Electric Motor Copper Windings

I just finished removing all the copper from a mess of refer compressors I had laying around. All the copper is nice and clean looking but has varnish on it. My question is will I get at least #2 copper price for it with the varnish intact? I broke all the pieces up real good so they're not all clumped together. I also made sure no plastic, paper, string or other waste got mixed in. I've heard some people say I can get bright and shiny price for it, others say #2, i,ve also heard its priced the same as insulated wire. Is there a way to remove the varnish w/o burning. I don't like the idea of burning it and letting off a bunch of smoke and fumes. :confused:

Motor windings are #2

How about copper dagausser and copper from the tv yokes?

Tv wires copper pure is number 2. I think number 1 would have to be thicker than a pencil lead.

Here they grade motor windings as field copper because of the varnish. I get about 10 cents less than #2 price for it.

It's considered #2 at my yard.

If you burn it, it just might become brittle and turn to dust.

If they offer you less than the full #2 price consider finding a new place to sell to. I mean take your copper off the scale and walk away. Mike.

I wonder if it would be worth the extra time to clean it up enough to make #2.

Its the varnish that makes it #2...no matter what diameter

"I wonder if sitting in a container of nail polish remover would help take off the varnish." Yes, nail polish remover is acetone and will remove the varnish. It will only satisfy your couriosity, it will not get you paid any more for your copper. Mike.

I just got back from the yard and I screwed myself. There were a few motors in the lot that were aluminum copper coated windings. I haven't dealt with alot of copper and I thought it was white copper on the inside coated with normal copper. So I got #3 instead of #2, which it would have been if I had separated the two...guess I learned that one the hard way....won't be doing that again.

Many of us have done the same thing. Even when you know about the copper plated Al wire you can make mistakes. As an example I was working without a good light and mixed some Al windings in with my #2 copper. The guy at my yard helped me pick it out. I'm not kidding, he helped me. I really like the yard I sell to, Mike.