Stripping wire for scrap

[Toolhorder]

What do you guys use? I'm thinking of making something that will strip various thicknesses of wire that I feed into it.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

I think this question came up before. There were a lot of "its not worth it" and "don't bother" type answers. Curious of that is still the same.

 

[Toolhorder]

I think this question came up before. There were a lot of "its not worth it" and "don't bother" type answers. Curious of that is still the same.

I think it's worth it. I got $3.80 a lb. for stripped stuff today. Mostly audio wire from used cars and ignition switch harness wire that was thicker and multi-strand.
I had like 3 lbs. I think with a bunch of other stuff but I've only been saving for a couple months. The stripping is the worst part though. I need to make a device that makes it easier so it's worth it. I'd like it to be like a paper shredder where it will accept whatever you put into it and clean wire comes out the other side and insulation in another pile.

 

[warmpancakes]

gas and a match, then soak in vinegar over night

 

[Danglerb]

If there was a cheap reliable way to do it, metal places would be using it and the price differential would be smaller. Of the handful of scrap guys I know, most only bother with a few types of wire that are easy to strip, and then just do it with a knife and pliers as time permits.

 

[Toolman12]

Heres my little invention this made me $1200.00 last month it's a old flare kit that i turned inside out and drilled a hole the size if the wire i was stripping sandwiched a blade in between and off i go with a little tweeking it works perfect and cost nothing for me to build the beauty thing about this is you can drill as many holes for the gauge wire as you need and move the blade to whatever hole you are using

 

[osborn.ozzy]

Heres my little invention this made me $1200.00 last month it's a old flare kit that i turned inside out and drilled a hole the size if the wire i was stripping sandwiched a blade in between and off i go with a little tweeking it works perfect and cost nothing for me to build.

First garage I ever seen with candles

 

[KEH]

For fairly big wire, put wire on anvil or some kind of steel block and beat with hammer, moving the wire to a fresh place afte a couple of blow of the hammer. This breaks the insulation, making stripping the wire fairly quick and easy.

KEH

 

[RM209]

Some of them actually do; they have a machine with two sets of metal rollers that are slightly offset. When you feed the scrap wire in, the wheels strip off the insulation and clean copper comes out the other side. I've seen it done w/ Romex, and it's very efficient.

RM209

If there was a cheap reliable way to do it, metal places would be using it and the price differential would be smaller. Of the handful of scrap guys I know, most only bother with a few types of wire that are easy to strip, and then just do it with a knife and pliers as time permits.

 

[Brian_B_]

Would this "idea" do the same thing for stripping wire as it will slitting rubber hose? Just made smaller of course.

 

[gbh]

My son bought one of these but if you have the time or inclination you could make something like it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/W-L100-Manu...lectrical_Equipment_Tools&hash=item27c8805b2b

 

[metaldad]

great idea with the flare block.

 

[Toolhorder]

Heres my little invention this made me $1200.00 last month it's a old flare kit that i turned inside out and drilled a hole the size if the wire i was stripping sandwiched a blade in between and off i go with a little tweeking it works perfect and cost nothing for me to build the beauty thing about this is you can drill as many holes for the gauge wire as you need and move the blade to whatever hole you are using

That looks like a great idea!

 

[Brian_B_]

If you have longer wires..you could use build "hose reel" type thing to pull it through the cutters..instead of by hand.

Wait..why not a small electric motor with a drum to wind it on as it pulls it though.

 

[Toolman12]

Candles helps with the stank of cigarette smoke wife's idea

 

[Stuart in MN]

Find out what your local scrap dealer pays for bare copper versus insulated copper, then figure out how long it will take to strip it. If it takes you a couple hours' worth of labor to make another five bucks, is it worth the effort?

Whatever you do, don't burn it - that just creates a toxic waste dump in your back yard and the scrap dealers generally pay less for burned copper anyway.

 

[Toolhorder]

Find out what your local scrap dealer pays for bare copper versus insulated copper, then figure out how long it will take to strip it. If it takes you a couple hours' worth of labor to make another five bucks, is it worth the effort?

Whatever you do, don't burn it - that just creates a toxic waste dump in your back yard and the scrap dealers generally pay less for burned copper anyway.

It's worth it IF you have an easier way to do it than by hand.

 

[otis66]

What if you just burned it off. How mich wire is it?

 

[Toolman12]

most scrappers won't take it if it's been burned off

 

[PRH44]

For larger wire #3 and larger. Let the wire set in the sun and soften the insulation. You can run a razor knife right down the edge and peel the insulation off no problem, well worth it.

I put one end under my foot hold the wire tight with my left hand and run the knife down with my right. shaving a narrow strip out along its length. It works best after the blade has a little wear as a new one likes to dig in to the copper. Then peel the rest of the insulation off easily. I have striped like this many many times.

 

[JKady]

That flare block idea is bad ***! When I was scrappin I was a little more low tech. Bench vise set so the wire would set in the gap at the top of the jaws, razor knife and a steady hand. Takes the right touch but I was stripping lots of wire real quick by holding the knife at the right angle/depth to just skim the copper and pulling the wire across the top of the vice. Did the whole wiring harness out of a kenworth that way after figuring out I wasn't going to make any money not stripping it. Similar to the way PRH44 is talking about, but I was stripping mostly 12 gauge and smaller at the time.

It's very worth it to strip it when you consider that insulated wire was .95 cents a pound while I was getting almost 4 per pound on #2 copper (What my yard classified stripped wire as).

 

[osborn.ozzy]

Best idea, never thought of using vinegar

 

[Toolhorder]

Burning it gets you a better price but it's not a good as stripped. Burning releases **** into the air and I don't want to do that.
Its been awhile since I've scrapped stuff but in CA. now it's the law to make you wait 3 days for payment, you have to leave a thumbprint, have a picture taken. Love living in this nanny state

 

[kald]

Heres my little invention this made me $1200.00 last month it's a old flare kit that i turned inside out and drilled a hole the size if the wire i was stripping sandwiched a blade in between and off i go with a little tweeking it works perfect and cost nothing for me to build the beauty thing about this is you can drill as many holes for the gauge wire as you need and move the blade to whatever hole you are using

That is so simple it's genius! Everytime I'm doing it I always thoought about how to build one and had some over complicated contraption in my head. Sometimes good enough is better!

 

[greasemonkey44]

i like the flare block design

 

[WWIIjeep]

Its been awhile since I've scrapped stuff but in CA. now it's the law to make you wait 3 days for payment, you have to leave a thumbprint, have a picture taken. Love living in this nanny state

The blame belongs to the people who steal metal for its scrap value, not the Kali nannies.

Virtually every state has extensive rules for scrappers now, including delayed payments, no cash payments, ID and license plate record keeping, thumbprints, video recording of customer transactions, "tag and hold" delays for suspicious customers, and various other things.

Oregon's rules are almost the same as Kali's. Arizona has rules almost as strict. So does Texas (hardly ever called a nanny state), Florida, etc. Kali is actually more lenient than many, because they have a mechanism to allow scrap dealers to exempt their regular proven customers from some of the rules.

 

[Toolhorder]

The blame belongs to the people who steal metal for its scrap value, not the Kali nannies.

Virtually every state has extensive rules for scrappers now, including delayed payments, no cash payments, ID and license plate record keeping, thumbprints, video recording of customer transactions, "tag and hold" delays for suspicious customers, and various other things.

Oregon's rules are almost the same as Kali's. Arizona has rules almost as strict. So does Texas (hardly ever called a nanny state), Florida, etc. Kali is actually more lenient than many, because they have a mechanism to allow scrap dealers to exempt their regular proven customers from some of the rules.

All of it is feel good BS. If I stole the scrap I turned in none of those things would prevent me from getting paid from it. I don't get how making you wait 3 days prevents anything....is that like the 10 day wait on guns? must be the same flawed logic.
obviously it's not working anyway since theft of copper isn't going down or anything.

 

[fomocoforrester]

The blame belongs to the people who steal metal for its scrap value, not the Kali nannies.

Virtually every state has extensive rules for scrappers now, including delayed payments, no cash payments, ID and license plate record keeping, thumbprints, video recording of customer transactions, "tag and hold" delays for suspicious customers, and various other things.

Oregon's rules are almost the same as Kali's. Arizona has rules almost as strict. So does Texas (hardly ever called a nanny state), Florida, etc. Kali is actually more lenient than many, because they have a mechanism to allow scrap dealers to exempt their regular proven customers from some of the rules.

+ 1

I certainly wouldn't call it nannying if it stops the SOBs stealing railroad signaling and communications cable and bronze war memorial plaques like they do round here.

 

[Toolhorder]

+ 1

I certainly wouldn't call it nannying if it stops the SOBs stealing railroad signaling and communications cable and bronze war memorial plaques like they do round here.

That's my point though it's not stopping anyone.

 

[fomocoforrester]

All of it is feel good BS. If I stole the scrap I turned in none of those things would prevent me from getting paid from it. I don't get how making you wait 3 days prevents anything....is that like the 10 day wait on guns? must be the same flawed logic.
obviously it's not working anyway since theft of copper isn't going down or anything.

That's my point though it's not stopping anyone.

Well maybe it isn't, but how much worse would the problem be if these laws weren't in place?

Don't forget that the main factor that's driving the problem is the state of the economy.

 

[1982fxr]

didn't know there were other options besides burning it off at night. just kidding

 

[Toolhorder]

Well maybe it isn't, but how much worse would the problem be if these laws weren't in place?

Don't forget that the main factor that's driving the problem is the state of the economy.

So assume everyone turning in scrap is a criminal is the way to fix it?

Explain to me how you think making someone wait 3 days is going to change anything.

 

[fomocoforrester]

So assume everyone turning in scrap is a criminal is the way to fix it?

Well the problem has got to the point where that's probably not a bad place to start....

Explain to me how you think making someone wait 3 days is going to change anything.

Anything that makes turning stolen scrap into cash more of a hassle, is bound to have some statistical effect.

 

[Danglerb]

So assume everyone turning in scrap is a criminal is the way to fix it?

Explain to me how you think making someone wait 3 days is going to change anything.

3 days means there is a "chance" that when a thief goes back to get his money the cops are waiting for him, vs cash and gone.

Its weird how some simple stuff stops theft, or shifts it around.

I figure most serious theft is not a one time deal, its stealing on a regular basis, so increasing the risk even a little may have a substantial effect.

Besides, how do we know whether or not these rules work or not? Maybe they do.

 

[Brian_B_]

I have not been near a scrap yard in a few years. I would guess that having to give I.D., name, address, phone, and a delay would deter some criminals in the first place. Plus if anything turns out to be stolen as Danglerb mentioned the cops would be waiting when they returned for the money.

That is all assuming the scrap yards are honest and not in on it. Which they may be.

 

[zuk123]

Yeah, scrap yards that take plaques from cemeteries, drain covers, RR property, etc are criminal d-bags that just enable the other scumbags. There is no way they could honestly say they thought it was ok to take the plaques or sewer grates.

The yard I take stuff to as I'm cleaning out my shop gets a scan of my ID, a thumbprint on the receipt, has a pic of me with the scrap on the scale, but pays right away in cash. Both of them do it that way. Of course, the quality of the scan and pic varies greatly and the thumbprint is next to useless.

It did work out in my favor as one time I didn't get paid for my iron. (I got paid for all the other types.) I was in a hurry to get to dinner and didn't check until later. Because they had the info stored, they could look at it when I went back and they gave me my money.


As to whether it's worth the time or not, if you think NOT, be thankful that is your situation. I've seen guys bring in the 3-6 inch off cuts of wire that you see laying around the job when the electricians are working on putting in the outlets, etc. About a double handful of scraps and the guy bringing them in could make an hour's wage...

I'm really glad I don't NEED to do that kind of scrounging, but I'm awful glad I can get some money for the time I spent breaking stuff down and getting it out of my shop.

As a boss once said to us when busting us for not picking up fasteners from the floor 'cause they were only worth 25c, "would you leave a quarter on the floor?" Well, I don't think there is anyone reading this that wouldn't pick up a quarter, so why NOT pick up the dollars too?

zuk

 

[jeffmoss26]

The scrap yard I go to is fully computerized. They scan every person's drivers license into their computer system, and pull it up whenever you go in to sell something.
I personally do not strip any of the wire I send in...even though it's just low voltage wire mainly, I always get a fair price...between 70 and 90 cents a lb.

 

[Zrexxer]

The yard I take stuff to as I'm cleaning out my shop gets a scan of my ID, a thumbprint on the receipt, has a pic of me with the scrap on the scale

The identification and recordkeeping requirements are actually state law in Texas now, as well as City of Houston ordinance.

 

[otis66]

All of it is feel good BS. If I stole the scrap I turned in none of those things would prevent me from getting paid from it. I don't get how making you wait 3 days prevents anything....is that like the 10 day wait on guns? must be the same flawed logic.
obviously it's not working anyway since theft of copper isn't going down or anything.

Most people stealing scrap cannot wait 3 days.

 

[Toolhorder]

Most people stealing scrap cannot wait 3 days.

I think just stopping payment in cash and issuing checks only would stop 95% of the crooks. When was the last time a meth head had a checking account?