Just a quick tip about certain wire-
I find that some wire is actually worth more unstripped than stripped. The insulation is so thick and/or the copper is so thin that the weight of the insulation actually makes up for the lower price.
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Just a quick tip about certain wire-
I find that some wire is actually worth more unstripped than stripped. The insulation is so thick and/or the copper is so thin that the weight of the insulation actually makes up for the lower price.
I have been wondering about that myself
If you figure in how much weight you have lost per lb received it will be close to the same...unless your time isnt worth anything..lol
My time is valuable to me as a on call towing and recovery operator, in between calls I strip my copper wires and bust out copper from electric boards and such. I can see your point if your busy on something else, but Ill take the higher dollar anytime...just my thought dudes
I strip all the wire I get. I figure if the yard is paying x amount they are doing so for a reason. It's profitable
Has anybody that strips wire ever actually weight what they start with and what they end with? Up until recently, the only wire I would strip was cable out of computer monitors and TVs (only the heavy gauge stuff). Not too long ago I scrapped degaussing cable
Turns out I was actually making nothing (or close to nothing.) If I stripped the small gauge wire, I was actually losing a little.
But over all, I don't strip wire, just like I don't strip lead out of car batteries. It would end up being too much of a hassle and I would end up getting payed about the same.
I don't think you guys understand what I mean.
Say, for example, you get a 10 ft peice of wire, 1/8 inch thick with insulation, but the actual copper inside is only a few millimeters thick. Unstripped, the wire weighs a few pounds, but just the copper weighs a few ounces. If copper price is $3 and insulated wire price is $1, the wire is going to be worth a few bucks, but just the copper would be less than a dollar.
I'm don't mean that all wire isn't worth stripping, just certain sizes
I agree that some stranded wire is worth the effort and some is not. I am in the A/C business and find some wire is say 18 Ga. with a thin insulation and others have a very thick insulation yet same wire size.
I will test a wire if it strips easy it gets stripped. If it gives me a hard time it goes in the can. When I clean the wire from the units I try to leave the wire as long as possible, making it faster and easier to strip!
If the wire is over 2 or 3 feet, I find it's harder to stripQuote:
Originally Posted by injunjoe
For me, the longer - the better. Especially if it's solid core. I just keep walking backwards; stripping as I go.
Again I agree. I find setting wire in vise and getting each length of wire ready takes much longer then the actual time to "score" or slice the wire.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick
I say score because some wire will strip if just scored yet others work better to slice the insulation.
If I can just pull my blade down 8 foot of wire it saves much time starting and stopping with shorts
Burning wire is illegal, bad for the environment, and really bad for your health.
Get caught burning wire and see if ya like the fine!...i bet ya wont
Really? I thought it was a federal law. Where are you located?
Its illegal everywhere!..some people are just ignorant to the laws...burning insulation is the same as burning tires
Just google illegal to burn tires or wire then what state.
Kris Kringle, I dont think anybody is trying to rain on your parade. But... burning wire is illegal no matter where you are in the United States. It has been illegal since I think the 1960s, along with burning tires and plastic.
Here is a press release from the el passo attorney's office outlining a man sentenced for burning wire: http://www.epcounty.com/CS/blogs/ca_...%20Release.pdf
You can not burn wire because it is in violation of the federal Clean Air Act.
And I'm pretty sure burning wire is known to release carcinogens. My guess is that it is best to not do it.
They will buy anything for the right price....i`ve heard not sure though that scrap yards in arizona wont accept any burnt copper no matter whatQuote:
Originally Posted by Kris Kringle
The reason I said tires was I had better luck finding the laws about burning wire if i put tires in the search.
I asked my yard if they take burned wire. They won't, though I didn't get the idea it's illegal. I am thinking, illegal or not, it's pollution, but then again so is just about everything else nowadays.
My yard buys burnt wire, no problem, in fact i never knew anyone stripped wire until i started reading this forum. I still get #1 price as long as its thicker than a pencil.
Actually all wire is #1 if it isnt burnt its bare bright.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scraphound
Up here, #1 is bigger than a #2 pencil lead. What would you classify as #2?Quote:
Originally Posted by sjones99
Tin coat or if its burnt smaller than 14 guageQuote:
Originally Posted by Mick
Interesting. I have four yards up here that I deal with. They all have the same criteria for #1, #2 and Light Copper. Never heard of "tin coat" applied to copper wire.
Tin coat meaning plated...older cloth covered wire was where it was used mostlyQuote:
Originally Posted by Mick
I just looked up "Tin coated copper wire'. Probably the reason I never heard of it is that it's uses aren't around here.
Looking up and learning more and more about tin coated copper wire - used in house wiring in the 40s.
Never quit learning ...
I had some 444.4 MCM wire that was tin coated. Seems it's used in locomotives. (or was, it was old).
just curious to why you guys dont burn it? i always put mine in a big pile, pour gas and oil mix on it and light it up and let it burn for about 15 minutes. my local scrap yard doesnt seem to have a problem with it.
If you look back at the 3rd page of this thread you will see why mosy dont burn it.
woops, skipped the 3rd page. never knew it was illegal, thank god i live in the middle of nowhere.
I break down a lot of computer monitors and the cord that goes from the monitor to the computer, when you strip it there is a mesh metal that covers the wires underneath. The last time I took some of this mesh in, the guy at the yard told me it was aluminum. I personally thought it was stainless steel, sort of like the stuff that covers the braided washing machine hoses. Anyone have an idea what metal it is?
take a magnet to it. SOME stainless steel is magnetic, and aluminum is not.
I was going to purchase a wire stripper until I did the math. The unstripped wire pays more than the stripped wire...I only did a sample on a a computer type cord. The rate in the Philadelphia area is $1.35 Unstripped and #2 copper scrap is $3.30. Although it is more per lb, the insulation makes the wire heavier thus making the unstripped wire better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scrap man
On the other hand if you take say the wire running from the condenser motor, on a ac unit, to the contactor you have a heavy gauge wire with a somewhat thin insulation.
These types of wire yield about 66% copper and 33% waste. So at a 1.35 for insulated comes up to $2.20 worth of #2 copper, based on your figures.
This comes up to 61% profit from the same wire less your time and labor! One pound don't seem to be worth the effort but when the numbers go up so does the profit margin!
That's what I was sayingQuote:
Originally Posted by chaseonthego
Technically, i think the margin stays the same, but the gross increases.Quote:
Originally Posted by injunjoe
I'd SWAG, that 10 pounds
unstripped is $13.50 (1.35 for insulated)
and stripped is worth $14.52 (#2 copper @ $2.20)
If you can do 10 pounds in an hour it looks promising.
You are figuring #2 @ $2.20, at that rate it would not be worth the effort, but @$3.50 a pound we get profit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty Nuts
We take 10 pounds of insulated wire @ 1.35 = #13.50
Now we take insulated wire and clean it. Ending up with 6.66 pounds of #2 copper.
6.66 pounds of #2 @ $3.50 = $23.31
A profit of $9.81. Stripping by hand my not be worth the effort, but with enough wire and a machine, it is a different story.
I am just a college student that roams out twice a week....get a few lbs of wire, but mostly thin stuff in electronics or lamp/computer cords. Not worth it to me.....especially when the ratio is so low, I would actually be losing money on most of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by injunjoe