Should I strip insulation off extension cords

I was wanting to know if I should spend the time to strip off the insulation for extesion cords or leave them put together. Does it make a big difference? Does anyone charge to haul away junk and is it working for you?

I strip it. It isn't hard on extension cords. Get a good inch showing and you can pull it out with pliers and a gloved hand.

Thanks for the quick reply.

I found that the insulation in extension cords weighed 66% of the total weight. The cord I'm talking about consisted of an orange outer layer with a Green, Black, and White wire in the middle. I did a little math and discovered that I was making the same amount with or without the insulation, the only loss was my time spent stripping the wire.

Insulated No#2- $1.20 per lb (33% copper 66% insulation)
Bare Bright- $3.60 per lb (100% copper)

This is a very close estimate to what the yard was paying me at the time. If you think about it, every three lbs of insulated wire = 1 lb of bare bright being that 1/3 of the insulated wire was copper. You're getting payed for the insulation, so it is literally the same value at my local scrap yard.

If this was confusing for you, let me know and I'll explain it better.

You look like you would be better off not stripping it. Although, around here where I am located, I haven't located a place that pays over 60 cents a pound.

It's simple as this. If you have a lot of free time strip it. If your schedule is tight dont strip it. A lot of times i throw wire to the side (insulated) then sometimes when im bored, i strip it.

if its just thin scrap metalscrap metalscrap metalscrap metal, i dont strip it, and just bring it back as insulated. if its a solid then i for sure strip it, but i also have a lot of free time. good luck

also, just an idea i had... i was going to cut ever wire i had in half, strip one half, and bring the other half back as insulated and see what and if there is a difference in profit

One rule i made for myself is DO NOT strip braid, If it is the size of a regular house wire strand i mean if its a large cable where there is 2-5 or even bigger strands of decent copper but the time is just crazy to spend on it.

I have piles of wire. Alot of solid 10 gauge, a ton of 8 gauge. I also have some old extension cords and power cords cut off of old electronics. My first question, the old stuff has string on the inside... as a kind of insulation i guess, but inside the jacket is puffy fibrous material. Im wondering if that could be asbestos. Was it ever used with electric wires? Id hate to contaminate my whole house. Also, the 8 gage wire is covered with sticky nasty tar like covering. Its almost like super old electrical tape. Stripping it is near impossible. the best i've found to do is use pliers and it kind of falls apart when you wrench on it. is there an easier way? Is there anything i could maybe soak it in to remove the stuff? would a picture help?

Try toilet bowl cleaner. Wear rubber gloves.

If that fails, skip it. Or maybe skip it to begin with if it is that much trouble. Unless you have a ton of it.

i have a ton of it and the toilet cleaner didnt work... however, I took a razorblade down the edge of it and found it removes quite easily. It does leave a black film on the copper. will they deduct this? should i take a brillo pad to it?

As long as your scrap yard isn't a bunch of twits, they should not take off for the black film.

I prefer to just scrap the wires as is. I keep the ends on them which give's them extra weight. Cell phone cords, cell phone chargers - etc.