Stockpiling Bare Bright Copper

I have one of those 5 gallon buckets that I use to put bare bright copper into. The bucket used to have chlorine tablets for pools in it. Even though I washed it, the bucket still has a bit of a chlorine smell in it. I'd like to wait until the bucket is full before I turn it in. That could be six months to perhaps a couple of years before it happens.

Is there anything wrong with waiting that long- other than running the risk that the price of copper could go down? I am thinking that the bare bright could oxidize and change color, but will keep it indoors at room temperature instead of exposing it to the elements outside.



I realize that if the copper is not bright and shiny, it will fetch perhaps 10-15 cents less per pound. I'm willing to take that chance.

Is there anything else wrong with this strategy?

Same here. I strip all the wire of a certain gauge that looks as if it is worth the time. Most of the time it is THHN wire and other stuff like dryer wire, stove wire, thick extension cords, etc. I can fill a five-gallon bucket in a couple weeks if I get a fair amount of the wire. Unfortunately, I don't very often. But, I did just pick up 20 buckets that contained a polishing solution for the type of tile you see in schools. My old high school polished up this summer, and I was able to walk out with 20 buckets plus lids. A nice pickup. On that note, you should be able to find a bunch of cleaner (as in not filled with chemical smells and liquids) pretty easily. Just dumpster dive behind some businesses or hardware stores. Even Lowe's and HD might have something in the dumpster. I have found stuff there before.