Stripping smaller gauge wire? worth it?

**Russell** · 09-16-2012, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by billygoat

And on the other hand, for some of us who might be "smaller scrappers" making $1.00 might be better than making $0.00. It all depends on where you are at.

Perhaps instead of monkeying around for $1; explore your options, take that time and educate yourself and get creative and figure out how to make more. Reading threads for 1 hr on this forum will net you more per hour in the long run than struggling with a pound of wire.( which coincidentally you'll need to strip at a small gauge wire recovery rate to make 1$.

Likewise that wire could of made you $0.70 un stripped so your formula needs to account for a 30% increase per pound. The question is efficiency. It's most efficient to sell as is to someone who can properly and efficiently strip/ recover the material.

**slaghunter** · 09-16-2012, 11:50 AM

You really have to do the math for yourself. I stopped stripping cords. My yard pays .70 per pound whole. If I cut the end off and strip it I get 2.85 for bare bright. Sounds like a great increase except it takes about 3 pounds of cord to get a pound of copper. So some times I gained a few cents others I lost money. I would have never known unless I did the math. I would still be wasting my time to lose money!! But you really should figure it out for yourself because cords I get and the cords you get may be different. If I collect cords that are 14 and 16 gauge and you get cords that are 10 and 12 gauge there is a big difference.

**AuntieCake** · 09-16-2012, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by Russell

Reading threads for 1 hr on this forum will net you more per hour in the long run than struggling with a pound of wire.( which coincidentally you'll need to strip at a small gauge wire recovery rate to make 1$.

I agree spending time reading the forum will net you more in the long run.... Since I strip all my wire with a razor I do it while I'm reading the forum, you can learn quickly how to cut and scroll at the same time. All depends on your prerogative!! I spend 2hrs a week watching TV, I read the forum during the commercials and strip wire while watching my shows. If I don't have any wire to strip then I unwind all the copper from the little things that I took off low grade boards. Usually I do about 2lbs of that in an hour... works for me since I'm already sitting on my behind.

I guess my point was if you want to bother with the small things, do it while watching TV, having your morning coffee or on the phone chasing leads... things like that. This way your not actually wasting time you could be doing other things.