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stripping some old ass wires while I watch college football, got a big batch of real old electrical stuff.
its silvery on the outside but appears to be copper from the side when you clip it.
is it coated by aluminum or stainless?
It is not magnetic.
my question is, what pile should I put this in? # 2 copper wire?
http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...ps53284947.jpg
its copper & should be #2 wire
Yes, #2 copper. At my yard they call it solder coat. Fun to strip isn't it?
on a lazy weekend or weeknight with something good on the tube to watch and some alcoholic refreshment by my side I can strip wire for hours
Well the OPSays that he is stripping the wire down, if that means that you are removing the insulation witch means you are that wire looks like a pretty heavy gage wire its holding the bend, if you strip it down it would go as number one copper and it really should be candy,bright and shiny. Once you remove the installation it is no longer wire its pure copper many yards would down grade it to number one copper because of its thin ness but never the less it realy should be Bright and Shinny.
My guess is the coating is Tin. Most places will buy it as #2 copper
There was a wires processor on here that has since dissappeared. He claimed that it was actually worth a few cents more per lb than #1, but only with multiple tons and good connections.
1956, I'm a little confused. Bright and shiny or bare bright is supposed to be copper color, this wire has an obvious coating. Also, isn't there supposed to be no tarnish, and few dull spots?
Well my eyes might be failing me a little it looks like to me in the pictures the insulation is still on, if not than I am mistaking but if it is still on once it is removed it would be in most yards number one. brite and shinny has many gray areas depends on your yard, some yards will only grade bright and shinny by the thickness of at least 1/4 inch the outer appearance really does not mean much when the yard sells it.
When the wire manufacturers coat the wire with solder its referred to as "tinned". You want to "tin" wire before you solder it so the solder joint is better. So with the "pre-tinned" wire it allows faster assembly for maufacures of the stuff we scrap. The coating is very thin that is why its considered #2 copper. Mike
No expert . But the insulation looks like fiber insulation. If its old it may be asbestos fiber insulation.