What are some methods to turn lesser class metals into premium class metals?

Like turning copper pipe that has corrosion into bright and shiny pipe. ANyone do this? If so... what are the methods? I want to maximize my profits. I have a lot of stockpiled pipe that would be considered class 2 instead of class one.

Also... what about processing scrap or disguising it so that it is taken?

Example.... my workplace replaced their antiquated system with an ethernet phone system and they threw out a large bundle of old telephone wires.

Well, every scrap metal recycler around me refuses to take telephone wires. So i figure that I could do either of the following... Wrapping other wires around telephone wire to hide it, or stripping all the wire of insulation so it is just bare/bright very thin solid copper wire and intermix it with other thin copper wire.

Is this generally frowned upon?

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Originally Posted by dirtymoney

Like turning copper pipe that has corrosion into bright and shiny pipe. ANyone do this? If so... what are the methods? I want to maximize my profits. I have a lot of stockpiled pipe that would be considered class 2 instead of class one.

It can be done by various methods but usually not worth the effort to take it from #2 to #1 copper.

Also... what about processing scrap or disguising it so that it is taken?

Example.... my workplace replaced their antiquated system with an ethernet phone system and they threw out a large bundle of old telephone wires.

Well, every scrap metal recycler around me refuses to take telephone wires. So i figure that I could do either of the following... Wrapping other wires around telephone wire to hide it, or stripping all the wire of insulation so it is just bare/bright very thin solid copper wire and intermix it with other thin copper wire.

That's cheating and stealing.

Is this generally frowned upon?

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I'd say that pretty well answers itself.

Phone wire (if it is copper) should mix right in with the # 2 insulated, not hidden. If you have to hide things then maybe it's time for a new yard.???Maybe?

hydrogen peroxide will make pipe shiny again. but they will find some other reason not to pay top dollar for it. like a coming into the yard deduction, or a t-shirt tax. just take the outter insulation off the phone wire and it will be #2 insulated.

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

Phone wire (if it is copper) should mix right in with the # 2 insulated, not hidden. If you have to hide things then maybe it's time for a new yard.???Maybe?

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All the scrap yards within reasonable driving distance wont take phone wires. Things have gotten incredibly restrictive around here.

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Originally Posted by badkarma506

hydrogen peroxide will make pipe shiny again. but they will find some other reason not to pay top dollar for it. like a coming into the yard deduction, or a t-shirt tax. just take the outter insulation off the phone wire and it will be #2 insulated.

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Thank you for the hydrogen P tip. Just the thing I was looking for.

Also... no yards near me will take telephone wire.

you shouldnt have to hide telephone wire/lan cables, cut the ends off for gold connectors then put the cables in with the rest of your insulated wire.

If I read the post right he said twice that his yard wont take telephone wire so why is everybody telling him to put it in with his #2 insulated. If you have the time go ahead and strip the wire but it won't be bare bright, it's too thin for bare bright, it will be #2 copper. Never hide or try to sneek any thing in just to get a better price. At the yard I use for copper all copper tubing goes as #2 copper no matter what it looks like.

i think stripping it is worse than mixing it, if the yard wont take it as #2 find another yard or put it in a large flat rate box and ebay it, there are yards in kc missouri that will buy that as number #2

In the nashville area PSC metals takes all insulated wire that is not solid strand or is a very small gage at #2 prices. I just took 404 pounds in of phone cord, cat3-5 and and other either net wires and walked out with $451 at $1.12 per pound. I know this company is nationwide, don't know if there is one near you though. (I don't know if i 'm supposed to post the name of a company on this forum. Sorry if I'm not. just trying to help.)

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Originally Posted by happyscraper

If I read the post right he said twice that his yard wont take telephone wire so why is everybody telling him to put it in with his #2 insulated.

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This is what forum members do to annoy people who they think are either trolls or an undesired forum member.

They take one thing the thread-starter says he doesnt want or cant do and then beat it into the ground.

if you have a parts washer or a 5 gallon bucket with lid put the copper in it with white vinegar and baking soda it will make a mess but come out clean now the kicker

it costs about $5 and in my are the differecne between no 1 and no2 is only 11 cents your not gonna get 50 lbs in the bucket to pickle bathe it

Not to hijack this thread but I was told yesterday that my yard is not taking power cables from computers as #2 insulated any longer. They are going to be grouped in with low grade computer wire. .70#. Guess where I am not bringing my #2 any longer? Has anyone been getting the same info? Just thought I would ask since there was another thread about deductions and now this one about phone wire. It has always been taken as #2. If you have to work harder to hide it then I wouldn't be selling anything to these places any longer, it is what it is and it should be #2 insul.

Dirtymoney where in MO are you located?

The reason they down grade the phone wire as it is graded as koaxle the percentage of copper recovery after the insulation,the insalation weighs more than the copper,simaliar to x-mas lights witch are graded in a leauge of there own,like the reply from liberty says the difference on #1 and #2 copper is around 10 cents a pound,tip on bright and shinny also known as candy,you do not have to make the copper shine, it is graded by the thickness not apperance,tip on wire the very thin strands of wire can never be up graded to number 1 copper, old time tip if the strand of copper wire when bent holds it is stripable wire that is sold as number one insulated or stripable wire a little confussing but thats the way it is

I have found some telephone wire that seemed to have a single steel wire in it. Only lightly magnetic.

I told the chap at the scrappers about it & we both checked it & then he said "bugger it" & chucked it in the insulated copper pile. My $3 a Kg..

I think thats what happens when you use the same scrapper all the time.
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If they won't take it, strip it, or at lest strip the outer layer & seperate the strands. Don't try & cheat the scrapper.

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Originally Posted by 1956

The reason they down grade the phone wire as it is graded as koaxle the percentage of copper recovery after the insulation,the insalation weighs more than the copper,simaliar to x-mas lights witch are graded in a leauge of there own,like the reply from liberty says the difference on #1 and #2 copper is around 10 cents a pound,tip on bright and shinny also known as candy,you do not have to make the copper shine, it is graded by the thickness not apperance,tip on wire the very thin strands of wire can never be up graded to number 1 copper, old time tip if the strand of copper wire when bent holds it is stripable wire that is sold as number one insulated or stripable wire a little confussing but thats the way it is

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But that's the way it is... by you. For myself, -every- yard around here requires bright 'n shiny copper to indeed be bright and shiny to actually be graded as bright 'n shiny. Otherwise it's just number 1. Similarly, I have read posts on this board where some members get their stripped number 2 graded as bright 'n shiny, with the increased price bonus, so long as it has that appearance. Never minding the fact it's smaller size. I know it's a little confusing for you, but that's the way it is.

I have said this before, so I hope saying this in this thread doesn't make me sound like a broken record. I apologize if it does.

To get more money from your scrap metals you first have to understand the flow of scrap metals being recycled.

Metals are first used, then discarded

Recyclers/scrappers collect metals and sell to a scrap yard

Scrap yards accumulate the metals and turn them over to refiners

Refiners purify metals and turn them over to industry

Industry creates viable products and sells them again as retail products.

Obviously the best way to recycle is to take the recycle good, and turn it directly into something that can then be sold retail. In this way you cut out the middle men who otherwise would be making a percentage of your profit. Here is a very simple formula that isn't nearly as dangerous as refining, but will make you far more for your copper than you are by selling it to your local scrap yard.

Melt it into ingots. That's right, melt it into bars and sell it on ebay, or craigslist, or whatever. People are buying metals as the economy does worse and worse. This is a little known money making model I am sharing with you, and has been bread and butter for me.

Take something cheap and turn it into something worth more by adding your craftsmanship and labor

I am giving an example of what copper could potentially sell for if cast into a bar and stamped with something very simple.

20 Kilo Copper Bullion Bar 2 2 Pounds Each Ingot New | eBay

That is 20 bars of copper each weighing 2.2 lbs which amounts to 44 lbs of copper for $419.99. 419.99 divided by 44lbs = $9.54 per lb. How much do you currently get for scrap copper.

Now that is .999 fine copper, copper pipe is only 99.9 fine usually. Here is an example of 99.9 fine copper ingots:

"Copper" 6 1 Kilo Copper Ingots | eBay

Without going over all the math again, these are selling for about $5.38 per lb, right around $2.00 more than you would get at a scrap yard.

You can build a furnace capable of melting copper for around $400.00 that would work extremely well and give you years of service. The crucibles and ingot molds to melt copper would not be too expensive. Instead of attempting to make your copper bright and shiny, you can simply melt it and pour and sell it for more.

You can also do the same for Aluminum:

Aluminum Ingot | eBay

Zinc:

18 lbs Zinc Ingots Used as Non Marring Blks to Strike Dies Midland Foundry | eBay

The more labor and craftsmanship you invest in your scrap, the more money you can make. With just a small investment, little time, effort and energy you can make a lot more for your metals than otherwise you would.

Scott

I haven't asked a dumb question in quite a while so I guess I'm due. What is the difference between the .999 copper and the 99.9 copper? I really was under the impression that copper pipe was .999 copper (pretty pure). Is copper wire .999?

Wire is actually the most pure, .999 I always thought. Pipe apparently has some additives/alloys to help with strength.

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Originally Posted by Phantoms001

I haven't asked a dumb question in quite a while so I guess I'm due. What is the difference between the .999 copper and the 99.9 copper? I really was under the impression that copper pipe was .999 copper (pretty pure). Is copper wire .999?

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Copper tubing or pipe is usually 99.9% pure

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The copper used in these products has the identical 99.9 percent purity as standard copper water tube.

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Copper Water Tubes,Copper Tube,Copper Pipe,Copper Tubes,Copper Pipes

Copper wire is usually higher purity to offer less resistance to electricity flowing through it:

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Copper Wire,
Diameter:0.01mm, Purity:99.99%, Temper:Hard,

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Copper Wire - online catalogue source - supplier of research materials in small quantities - Goodfellow

When low purity metal is expressed, it's most often expressed with the 99.% purity before the.9xxx% to make sure the reader understands that the decimal was not misplaced. When expressing high purity it's either expressed as 99.99xx% or simply by .99xx% What you are paying attention to is the .99xxx% number.

When people express the purity of gold as being 5 9s what they are really saying is 99.999% pure, which commands a premium above spot price, such in the case of gold bars. The reason is that it's far more difficult to obtain high purity, it takes more time, effort, energy and usually higher cost refining methods, not to mention the fact that there is more gold than 99.95% which is industry standard, and the purity that spot price is based on.

Copper prices are based on a purity of 99.5, this is why a scrap yard will give you more for certain types of copper than others, because of the purity they command a higher price. If the refinery only has to melt the copper, instead of the added cost of refining it, then they make more. Literally, many copper refiners will take copper wire, assay it, add metal to downgrade the purity to make into copper tube/pipe. They take copper tube/pipe and add other metal into it to make copper shielding, roofing, and other common copper goods that are of lower purity. Copper wire is expensive because it not only has to be high purity, but also is usually shielded, which takes more labor and materials.

Scott