Burning copper wire & the brass spade clips.

I have scrapped a lot of car wiring looms before & I have always stripped them down to individual wires & cut ALL off the brass clips before burning the plastic coating off.
(I know, I know)

But now I have a couple of sacks (20Kg - 44Lb) of general wire from TV's, microwaves, washing machines, computers etc etc.

Since they are all different sizes & different clips & nothings standardized I was thinking about just burning the lot off as it is & selling the burnt off wire with the burnt brass clips still on it.

In my theory I should be able to get a 'Red Brass' price because..
Brass is mostly Copper, with Zinc added to it.
Since theres Brass in my metal, it should be classed as 'Brass' plus the extra Copper.

Since 'Red Brass' is normal Brass, but with a real high Copper content.

My brass would be classed as 'Red Brass' & I should still get a price between the normal 'Brass price' & the 'Domestic Copper price'.

Has anyone done this, selling a mix of copper wire & brass clips?

I just can't be bothered sitting there for 4-5 hours cutting them off.

On the bright side...
Since the Brass is still connected to the wire, I will be getting a higher weight which will offset a little of the loss of $value per Kg. Maybe 2 Kg.?..extra.

I was just told at my yard to not cut off the ends on my #2 insulated, as they pay the same and it will make a little more weight. I don't have a good way yet to reclaim the clean brass from the plastic, I was thinking maybe a tumbler, kinda like a rock polisher. I just don't know for sure. I was going to pick Gus's brain on that as he had hammer mills, ball mills and who knows what else.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mechanic688

I was just told at my yard to not cut off the ends on my #2 insulated, as they pay the same and it will make a little more weight. I don't have a good way yet to reclaim the clean brass from the plastic, I was thinking maybe a tumbler, kinda like a rock polisher. I just don't know for sure. I was going to pick Gus's brain on that as he had hammer mills, ball mills and who knows what else.

---

why even bother with that? would the clean price justify it, wouldn't the big mill be more efficient at separating them?

I'm not sure what this bit means.

quote{I don't have a good way yet to reclaim the clean brass from the plastic, I was thinking maybe a tumbler, kinda like a rock polisher.}

Unless it means that he has cut the brass connections off the wire & now wants to remove the plastic from them (the brass clips).
----------
I have a two liter (1/2gallon) tin full of those cut off brass connections & intend to put it in a roaring fire & burn the plastic into fumes (to feed the fire) & brass.
With minimal oxygen in there the brass shouldn't get oxidized that much.

Quote:

---

I have a two liter (1/2gallon) tin full of those cut off brass connections & intend to put it in a roaring fire & burn the plastic into fumes (to feed the fire) & brass.
With minimal oxygen in there the brass shouldn't get oxidized that much.

---

Good luck with that, tried it once and ended up with a mess with the brass all stuck together by the left over plastic and black residue/soot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mechanic688

Good luck with that, tried it once and ended up with a mess with the brass all stuck together by the left over plastic and black residue/soot.

---

If you place them on a metal screen before hand the plastic will run through leaving the brass.

Everyone knows burning plastic and rubber not good for mother earth or the price per lb.

The only blugs or conectors I cut off are the ones with gold pins