striping

ricb · Mar 18, 2013

Hey guys, anybody got a quick effective way to get the exterior casing off copper wires. I have about 50# of the stuff clogging up space in the shop and would like to cash it in but don't have time to strip it all by hand. All suggestions welcome.

farmallboy15 · Mar 18, 2013

throw it in a fire.

Harvey 2 · Mar 18, 2013

In the maintance department where I wuz employed, we made a thing to strip the insulation off copper wire.
It was made out of a 4x2 block of wood. We drilled a hole a little bigger than the wire and mounted a razor knife at right angle to the hole and when one pulled the wire through the razor would cut the plastic along the length of wire and all you had to do wuz pull the plastic off.
I hope that helps you out. I save all my scrap copper such as in coils and solenods etc. have a five gallon bucket half full of pieces one half inch long on up. It adds up after a while.

Adirondack case guy · Mar 18, 2013

You better do that at night so knowone can see the billowing black smoke or you will be in deep dodo. Around here burn barrels have been banned and open fires are regulated, including burning brush. We now have "cerimonial fires", HeHe. They are legal.
Loren, the Acg.

dr sportster · Mar 18, 2013

Place it in a vise get a new blade in the razor knife and walk back 20 feet or so and put tension on it with one hand while cutting across the insulation with the other. Don't cut towards yourself [seen that go bad many times].Don't dig in the copper. There are machines that strip it but unless you are a contractor not worth it. There isn't some magic easy way.Burning it lowers the price and polllutes toxic smoke .

Anonymous-0 · Mar 18, 2013

Yards here will not buy burned-off wire... In fact, I have heard they will report your tag number to the authorities. Most yards will still pay a decent price for wire with the insulation still on. Unless you have some BIG wire, it is probably best to sell it not stripped, and use that time to do something else.

The Mayor · Mar 18, 2013

I was mislead by the title of the topic.....

Switchflicker · Mar 18, 2013

(quoted from post at 23:15:19 03/18/13) I was mislead by the title of the topic.....

Yea, me too. I thought it was about putting the lines on new roads.

Sw

rrlund · Mar 18, 2013

A good foggy morning makes a lot of things disapear.

Adirondack case guy · Mar 18, 2013

Yup!
Problem is, the fog lifts and the smell drifts.
Loren, the Acg.

S2710 · Mar 18, 2013

the yard here will buy it with the coating on it. They have a formila and they weigh it and pay you. If the coating is 15% of the weight for every dollar that copper is worth they pay you 85 cents. If you burn it you will be turned in.

Bob

Oliver662011 · Mar 18, 2013

I have never had to much of a problem at night burning it off in a old metal autoparts basket from a factory. Our local scrap yard don't dock for it. Mike

Ultradog MN · Mar 18, 2013

Here in the Twin Cities they will not buy burned wire.

BillinCentralMO · Mar 18, 2013

And all these years I thought fog always smelled like burning rubber! What other secrets have yall been keeping from me.

ricb · Mar 18, 2013

The subject was meant to intrigue but it sounds as if i spelled it wrong. I figured that trying to burn it off would be easiest but i never had much luck with it before. That was only for a piece or two. anybody know the price for copper scrap.

David G · Mar 18, 2013

Just take it in, does not need to be stripped.

NCWayne · Mar 18, 2013

Around here the yards won't buy burned copper. Too, thanks to our much beloved (NOT) ex governor to sell anything over 20lbs means you have to be a business with a legitimate reason for having that much to sell, too, any copper at all and you can't be paid in cash, but have to take a check. All it's done is make things harder on the scrap yard, the honest guy tryint to make a living/some extra money, and nothing at all to stop the thieves....Recognize the philosphy from another federal, governmental agency????

That said, I always put one end in a vice and strip with a sharp razor knife. Dependent upon the coating, you can often get the cut started and then peal the coating off with little effort. Unfortunately not all of it strips so easily and, while I hadn't thought of it before, the idea already mentioned about a razor blade mounted in a wood block sounds like an excellent idea that would make the whold process alot easir than doing it 'by hand'.

ShadetreeRet · Mar 18, 2013

Eggzactly whut I wuz thinkin!

schultz47 · Mar 19, 2013

To expand on Harvey 2's reply, we would drill a hole in a 2x6 a little larger than the wire, then drive a sharpened nail or spike centered in the hole just far enough to penetrate the insulation. Insert the wire and pull it through. Did lots of wire that way when I worked for the phone company, getting rid of used wire/cable.

W_B · Mar 19, 2013

When a tree took down some overhead wires last summer I just coiled it up and threw it on the pile of brush while burning it then fished it out when the ash got cool. Not much actual insulation left on the wires, they'd been up since the late '40's and had been long abandoned, I just never got it taken down.

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