of the pipe went #1.
http://i929.photobucket.com/albums/a...l/100_7506.jpg

Excellent pics of this job!

How much for it as is clean cu/alum raid? Nice job! And I like your sawhorse...

Got a finned copper pipe also. I know what im going to be doing this weekend now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hobo finds

How much for it as is clean cu/alum raid? Nice job! And I like your sawhorse...

---

As is $1.35ish pound.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KZBell

As is $1.35ish pound.

---

If they cut that easy I do not see why I am going to turn mine in "as is" anymore! Thanks!

Some will just slide off. I pull and twist first. If that doesn't work, then the grinder makes short work of it.

this is exactly what i do. its easy if you have a fresh disc. the worn ones wont cut deep enough. good job with the pics!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Filthy

this is exactly what i do. its easy if you have a fresh disc. the worn ones wont cut deep enough. good job with the pics!

---

I do it just like KZBell has shown with 2 minor changes. I first cut into 14" or so lengths (It seems to make removing the fins easier) I also flaten one side of the fins just by running my hand down it before making the rip cut. (this allows you to get the depth from a worn disc)

KZ I like the Harbor Freight advertisement they get for Free !! I like there tools - I have a reciprocating saw that I paid 19.99 & does the job well.

KZ if you read back on the post -
A Question ? is that a tile diamond blade your using - I know a scrapper who keeps telling me he has a lot of good luck with the diamond blades - I have been skeptical as i figure I'll over heat the blade and the costly blade will be of no use fast. It looks as though your blade did a nice job cutting very clean and dust free

Ok this sounds like some thing i need more info on,did you happen to weigh the coil befor you cut it up? how much copper vs aluminum did you recover.and if i may ask what grade of aluminum is the yard giving you for the fins/coils thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 1956

Ok this sounds like some thing i need more info on,did you happen to weigh the coil befor you cut it up? how much copper vs aluminum did you recover.and if i may ask what grade of aluminum is the yard giving you for the fins/coils thanks

---

This is not a coil but a straight section of baseboard heat type radiator. I didn't weigh anything beforehand as they were all random lengths, I suppose I could have cut a one foot section and did a before and after.

The copper pipe on these is thin walled a lot of times, not the denser pipe used for plumbing. I'm guessing at the ratio of about 80% copper to 20% aluminum. Copper went as #2 due to solder joints and aluminum fins went as sheet.


Copperhead...that blade is just a thin cut off blade from Home Depot.

I wish you would have weighed up before the cut,i will try to do this the next time i get a commercial fridge and see, thanks for the post nice pic's great job

thanks man! this is an awesome thread! It is actually funny I use some of the old grills I get for cutting up wood planks, now I have another use for one when I get one again.