Just a quick tip about certain wire-
I find that some wire is actually worth more unstripped than stripped. The insulation is so thick and/or the copper is so thin that the weight of the insulation actually makes up for the lower price.
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Just a quick tip about certain wire-
I find that some wire is actually worth more unstripped than stripped. The insulation is so thick and/or the copper is so thin that the weight of the insulation actually makes up for the lower price.
There's nothing more fun and more effective than hitting something repeatedly with a sledgehammer
Experienced Scrapper
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I have been wondering about that myself
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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If you figure in how much weight you have lost per lb received it will be close to the same...unless your time isnt worth anything..lol
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My time is valuable to me as a on call towing and recovery operator, in between calls I strip my copper wires and bust out copper from electric boards and such. I can see your point if your busy on something else, but Ill take the higher dollar anytime...just my thought dudes
Experienced Scrapper
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I strip all the wire I get. I figure if the yard is paying x amount they are doing so for a reason. It's profitable
Experienced Scrapper
Has anybody that strips wire ever actually weight what they start with and what they end with? Up until recently, the only wire I would strip was cable out of computer monitors and TVs (only the heavy gauge stuff). Not too long ago I scrapped degaussing cable
Turns out I was actually making nothing (or close to nothing.) If I stripped the small gauge wire, I was actually losing a little.
But over all, I don't strip wire, just like I don't strip lead out of car batteries. It would end up being too much of a hassle and I would end up getting payed about the same.
Last edited by TheMetalizer; 04-26-2011 at 10:52 AM.
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I don't think you guys understand what I mean.
Say, for example, you get a 10 ft peice of wire, 1/8 inch thick with insulation, but the actual copper inside is only a few millimeters thick. Unstripped, the wire weighs a few pounds, but just the copper weighs a few ounces. If copper price is $3 and insulated wire price is $1, the wire is going to be worth a few bucks, but just the copper would be less than a dollar.
I'm don't mean that all wire isn't worth stripping, just certain sizes
Experienced Scrapper
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I agree that some stranded wire is worth the effort and some is not. I am in the A/C business and find some wire is say 18 Ga. with a thin insulation and others have a very thick insulation yet same wire size.
I will test a wire if it strips easy it gets stripped. If it gives me a hard time it goes in the can. When I clean the wire from the units I try to leave the wire as long as possible, making it faster and easier to strip!
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If the wire is over 2 or 3 feet, I find it's harder to stripOriginally Posted by injunjoe
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For me, the longer - the better. Especially if it's solid core. I just keep walking backwards; stripping as I go.
People may laugh at me, but that's ok. I laugh all the way to the bank.
Experienced Scrapper
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Again I agree. I find setting wire in vise and getting each length of wire ready takes much longer then the actual time to "score" or slice the wire.
I say score because some wire will strip if just scored yet others work better to slice the insulation.
If I can just pull my blade down 8 foot of wire it saves much time starting and stopping with shorts
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Burning wire is illegal, bad for the environment, and really bad for your health.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Get caught burning wire and see if ya like the fine!...i bet ya wont
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Really? I thought it was a federal law. Where are you located?
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Its illegal everywhere!..some people are just ignorant to the laws...burning insulation is the same as burning tires
Just google illegal to burn tires or wire then what state.
Experienced Scrapper
Kris Kringle, I dont think anybody is trying to rain on your parade. But... burning wire is illegal no matter where you are in the United States. It has been illegal since I think the 1960s, along with burning tires and plastic.
Here is a press release from the el passo attorney's office outlining a man sentenced for burning wire: http://www.epcounty.com/CS/blogs/ca_...%20Release.pdf
You can not burn wire because it is in violation of the federal Clean Air Act.
And I'm pretty sure burning wire is known to release carcinogens. My guess is that it is best to not do it.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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They will buy anything for the right price....i`ve heard not sure though that scrap yards in arizona wont accept any burnt copper no matter what
The reason I said tires was I had better luck finding the laws about burning wire if i put tires in the search.
I asked my yard if they take burned wire. They won't, though I didn't get the idea it's illegal. I am thinking, illegal or not, it's pollution, but then again so is just about everything else nowadays.
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