burnt copper A NoGo

I am on a family trip visiting my wife's sister, I am in Lawrenceville Georgia , As you figured I gave a little shot at scrapping, I took some copper from home also.
I found curb hunting of no value - people are very clean and you just don't see TV's Vac Microwaves sitting on the curb I found one dumpster and that had a little bit
But over all I found so much space Or area to cover with no return in the find. I did get 20 lb's wheel weights for free But If I lived here I feel it would be harder.
Now the copper I took with me was not excepted and was told from here to Alabama burnt copper not excepted.

Well that's a thought as wile my area cares not,
When the chopping block chops by me I see I don't want to be stuck with any of it.
I will say that they pay very well for wire with casing as much as 2.50 down to 1.05 clean #1 $2.95 Also payment is in the form of check !! I guess I am spoiled !!

I was thinking a little muriatic acid to clean ??

The pro's of GA
Nice people Nice weather - lower taxes - I like it here - very calm - you all

Ahh the heck I always loved the south .

Whats not to love? Did you check out the Bass Pro shop up there? Plus you can go down the road a few miles to the Falcons spring training facility. Just 45 minutes north and you are in the Appalachian mountains and temps are even cooler. Enjoy your stay. If you come back i'll have to show you the real scrap goldmines around here :)

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Originally Posted by Copper Head

I was thinking a little muriatic acid to clean ??

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i read some post that said just buy some cheap 2 liter colas and pour over it., then let it soak i think it was, maybe rinse with a garden hose

If coke can clean up a battery I'd not be surprised it could wire..heh.

Shen..I got family down your way, over in Douglasville. I'm ever in the area we can discuss that whole intergalactic thing over some beverages in the cooler. ;)

Sirscrapalot - Once had such a good time in Atlanta by the end of the night he was yelling happy new year Philly to an Atlanta cop. Being 21 an visiting Hooters an downtown ATL is always an adventure.

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Originally Posted by Copper Head

I was thinking a little muriatic acid to clean ??

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jewelers use dilute sulfuric acid in there pickling solutions to brighten cooper.

look for sulfuric acid drain cleaner. It will be wrapped in plastic at Ace or HD lowes. it should say 98% sulfuric acid. from what I read on this (pickle)its about 10% acid the rest water 1:10 ratio on acid to water. (always add acid to water ESPECIALLY WITH SULFURIC)

Try it on small lot with a small amount of acid solution.

If I were to do this and had a reason to. I would set up my turkey fryer and use a big canning pot to boil water in then I would make my acid solution (always add acid to water ESPECIALLY WITH SULFURIC) in a 5gal plastic pail and put it into the hot water and let it heat up. when its warm around 80-90 degrees I would dip in some cooper and let it sit till all is clean. first rinse it in water then rinse it in a weak solution of lye and water then clean water again and again.

Just a warning sulfuric acid is a nasty unforgiving acid when concentrated and still nasty diluted. look up sulfuric acid burns it will eat through your skin in no time. diluted it will burn were gloves and eye protection. It will also do some pretty good work on your clothes so where the ones you were throwing out. I like to use those plastic rain suits for stuff like this.

Metal Studio Workbook: In a pickle. All about pickling solutions and how to dispose of them.

yes I have un plugged a few drains with that stuff . I'd rather work with molten lead . That's how scary it is. Heck yea that stuff will work how could it not !!

Hey ya need to check out the Skyway here in my neck of the woods...great scenery...just b careful the roads are crooked and curvey

I love ga ! Use to fly at the atl quite often when I lived in south Carolina, I miss seeing a chicken n waffles every 2 blocks. So if they don't accept "burnt" copper what are you suppose to do with wiring from a house that burned down ?

As much as the law must be upheld . It really will be upheld with me as I show up as a stranger ,no way they will trust me .
I bet a regular scrapper could say just that
--- Doing a clean out from a fire ...
& if so, I bet have to sign documentation as such - - LIKE Freon items by me.

I had 10 pounds and must of looked like fake scrapper out to bust them .

This morning got out early and did manage to get 380 LBs of empty spray cans and truck oil filters from a municipal dumpster
(yes mix trash) 4 sheriff vehicles drove by and paid me no mind. also found a - micro wav - projection TV . made $50 and have 25 lbs to start tomorrow . This yards name is called Blaze and I see they shred there metals on property.
In life I want to make money with my skills as a scrapper and my skills as a painter . Scrapping is here but it is harder . all other work is of more abundance painting homes wall cover work have better opportunity's . The weather in Georgia is nice and kids who can pull A's can be a part of the Hope scholarship for collage
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The amount of copper brass and other metals that I find at my feet by me (up north) is unique but they pay less any way so I tend not to sell . CU #2 by me 2.26 here 2.80 they pay so well for coated wire that I feel good to sell as is .
I like it here . I might just want to be away from the cold . -10 and zero for winter is not so easy and it's long - Nov to April

Straight up I85 into SC, you can sell it.

ok, i kinda stopped reading this thread but want to leave a side note...

stop burning the wire. Its not good to burn the plastic and so take it in as it is with the coating on and have it removed by a wire chopper the RIGHT way...or strip it by hand.

We are not only doing it to make the cash but cleaning up where we live and keeping things out of the landfill for the environment.

Burning wire is just as bad as braking crt glass and just tossing them in the trash...it should not be done and they should be recycled by a recycling company that can handle them!

Maybe I think to much like a professional and recycle not only for the cash but for the environment as we are kinda trashing it....

Greed is the problem , this Sat I made $36 and when I really look at my load to deliver $36 it was small . By me that same load would be $29
being here just a few days I see my ways would change and I would be rewarded for it . They pay $2.00 for Romex as is . They also pay proper for dirty AL using a visual measure for the AL content .
The metals are all over by me ,but they don't pay proper, all they want to do is rip off the scrapper for one pound if they can.
The whole southern experience has been an eye opener . Polite people . Police see your at a dumpster and keep going . workers at new construction
giving you giving you free of way.
Fried chicken in a supermarket is great ALSO !!

Fried chicken isn't always good at supermarkets...trust me..I know, an live an travel in the south. ;)
Then again..best place on my sandbar for chicken is either the local HT or two of the gas stations that serve food! LOL.
We have one chicken place here (KFC) an it sucks. High prices, an the chicken is bout as good as cold shoe. :mad:

Maybe save your wire an sell to wire buyer, we have on the forum I recall. Dunno if that woud work, but never hurts to check. ;)

Sirscrapalot - Loves him some fried chicken.

HT? Chicken place on your sandbar?

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Originally Posted by scrapping4ever

HT? Chicken place on your sandbar?

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Harris Teeter. Grocery Chain, an yes..they sell good fried chicken now an then. ;)

Chicken place here is either the two gas stations, HT, or KFC. KFC sucks here. Very high prices, only place on my sandbar that price gouges. The two gas stations serve hot food. Good stuff. Strange I know..but it's true.

Anyhow, sorry for the slight detour CopperHead, but inquiring minds wanted to know!

Sirscrapalot - Traveling cooler + Fried Chicken = Win

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Originally Posted by etack

jewelers use dilute sulfuric acid in there pickling solutions to brighten cooper.

look for sulfuric acid drain cleaner. It will be wrapped in plastic at Ace or HD lowes. it should say 98% sulfuric acid. from what I read on this (pickle)its about 10% acid the rest water 1:10 ratio on acid to water. (always add acid to water ESPECIALLY WITH SULFURIC)

Try it on small lot with a small amount of acid solution.

If I were to do this and had a reason to. I would set up my turkey fryer and use a big canning pot to boil water in then I would make my acid solution (always add acid to water ESPECIALLY WITH SULFURIC) in a 5gal plastic pail and put it into the hot water and let it heat up. when its warm around 80-90 degrees I would dip in some cooper and let it sit till all is clean. first rinse it in water then rinse it in a weak solution of lye and water then clean water again and again.

Just a warning sulfuric acid is a nasty unforgiving acid when concentrated and still nasty diluted. look up sulfuric acid burns it will eat through your skin in no time. diluted it will burn were gloves and eye protection. It will also do some pretty good work on your clothes so where the ones you were throwing out. I like to use those plastic rain suits for stuff like this.

Metal Studio Workbook: In a pickle. All about pickling solutions and how to dispose of them.

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Sulfuric acid will eat thru all organic materials. Pants,shirts,shoes,boots,socks,hats...etc. It will keep eating until it exhausts itself or hits something inorganic. I would not handle it unless you have gloves that go up to at least your elbow that are rated to handle acid. You should also have at least a rubber apron on and a full face shield.
I am a bit surprised that you would post this as a means to clean copper wiring. Most scrappers are not going to have that proper safety equiptment to handle sulfuric acid and by posting in big red letters not to pour water into acid ever may not be enough of a warning for some people. Its very easy to get what goes into what confused and if the mistake is made or the proper dilution is not mixed you are going to have at the least some bad burns or possibly worse.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND anyone using sulfuric acid to strip wire. If you are too lazy to use a wire stripper or strip it by hand then turn it in as #2 insulated. Its not worth permanently scarring yourself or possibly killing yourself for a couple of pennies.
I am also surprised you posted this considering the top priority at the other site is safety.

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Originally Posted by scrapping4ever

HT? Chicken place on your sandbar?

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Best chicken I remember was down in S E Kansas, two places out in the country; Chicken Annie's and Chicken Mary's.
And no place for me to get any at midnight,,,,:(

Correct me if I'm reading the OP wrong but, are you saying you knowing tried to sell something you knew was not accepted (burnt wire) and are complaining about the law being upheld?

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Originally Posted by BRASSCATCHER

Sulfuric acid will eat thru all organic materials. Pants,shirts,shoes,boots,socks,hats...etc. It will keep eating until it exhausts itself or hits something inorganic. I would not handle it unless you have gloves that go up to at least your elbow that are rated to handle acid. You should also have at least a rubber apron on and a full face shield.
I am a bit surprised that you would post this as a means to clean copper wiring. Most scrappers are not going to have that proper safety equiptment to handle sulfuric acid and by posting in big red letters not to pour water into acid ever may not be enough of a warning for some people. Its very easy to get what goes into what confused and if the mistake is made or the proper dilution is not mixed you are going to have at the least some bad burns or possibly worse.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND anyone using sulfuric acid to strip wire. If you are too lazy to use a wire stripper or strip it by hand then turn it in as #2 insulated. Its not worth permanently scarring yourself or possibly killing yourself for a couple of pennies.
I am also surprised you posted this considering the top priority at the other site is safety.

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If you either take the wire in with the coating and sell it like that or strip it the right way by using a jig or knife or any other means you have. Then you would never need to use sulfuric acid, I have used this acid for projects and will say no one should use it unless they have some exp with it and have all the safety gear like the acid neutralizer on a 2 to 1 so you have more neutralizer than you needed (once you mix it with water you now need more neutralizer). May not be a BAD thing to stop by and tell the fire department what you are doing encase they are called out they KNOW what COULD of gone wrong if you are NOT talking.


Again I will say maybe I am to much of a profeivanl that I will do the job right the first time so I do not have to do all the other steps like burning wire, mixing the acid, washing wire, neutralize the acid that was used, making sure the wire is fully neutralized (acid burns) then trying to go and sell it.....to many steps and not talking about the costs and the safety gear....fire and acid? Alot of room for things to go WRONG!