Is this copper or red brass?

Doing a construction job and the boss said I could take home what looks to be a part of a huge transformer or circuit box of some sorts (I'm not an electrician so I don't really know the differences). He said that the plates in it were bare bright, but didn't say if they were copper or what. Here are some pictures to help identify everything. There were very large copper wires going into it (picture of one chunk of wire stripped). Aluminum brackets to hold the brass plated mystery metal? After doing a boiling vinegar and salt cleaning on part of one of the plates, this is what it looks like. Originally, there were about 9 of these plates on the "board." Altogether the board, plates, aluminum, and bolts (wire was already removed) weighed about 120#. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone knows how much it is worth, that'd be good to know as well. I've separated all the aluminum and "copper" now.

IMG_20130304_095108 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
IMG_20130304_095102 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
IMG_20130304_095058 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

In breaker panels I've pulled out similar plates. It was all pretty strait forward. Copper, aluminum, steel, maybe a few of the screws were brass, but I think they were steel. Some of the copper was "tin" coated and had a silver look but you just put a grinder to it and you can easily tell it's copper.

From what I understand, most red brass is used in plumbing. You are unlikely to find red brass in most electrical components, it's just copper and if you are unlucky, aluminum (they are good conductors).

The pic. of the wire would be bare bright or #1 copper depending how your yard buys it. the plates in the next 2 pics. would be #2 copper unless you take a grinder to it and take all the plating off then you would get bare bright or #1 again depending on how your yard buys copper. Also you would have to take all the nuts and bolts off of the piece in pic. #2 It's hard to say how much you will get for it because I don't know how much your pays for copper. At my yard I would get 3.20# for #1copper and 2.95# for #2.

The lugs on the last piece are aluminum

Originally Posted by Phantoms001

From what I understand, most red brass is used in plumbing. .

Red Brass. Just so you know.

Ms.PotatoHead, most of that brass looks like Yellow Brass

Originally Posted by hobo finds

Ms.PotatoHead, most of that brass looks like Yellow Brass

I used to think that also. Was educated and bummed for awhile afterwards. Lost a lot of money over the years. Now just from scratching it up and holding into the light, it gives off a reddish hue.

How much do you get for red brass? At my yard all bras is bought as yellow brass at 1.90#.