Thats exactly what I used to do when all the big jobs slowed down to winter fuel deliveries I'd scrap the copper for my wife and kids but 2500$ that's ALLOT of copper cleaned stripped separated its still so much copper my biggest scrap was 1600 so salute to you... That's a good job...
This is exactly what my husband and I do he's a painter and his buddies with the electrician Bonnie jobs Corey just back it up all year long and then when it gets close to kiss miss you start stripping just started a couple days ago and of course the day I looked it up copper was about $3.19 here a pound for Bare bright with the amount we had at that price I might have been able to pull off that 2500 maybe even a little more but it's already the quality of course my luck LOL damn you China hahaha
I've been scrapping for 40 years and I need to tell you something... I enjoy watching your channel more than any other scrap channel on RUclips. Hope you have a great day!!
Finally, someone addressed the burning issues. Although I have been scraping for many years, I think your video is a great "how-to" for beginners. Thank you for helping make the world a better place.
I burn my Copper Wire and my scrap yard doesn't care to take it and if it's #1 Copper then they give me #1 price and so on, If I had a Electric Wire Stripper then I'd definitely stop burning it, but for me the fastest way to get a bunch of wire done is to burn it...
Exactly, I think it is probably different in different states cuz where I come from everyone burns it. There is no "bare bright" category and #1 is anything thicker than pencil lead while #2 is anything thinner like most of your braided wires
@@jarlaxle3588 we have a Bare Bright category, but bare bright copper is really hard to find tho and yeah that's how our #1 & #2 copper is here in Southern Ohio too, our #2 Copper is $2.45 lb right now, Cans are $0.45 lb, Yellow Brass is $1.70 lb, Stainless Steel is $0.20 lb, Electric Motors is $0.12 lb & Aluminum Old Sheet is $0.30 lb, These are just some of the prices from a ticket that I had laying in front of me here LoL
I’ve been scrapping for years, but you’re still teaching me things I didn’t know! I’m one of those who sits and carefully strips copper with a knife. Instead of scrapping the wiring (or anything to repurpose) from my grandparents farm house, I stripped it & repurposed it into art. Thank you for all the great information!
I really love your videos, I'm not a beginner anymore but because of you I started really making money scrapping I'm just 14 but I still make a lot from scrapping. Thanks for all the tips your so awesome
To strip wire I use a block plane. Works amazing and it's cheap for a little block plane or palm plane. Mine is from my grandfather's wood working tools so it's older then anybody I've ever met and works great
That settles it, I'm starting to scrap part time. I work at a school and they throw out so many Ethernet cables and wires and metal things. I've accumulated a butt load. This video is excellent learning material. I use to scrap copper when I worked as a specialist roofer in Louisiana, it was fun. Thanks for this.
Greetings Thubprint. You were really missed. You're so inspirational & i like your style. Guys like you Vidvulture, Dumpster Jerry, Professor Scrappity, S&P man, Florida scrapper, Canadian Hunter Scrapper& Scrap Kingdom have so much integrity, hardworking & humble individuals. Ladies like that Breakfast girl Kelly, Steven/Steph, Diving Dee,Angel & family(with that adorable 7mos. Old baby Samuel)Ms.Canadian scrapper. PLEASE PLEASE don't stop making them video's. Be safe,healthy &blessed always
Hello, Sweden here again. I do just about the same as you. I always cut all connectors and plugs off my wires, prongs and things go in my brass bucket. My yard loves it because they know it's clean scrap wire and quick to unload and already sorted in categories so I do get a better price. Ask how the scrapyard wants their material and try to get as close to it as you can, win-win. Scrap safe and take care.
Yep, all plugs and connectors cut off. They also pay for plugs (eg mains plugs) as there's brass inside I guess. But first I cut the mains plugs 3 pins off. My yard will allow the earthing pin to be in the clean brass pile, but the other 2 pins these days have plastic insulation covering some of the pin - so they drop into my #2 brass pile. They are strict lol. It's only 3 quick snips...and all adds up when you get loads of plugs...
Thank you! And yes, I figured it would be nice to have this miniseries just to cover all the basics. A lot of the time once we have a little experience in something we forget what the journey to that point was like, and become blind to the challenges that other people may face. My first few trips to the yard, I thought I was SO organized, only to learn the hard way that I didn’t know a darn thing about my material! If I can save somebody a bit of time and get them a little more money, that’s excellent 👍
I just smelt all my scrap copper and aluminium after stripping it clean then put a nice mirror finish on it and either pop it on ebay or put it in a tub to go to the scrappie
I've stripped a LOT of copper. If you have BX or Romex I always strip and separate because the Bare Bright payout will always be in my favor. I stripped 350 lbs of it one month in my living room watching baseball. Once I get it collected and separated I strip it in batches while I would normally be sitting around watching TV or Netflix.
I watch TV and strip wires alot too I have a hand held stripper that can do small gages of wires to I fixed it to a press but I also have a hand crank stripper for bigger gages as well both work great
Dude your spot on. Actually worked for a scrap yard processing their copper and brass. And again you are spot on. Biggest problem beginners have is impatience not willing to sort and process.
I find it easier to use an old kitchen knife than a box cutter or razor knife. The razor edge tends to dig into the copper while the kitchen knife only cuts the insulation. A kitchen knife also has a better handle.
That's where I just left you a comment about burning wire and then I watch another one your videos and here you are talking about that's incredible stay strong my friend
Cheapest diy copper stripper is a plumbing flaring tool. Forget the attachments and keep the frame. Sandwich a razor blade tween the jaws according to your wire size. It's my go to tool. Thub 4 present 👍👍👍👍
I made my own “stripper” using two steel 1” sprinkler pipes, bearings, all threaded rod and a corded drill. It’s more of a “pincher” than a stripper. Will strip anything 1” or longer. The faster you feed it, the faster it strips. It’s fantastic. I’m an electrician so copper isn’t an issue. I also melt and cast it....Think I’ll go strip some now :)
@@joenewman763 it more or less eats it to pieces. I’ve tried running stranded wire through it before but it just flattens it for the most part. For smaller stranded wire, I like to drill a small hole in my work table and tighten a screw from the side into the hole just enough to cut the plastic on the outside of the wire, I just pull it through the hole by hand. For bigger stranded wire, I’ll just tie it off to a post or something and walk backwards with a sharp blade
The stripmiester will cut anything down to #16 awg but smaller than that is a pain your probably right either strip it with a knife or don't fool with it at all which is what I usually do.
That’s what I’m here for! I recently did a video comparing all the wires I could find to see which were worthwhile ruclips.net/video/K2IApTCFjE4/видео.html Turns out they all pay off, but the #2 stuff is basically impossible to make decent money for the time it takes
One thing that I will say about stripping is to learn the rates of recovery on the different types of wire. For example thhn is roughly 85 percent, this way you can weigh a given amount ( say 5 feet) then do the math and know what the difference in payout is going to be before you strip it. That way you can decide pretty quick what is worth stripping and what isn't.
Sorry if I sound like an idiot but what does “rates of recovery” mean? And I have about 60 pounds of thhn wire from my jobsite so how much should I save up to get a decent amount of money? Thank you in advance.
Rates of recovery means the percentage of copper verses coating by weight. Simply put if you have ten pounds of wire at 85 percent recovery you will get eight and a half pounds of clean copper if you strip it.
@@Dani-ELmaninnoboxes That is why you need to know the rate of recovery. Sure it is nice if you get a bit more from the bright copper, but if your rate of recovery is like 50 %, the price difference between dirty and bright sould be at least double. Plus it takes time and effort to strip the wires, so you have to put a value for your hours also, as in do you hunt for more (dirty) copper or spend that time peeling wires.
I'm about to do a massive copper run tomorrow. Appreciate the advice. I have the strip meister original. If you have a lot of wire, it will pay for itself quickly.
@@thubprint yeah, my laborer spent 8 hours on it. used it to chew through 2 big bins of copper wire. It worked awesome but it only came out to 40lbs of bright brass which was deceiving
Protip: If you've got smaller single strand wire that has a thick core and thin insulation look into buying a pipe flanging tool. Put a razor blade in between the steel block and pull your wire through.
@@95ffd If you look up "pipe flanging tool" you'll see an image of a metal block with varying hole sizes and a set of butterfly screws to tighten the assembly. Just slip a razor in between the two halves before you tighten down and then pull your wire through.
What a great tip!! 👏👏 Here in South Africa they call it a pipe flaring tool…I can see how this can work like a charm. 👍 Thanks for sharing your ingenuity with us!!
this was a good video. I have been scrapping since i was 16 and im 55 now. Talking with your scrap yard and building a relationship is the best advice given. i just got a granulator and i need to talk with them if they take granulated copper and at what size
🤣 I’m sure you aren’t that bad at it! I pick my battles though, I only strip decently thick stuff and only when warm. I have run into some pieces though, plenty thick but with the insulation caked right into the strands. Such a pain, I actually gave up halfway though. A bit embarrassed to admit it, but it just wasn’t worth the time.
I've been scrapping for quite a few years and I'm one of those ones who will strip all the wire that's worth stripping. I thought this video was very informative, but even if it wasn't, I could watch you all day talk about absolutely nothing! You are just too cute! 💕 Happy scrapping! Maybe you could do a video on scrapping brass. That is where I get confused. (Is it red brass or copper, is it white brass or aluminum or stainless)? Thank you
Oh fair enough! (And thank you hehe ☺️) I’ve done a video on brass before but I don’t think I spent much of it helping clarify brass vs other materials. I don’t bother separating red brass because I don’t find much of it but I’ll usually just file the piece or scrape it on the pavement real quick to see if it’s brass underneath 👍
Just make sure you check what the price difference is at your yard! I was really surprised that mine was so close, and a lot of comments are sharing that their dirty brass price is a whole lot lower than clean, so it definitely depends on your numbers
Thanks for the video, it was much help. Just one thing from where I live. The scrap dealers where I live will offer a fifth of the scrap price from unstripped wire, so in some areas the stripping of wire would be an advantage for more money, so check your local scrap merchants and ask what the price difference is for stripped and unstripped.
I just subscribed to your channel have watched quite a few of your videos I'll find them informative articulate and intelligent and quite entertaining thank you
Thanks man for the info I scrap in my spare time and this really helps you have a great channel I'll be going Monday to our local hospital and asking about a good size load its different types of metals so I think it might be worth the trip
Thanks man, this info was very helpful. I'm retired and have plenty of time to prepare the copper that I have. I've called around various scrap yards and as of this post the price for #1 is around $1.60. This down from $1.90 prior to the C19 crap. I decided to just sit on it until the price goes up. However, your tips were helpful in that I will take this time to turn the #1 stuff into bright-shinny stuff. Only 75 or 80 pounds so it won't take long. Thanks again.
Great video man! You did well , I've watched few of your videos and have definitely picked up on a few things. I drive roll off and company runs 2 transfer stations , I come across copper alot of days. As years are going by I've gotten much more aware and taking action (I used to not , and just dump everything at landfill) , I have biggest pile I've ever had currently , price way down and I'll be keeping that right in storage unit till times right. Thanks!
When I was scrapping back in the day ... I Whenever I saw copper my mood lightens, I really liked how the metal felt and looked .... o called it copper fever.... like with gold....
I bought a hand held wire stripper from Sears for like $30. Basically it's a tool that forces a small razor blade tip just through the outer shielding of the wire. I can strip a vacuum cord fully in around a minute.
I've made a couple with varying degrees of success. Tried drilling holes in a 2x4 of various sizes and screwing a sturdy nails down through the holes, gauging boards and screwing razor blades over the tips of the divets, but my preferred method is just a vegetable or potato peeler. But I deal with thinner wires.
Can you make a video inside and interview a scrap yard worker and look at different materials and machines in the yard and take us through the process of going in and selling a few batches of different copper
Wait a second... was that a joke? This guy was making a joke! It wasn’t bad either, I’m just dense enough that it took me almost a year to get it 🤣 If you see this Joe... ayyyyyyyyy!
I do the exact same thing... but be careful!! I have made the mistake of going out in my socks or flipflops to sort and carelessly picking up some bigger size ones and having the hidden inside pipe slip out and fall on my toe/foot! The ends can be sharp too and it hurts like a mofo... sometimes ill still hammer the ends to keep them from slipping apart.
@@wrenchboostboi8994 you just have to be careful though as the yard might pull one out for a random check and feel it's heavier than normal but can't see inside due to the hammered ends...thus not accepting your word that its actually all more copper inside (instead of other, cheaper, heavier non-magnetic metal like brass or SS).
Jasper Leighspring I’m hoping it’s helpful! I know a lot of people already know this stuff, but there are people that don’t so maybe they’ll find this 🙂
Thanks for the tips. For stripping solid copper wire I clamp a utility knife in a vise and pull the wire through guiding it against the blade by hand. Doesn’t work as well for wire with strands though, best with solid wire as AC household wiring. Smaller wire, I don’t bother stripping, yeah I looked at table mounted wire strippers but couldn’t justify the cost.
I spent a grand on a multi disc stripper (9 sizes plus fine tuning adjustments) had it 5 months and have it's value in copper sitting in the corner. Well worth it, and being electric makes it fast and easy. Mess around with blades pulling wire through and you'll likely have an accident someday- not to mention the sore hands you get from manual stripping with a knife or mounted blade.
Good video, think you missed armoured cable off that list, ethernet cable although thin its solid as opposed to braided thats why its worth more, also look out for cheap steel copper coated cable a magnet will detect that, we granulate copper for a living so this is out of experience and we are finding more of it
Thanks for this! I'm living in a state where the scrap yard is 1+ hours away, so I'm hoarding what I gather. I now have a better idea of how to deal with it all when the time comes to head south.
Table stripper all the way. I range from 6$ to 20$ an hour(or more) depending on the wires, doing small gauges last. Like you said, the volume in the end does most of the talking. Good video, smart, entertaining, liked.
@@weallride101 i'll do 14awg because it passes still in #1 copper. Smaller if there's nothing else to scrap but at that point just picking steel is better. I have the machine on my channel, one my old videos.
If you have long pieces of hard-strip-but-worth-it copper wire, suspend it across a room and clamp it down while pulling it taut. Then run a utility knife down it and strip away long pieces at once. I’ve had an idea of anchoring a piece of wood with a V notch in it and put a small piece of a razor blade at the bottom, then have a top piece of wood that hangs but weighted down and is attached the bottom piece with a hinge, and then pull pieces of wire through it with vise grips. Havnt made it yet but it’s an idea. Also you can stand on one end of a piece of wire and hold the other end tight with one hand, then use your other hand and strip it using a utility knife pulling upwards. That’s worked fast for me.
i live in welland ont.i am neww at scraping just wonded to say thanks for doing this vido.it has helped me out so at that note i have a shop that i pay 100 bucks a mouth for i have two work tables a ton of tools for striping i dont have a full time job i was a truck driver but i got hurt loading brids on my trailor so i have all the time to strip everything i just got a trailor 8x8...now i am looking for a pick up truck o boy...the cost of a truck every one wonts big buck.....not bad for a new guy thanks keep the vids comeing
AWESOME VIDEO BAWDY lots of good information great hint pretty much covered it all beside one point tip the scale guy ...always cople of quarters can change a lot in long term
If it's frozen just take it by the end and slap it hard as you can on the concrete and it breaks the outer coating really easy and wow fast! Thought I would give you a hack back
I’ve never really been into the whole scrapping thing, but I’ve always had a weird passion for taking things apart ever since I was a kid. Maybe this is something I could do to earn some extra income, it seems like fun!
This video helped out a lot, I’m 14 and scrapped my first batch 2 days ago cashing in 50$ 😁
Where did you collect
Lucky. In the U.S you have to be 18. Im 16
I’m 15 doing the same abandon industrial mate the amount their is crazy
I started at 11 or 12 cant remember my first load brought 120$ I think that's not counting first load as cans im talking about first load with copper
I made 250 because I know like 8 electricians and plan to become one myself, probaly would've been 450 if the BX cable wasn't reused
I'm a plumber. I save my scrap copper throughout the year. Then buy Christmas gifts for the family. It's like 2500$ bonus every year.
Heck yeah! That’s definitely one of the perks for plumbers, and electricians too 👌
Thats exactly what I used to do when all the big jobs slowed down to winter fuel deliveries I'd scrap the copper for my wife and kids but 2500$ that's ALLOT of copper cleaned stripped separated its still so much copper my biggest scrap was 1600 so salute to you... That's a good job...
This is exactly what my husband and I do he's a painter and his buddies with the electrician Bonnie jobs Corey just back it up all year long and then when it gets close to kiss miss you start stripping just started a couple days ago and of course the day I looked it up copper was about $3.19 here a pound for Bare bright with the amount we had at that price I might have been able to pull off that 2500 maybe even a little more but it's already the quality of course my luck LOL damn you China hahaha
Copper price usually decreases around Xmas. Because the scrap yards know people do this
One smart dude!
I've been scrapping for 40 years and I need to tell you something... I enjoy watching your channel more than any other scrap channel on RUclips. Hope you have a great day!!
I second this comment
❤😊@@t.j.shropshire2583
Finally, someone addressed the burning issues. Although I have been scraping for many years, I think your video is a great "how-to" for beginners. Thank you for helping make the world a better place.
That’s what I was going for!
I burn my Copper Wire and my scrap yard doesn't care to take it and if it's #1 Copper then they give me #1 price and so on, If I had a Electric Wire Stripper then I'd definitely stop burning it, but for me the fastest way to get a bunch of wire done is to burn it...
Exactly, I think it is probably different in different states cuz where I come from everyone burns it. There is no "bare bright" category and #1 is anything thicker than pencil lead while #2 is anything thinner like most of your braided wires
@@jarlaxle3588 we have a Bare Bright category, but bare bright copper is really hard to find tho and yeah that's how our #1 & #2 copper is here in Southern Ohio too, our #2 Copper is $2.45 lb right now, Cans are $0.45 lb, Yellow Brass is $1.70 lb, Stainless Steel is $0.20 lb, Electric Motors is $0.12 lb & Aluminum Old Sheet is $0.30 lb, These are just some of the prices from a ticket that I had laying in front of me here LoL
So any wire you strip, and its bright is considered bare bright?
I’ve been scrapping for years, but you’re still teaching me things I didn’t know!
I’m one of those who sits and carefully strips copper with a knife. Instead of scrapping the wiring (or anything to repurpose) from my grandparents farm house, I stripped it & repurposed it into art.
Thank you for all the great information!
I really love your videos, I'm not a beginner anymore but because of you I started really making money scrapping I'm just 14 but I still make a lot from scrapping. Thanks for all the tips your so awesome
tips on finding wire and stuff?
@@Doughboy_540abandoned buildings and factorys you from the UK ??
To strip wire I use a block plane. Works amazing and it's cheap for a little block plane or palm plane. Mine is from my grandfather's wood working tools so it's older then anybody I've ever met and works great
Cool! Definitely would be easier to have the blade angle in a set position with a proper handle
T
That settles it, I'm starting to scrap part time. I work at a school and they throw out so many Ethernet cables and wires and metal things. I've accumulated a butt load. This video is excellent learning material. I use to scrap copper when I worked as a specialist roofer in Louisiana, it was fun. Thanks for this.
You are very sensitive soul for environment.God bless you.
Greetings Thubprint. You were really missed. You're so inspirational & i like your style. Guys like you Vidvulture, Dumpster Jerry, Professor Scrappity, S&P man, Florida scrapper, Canadian Hunter Scrapper& Scrap Kingdom have so much integrity, hardworking & humble individuals. Ladies like that Breakfast girl Kelly, Steven/Steph, Diving Dee,Angel & family(with that adorable 7mos. Old baby Samuel)Ms.Canadian scrapper. PLEASE PLEASE don't stop making them video's. Be safe,healthy &blessed always
Hello, Sweden here again.
I do just about the same as you.
I always cut all connectors and plugs off my wires, prongs and things go in my brass bucket.
My yard loves it because they know it's clean scrap wire and quick to unload and already sorted in categories so I do get a better price.
Ask how the scrapyard wants their material and try to get as close to it as you can, win-win.
Scrap safe and take care.
Yep, all plugs and connectors cut off. They also pay for plugs (eg mains plugs) as there's brass inside I guess. But first I cut the mains plugs 3 pins off. My yard will allow the earthing pin to be in the clean brass pile, but the other 2 pins these days have plastic insulation covering some of the pin - so they drop into my #2 brass pile. They are strict lol. It's only 3 quick snips...and all adds up when you get loads of plugs...
Seriously, I just because a huge fan. Your videos are EXTREMELY helpful to people like me, new at this.
Thank you! And yes, I figured it would be nice to have this miniseries just to cover all the basics. A lot of the time once we have a little experience in something we forget what the journey to that point was like, and become blind to the challenges that other people may face. My first few trips to the yard, I thought I was SO organized, only to learn the hard way that I didn’t know a darn thing about my material! If I can save somebody a bit of time and get them a little more money, that’s excellent 👍
I just smelt all my scrap copper and aluminium after stripping it clean then put a nice mirror finish on it and either pop it on ebay or put it in a tub to go to the scrappie
Stripping wire during quarantine is how I’m staying sane
@George Lucian true but I don’t have the best internet for streaming movies
@@joeigneczi2524 but how do you get the wire?
Yay KRUSER oh had neighbors give me a bunch of broken extension cord and Christmas lights
I've stripped a LOT of copper. If you have BX or Romex I always strip and separate because the Bare Bright payout will always be in my favor. I stripped 350 lbs of it one month in my living room watching baseball. Once I get it collected and separated I strip it in batches while I would normally be sitting around watching TV or Netflix.
Love it. I do the same. Watch TV and strip copper.
I thought I was the only one that did that!😂😂😂😂😂
Hi
I watch TV and strip wires alot too I have a hand held stripper that can do small gages of wires to I fixed it to a press but I also have a hand crank stripper for bigger gages as well both work great
Dude your spot on. Actually worked for a scrap yard processing their copper and brass. And again you are spot on. Biggest problem beginners have is impatience not willing to sort and process.
How much would they buy an alternator for?
One thing I do is put one end of wire in a vice and pull the other end tight then use box cutter or knife n strip toward the vice. Good info thanks !!
Michael Guthrie it’s only 40 bucks for a manual stripper with 2 blades it’s worth it and you’ll save a lot of money on razors
@@joshuamorris9050 What brand do you recommend Josh -
I find it easier to use an old kitchen knife than a box cutter or razor knife. The razor edge tends to dig into the copper while the kitchen knife only cuts the insulation. A kitchen knife also has a better handle.
Hands down the best scrapper personality on RUclips by miles
😳❤️ high praise, my guy! I’ll work hard to honour it 👏
That's where I just left you a comment about burning wire and then I watch another one your videos and here you are talking about that's incredible stay strong my friend
Cheapest diy copper stripper is a plumbing flaring tool. Forget the attachments and keep the frame. Sandwich a razor blade tween the jaws according to your wire size. It's my go to tool. Thub 4 present 👍👍👍👍
Blue 414 I bought a manual stripper from amazon with two blades for 40 buck it paid for itself first time
same
Deane Minister yea but razor blades didn’t last that long this stripper comes with two blades. One lasted me like a year b4 I needed to sharpen it
I made my own “stripper” using two steel 1” sprinkler pipes, bearings, all threaded rod and a corded drill. It’s more of a “pincher” than a stripper. Will strip anything 1” or longer. The faster you feed it, the faster it strips. It’s fantastic. I’m an electrician so copper isn’t an issue. I also melt and cast it....Think I’ll go strip some now :)
You wanna make a second one? 🤣
I wish some company would make one like your talking about I believe it would strip that small stranded wire better than the cutting blades do
@@joenewman763 it more or less eats it to pieces. I’ve tried running stranded wire through it before but it just flattens it for the most part. For smaller stranded wire, I like to drill a small hole in my work table and tighten a screw from the side into the hole just enough to cut the plastic on the outside of the wire, I just pull it through the hole by hand. For bigger stranded wire, I’ll just tie it off to a post or something and walk backwards with a sharp blade
The stripmiester will cut anything down to #16 awg but smaller than that is a pain your probably right either strip it with a knife or don't fool with it at all which is what I usually do.
Now that’s ingenious! 👏👏 Thank you 👍
Thank you. I was sitting here trying to strip that tiny wire. You saved me a ton of time😌
That’s what I’m here for! I recently did a video comparing all the wires I could find to see which were worthwhile ruclips.net/video/K2IApTCFjE4/видео.html
Turns out they all pay off, but the #2 stuff is basically impossible to make decent money for the time it takes
My man, I appreciate the shout and the tip. Great video. Gotta love it
Very intuitive video!! I would of never thought that I would be doing scrapping!! I am starting to make good money as a start!! Thank you my friend!!
Well congratulations! It’s a difficult thing to make a full time gig but as a side hustle I think it’s great
One thing that I will say about stripping is to learn the rates of recovery on the different types of wire. For example thhn is roughly 85 percent, this way you can weigh a given amount ( say 5 feet) then do the math and know what the difference in payout is going to be before you strip it. That way you can decide pretty quick what is worth stripping and what isn't.
Sorry if I sound like an idiot but what does “rates of recovery” mean? And I have about 60 pounds of thhn wire from my jobsite so how much should I save up to get a decent amount of money? Thank you in advance.
Rates of recovery means the percentage of copper verses coating by weight. Simply put if you have ten pounds of wire at 85 percent recovery you will get eight and a half pounds of clean copper if you strip it.
yea but they pay way less for dirty
@@Dani-ELmaninnoboxes That is why you need to know the rate of recovery. Sure it is nice if you get a bit more from the bright copper, but if your rate of recovery is like 50 %, the price difference between dirty and bright sould be at least double. Plus it takes time and effort to strip the wires, so you have to put a value for your hours also, as in do you hunt for more (dirty) copper or spend that time peeling wires.
I really dnt know much about scraping but I do enjoy it
I love your videos. You have lots of info. I don't scrape anymore, but I still find it interesting. I guess it's in my blood.
I'm about to do a massive copper run tomorrow. Appreciate the advice. I have the strip meister original. If you have a lot of wire, it will pay for itself quickly.
Ooo, StripMeister are the good ones!
@@thubprint yeah, my laborer spent 8 hours on it. used it to chew through 2 big bins of copper wire. It worked awesome but it only came out to 40lbs of bright brass which was deceiving
A couple of years later, and I still love your channel.
Protip: If you've got smaller single strand wire that has a thick core and thin insulation look into buying a pipe flanging tool. Put a razor blade in between the steel block and pull your wire through.
I would love to see a picture of what your talking about. I can’t picture how this would work. Thank you!!!
@@95ffd If you look up "pipe flanging tool" you'll see an image of a metal block with varying hole sizes and a set of butterfly screws to tighten the assembly. Just slip a razor in between the two halves before you tighten down and then pull your wire through.
🤑
Great idea thanks for sharing
What a great tip!! 👏👏
Here in South Africa they call it a pipe flaring tool…I can see how this can work like a charm. 👍
Thanks for sharing your ingenuity with us!!
this was a good video. I have been scrapping since i was 16 and im 55 now. Talking with your scrap yard and building a relationship is the best advice given. i just got a granulator and i need to talk with them if they take granulated copper and at what size
Nice video man, worldwide scrappers! Scrapping in Australia!
Great video ! Very informative .Keep up the great work Scrap On!
Aight I’m liking this video cause I’ve stripped wire and you made me look like I have feet for hands.
And I’m glad to hear u say don’t burn it
🤣 I’m sure you aren’t that bad at it! I pick my battles though, I only strip decently thick stuff and only when warm. I have run into some pieces though, plenty thick but with the insulation caked right into the strands. Such a pain, I actually gave up halfway though. A bit embarrassed to admit it, but it just wasn’t worth the time.
thank you so much man, i’ve asked so many people and never got a clear answer
I've been scrapping for quite a few years and I'm one of those ones who will strip all the wire that's worth stripping. I thought this video was very informative, but even if it wasn't, I could watch you all day talk about absolutely nothing! You are just too cute! 💕 Happy scrapping!
Maybe you could do a video on scrapping brass. That is where I get confused. (Is it red brass or copper, is it white brass or aluminum or stainless)? Thank you
Oh fair enough! (And thank you hehe ☺️) I’ve done a video on brass before but I don’t think I spent much of it helping clarify brass vs other materials. I don’t bother separating red brass because I don’t find much of it but I’ll usually just file the piece or scrape it on the pavement real quick to see if it’s brass underneath 👍
I love your channel so much because it helps many peoples and one of the peoples is me thank you so much for making this channel
Just make sure you check what the price difference is at your yard! I was really surprised that mine was so close, and a lot of comments are sharing that their dirty brass price is a whole lot lower than clean, so it definitely depends on your numbers
Thanks for the video, it was much help. Just one thing from where I live. The scrap dealers where I live will offer a fifth of the scrap price from unstripped wire, so in some areas the stripping of wire would be an advantage for more money, so check your local scrap merchants and ask what the price difference is for stripped and unstripped.
Fair enough! I have noticed that the price for insulated wire is pretty bad at some yards
Rush, Poutine, and Thub. My 3 favorite things from Canada!
😂 thats an esteemed list, and I am honoured!
I just subscribed to your channel have watched quite a few of your videos I'll find them informative articulate and intelligent and quite entertaining thank you
Very nice video and thank you so much to give the tip for wire.awesome
Thanks man for the info I scrap in my spare time and this really helps you have a great channel I'll be going Monday to our local hospital and asking about a good size load its different types of metals so I think it might be worth the trip
Sick, I work on this here in Brazil. Good job buddy!
Nice brother from toronto here sending the love and stay healthy
You too! It’s apparently kinda hard these days
Leave it better than you found it.... I wish that was universal. Thanks for posting,
Thanks man, this info was very helpful. I'm retired and have plenty of time to prepare the copper that I have. I've called around various scrap yards and as of this post the price for #1 is around $1.60. This down from $1.90 prior to the C19 crap. I decided to just sit on it until the price goes up. However, your tips were helpful in that I will take this time to turn the #1 stuff into bright-shinny stuff. Only 75 or 80 pounds so it won't take long. Thanks again.
It’s up now
Plumber here, in Australia. I find brass is more profitable for me at the moment.
Great video man! You did well , I've watched few of your videos and have definitely picked up on a few things. I drive roll off and company runs 2 transfer stations , I come across copper alot of days. As years are going by I've gotten much more aware and taking action (I used to not , and just dump everything at landfill) , I have biggest pile I've ever had currently , price way down and I'll be keeping that right in storage unit till times right. Thanks!
You just saved me a lot of time many thanks 👍
And if you go to the yard with everything nicely sorted it can translate into more money too 😊
When I was scrapping back in the day ... I
Whenever I saw copper my mood lightens, I really liked how the metal felt and looked .... o called it copper fever.... like with gold....
I bought a hand held wire stripper from Sears for like $30. Basically it's a tool that forces a small razor blade tip just through the outer shielding of the wire. I can strip a vacuum cord fully in around a minute.
I've made a couple with varying degrees of success. Tried drilling holes in a 2x4 of various sizes and screwing a sturdy nails down through the holes, gauging boards and screwing razor blades over the tips of the divets, but my preferred method is just a vegetable or potato peeler. But I deal with thinner wires.
You're losing more weight in insulation than the increased value makes up for, I've found.
My yard considers stripped wire bare bright so I strip everything vacuum thickness and up. Just wanted to give a safer alternative that saves thumbs.
Can you make a video inside and interview a scrap yard worker and look at different materials and machines in the yard and take us through the process of going in and selling a few batches of different copper
Great video you have a new fan. 👍
Bro you give the best advice ever 😂
My wife will be very mad at me if I get a tabletop stripper!
🤣 just tell her how it pays itself off! And you won’t have to borrow the kitchen knives anymore!
They are like 40 buck
@@thubprint im
I
Wait a second... was that a joke? This guy was making a joke! It wasn’t bad either, I’m just dense enough that it took me almost a year to get it 🤣
If you see this Joe... ayyyyyyyyy!
It was a joke boyz...
Good tip for storing pipes: if you have them cut in relatively the same lengths, you can put a 1/2” inside a 3/4”, then that inside a 1”, and so on
I do the exact same thing... but be careful!! I have made the mistake of going out in my socks or flipflops to sort and carelessly picking up some bigger size ones and having the hidden inside pipe slip out and fall on my toe/foot! The ends can be sharp too and it hurts like a mofo... sometimes ill still hammer the ends to keep them from slipping apart.
@@wrenchboostboi8994 you just have to be careful though as the yard might pull one out for a random check and feel it's heavier than normal but can't see inside due to the hammered ends...thus not accepting your word that its actually all more copper inside (instead of other, cheaper, heavier non-magnetic metal like brass or SS).
Thank you for your time brother
Awesome video as always.Thank you for taking the time to help.
Jasper Leighspring I’m hoping it’s helpful! I know a lot of people already know this stuff, but there are people that don’t so maybe they’ll find this 🙂
damn, best tutorial video on yt I have watched since 2010, keep it up man!
Great vlog Thub. Very informative. Thanks!
definitely has kitchen experience 😁, keep up the good work brother! Subbed.
Thanks for the tips. For stripping solid copper wire I clamp a utility knife in a vise and pull the wire through guiding it against the blade by hand. Doesn’t work as well for wire with strands though, best with solid wire as AC household wiring. Smaller wire, I don’t bother stripping, yeah I looked at table mounted wire strippers but couldn’t justify the cost.
The tabletop ones can be a little fiddly too, they’re definitely best for heavier gauge stuff. I’ll have to try the clamped blade technique!
I spent a grand on a multi disc stripper (9 sizes plus fine tuning adjustments) had it 5 months and have it's value in copper sitting in the corner. Well worth it, and being electric makes it fast and easy. Mess around with blades pulling wire through and you'll likely have an accident someday- not to mention the sore hands you get from manual stripping with a knife or mounted blade.
Very helpful & very entertaining. ⚒️ 😊 🎉
This is a great video and very true. Im a residential electrican and i ALWAYS have scrap wire. Always comea out to a grand a month..more or less 👌
Good video, think you missed armoured cable off that list, ethernet cable although thin its solid as opposed to braided thats why its worth more, also look out for cheap steel copper coated cable a magnet will detect that, we granulate copper for a living so this is out of experience and we are finding more of it
My Australian yards pay less for data cables. I'm presuming that includes ethernet as well as ribbon....
Tnx a lot
Just start doing copper
This vid help me a lot
That’s what I was going for! A lot of folks know all this stuff, but I thought it would be good to put it all in one place.
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. Highly recommend.
Thank you! I did my best ☺️
@@thubprint thanks for wasting 10 mins of my life
Copper bullion bars sold online hand poured do suprisingly well, same with lead and aluminum
Very helpful thanks for the video
Love the tin snips, best tool to use!
I have some pretty damn good information I never thought about some of that thank you I don't scrap a lot but yeah thanks
Thank you. This was very helpful.
Nice explanations. Thanks
Thanks for this! I'm living in a state where the scrap yard is 1+ hours away, so I'm hoarding what I gather. I now have a better idea of how to deal with it all when the time comes to head south.
. Ool
Did someone say copper? 😁
Scrap & Pallet Man Right? 😄 I hope everyone likes it!
PAUL!!!!!! we all love copper and we all love you god bless brother
Now why would I be surprised to see Paul...lol
When I see copper I go watch the video.
I'm about to start street scraping and all of you guys are so helpfull
Lol yes they did mate and I've just watched your last video mate Clifford looks good now
Table stripper all the way. I range from 6$ to 20$ an hour(or more) depending on the wires, doing small gauges last. Like you said, the volume in the end does most of the talking. Good video, smart, entertaining, liked.
How small of gauge do you go? And what table top stripper are you using?
@@weallride101 i'll do 14awg because it passes still in #1 copper. Smaller if there's nothing else to scrap but at that point just picking steel is better. I have the machine on my channel, one my old videos.
Great Vid!!! Awesome info!!! Thanks for everything bro :)
nice video ;) from scraper to scraper ;) and regards from sweden ;) and you got an new sub as well ;)
If you have long pieces of hard-strip-but-worth-it copper wire, suspend it across a room and clamp it down while pulling it taut. Then run a utility knife down it and strip away long pieces at once. I’ve had an idea of anchoring a piece of wood with a V notch in it and put a small piece of a razor blade at the bottom, then have a top piece of wood that hangs but weighted down and is attached the bottom piece with a hinge, and then pull pieces of wire through it with vise grips. Havnt made it yet but it’s an idea. Also you can stand on one end of a piece of wire and hold the other end tight with one hand, then use your other hand and strip it using a utility knife pulling upwards. That’s worked fast for me.
Great show
Thanks for the info sir... great advice
Thanks! I love making these vids 😊
i live in welland ont.i am neww at scraping just wonded to say thanks for doing this vido.it has helped me out so at that note i have a shop that i pay 100 bucks a mouth for i have two work tables a ton of tools for striping i dont have a full time job i was a truck driver but i got hurt loading brids on my trailor so i have all the time to strip everything i just got a trailor 8x8...now i am looking for a pick up truck o boy...the cost of a truck every one wonts big buck.....not bad for a new guy thanks keep the vids comeing
Wow do I have alot to learn.
Good job Panda that helped a lot take care
Thank you, you too!
Thank you it's awesome info
quality content, very informative. time to start my new copper hoarding addiction
I did click the like button my friend. Thanks a lot👍
Wow! Great video, well done!
tank you for your information👍👍
Great video my fellow Canadian 👌
Thank you!
Great video and thanks for tje knowledge!!!
🤗thumb your videos are cool and informative. Sometimes when scrapping I play one of your dumpster dives like a work out pump up video😜
Thank you!
AWESOME VIDEO BAWDY lots of good information great hint pretty much covered it all
beside one point
tip the scale guy ...always cople of quarters can change a lot in long term
jackpot digger why hadn’t I thought of that!! 😮
"Freezes" on a hot day go a long way to the inside workers moral.
Thanks for the great info bro 😊
Love this video! Very informative.
Subbed!!!!
- cheers from a fellow Canadian 👍
Thanks for all the tips
Doing what I can!
Thank you I enjoy your videos !
My pleasure!
Scrappers gold great video
If it's frozen just take it by the end and slap it hard as you can on the concrete and it breaks the outer coating really easy and wow fast! Thought I would give you a hack back
Thanks for the great info
I’ve never really been into the whole scrapping thing, but I’ve always had a weird passion for taking things apart ever since I was a kid. Maybe this is something I could do to earn some extra income, it seems like fun!
It really is fun. The trick is knowing what kind of time you’re willing to spend on it because lots of things are not worth the time required