Does anyone strip the large leftover cable pieces to turn into cash at the salvage yards? If so what do you use to strip the cables? I have about 100 lbs of left over pieces that I might try to strip to get a better price for the copper. I just don't want to spend a lot of time if its not worth it. Most of the pieces are USE cables.
Cable Strippers
- Thread starter jzadroga
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highkvoltage
Senior Member
Re: Cable Strippers
Put one end in a vise and use a sharp draw knife to strip on side and peel off the rest. Fast and you double your take at the scrap yard. I don't strip anything less than #4.
[ August 21, 2005, 11:22 PM: Message edited by: highkvoltage ]
Put one end in a vise and use a sharp draw knife to strip on side and peel off the rest. Fast and you double your take at the scrap yard. I don't strip anything less than #4.
[ August 21, 2005, 11:22 PM: Message edited by: highkvoltage ]
cselectric
Senior Member
- Location
- Wisconsin
Re: Cable Strippers
I use my step son as a cable stripper.
I believe he uses a utility knife. Anything smaller than #4 winds up in the bonfire pit (of course I'm one of those rare souls that can still lite a bonfire in the back yard.
I use my step son as a cable stripper.
I believe he uses a utility knife. Anything smaller than #4 winds up in the bonfire pit (of course I'm one of those rare souls that can still lite a bonfire in the back yard. 
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Re: Cable Strippers
the recycler we uses does not require us to strip them, so we just toss unused pieces of wire into a big barrel and when we get a couple of barrels, off they go. usually the shop gets a couple days of donuts per barrel.
[ August 22, 2005, 07:53 AM: Message edited by: petersonra ]
the recycler we uses does not require us to strip them, so we just toss unused pieces of wire into a big barrel and when we get a couple of barrels, off they go. usually the shop gets a couple days of donuts per barrel.
[ August 22, 2005, 07:53 AM: Message edited by: petersonra ]
cselectric
Senior Member
- Location
- Wisconsin
Re: Cable Strippers
Most scrap yards will take unstripped cable, but they usually ding you about 40-50% on the price. Being you only get a couple dozen donuts for a barrel of cable, I'd say your getting hit pretty hard for not stripping.
luckyshadow
Senior Member
- Location
- Maryland
Re: Cable Strippers
I stripped and cashed in 1300 pounds in one day last summer. Got $1.00 pound. A friend has made a power operated cable stripper . He took one of those power reels the supply house uses to measure and roll up cuts of cable. We fashioned a cutter head that you adjust for the different sizes. Strip off about 12" then hook a small cable to the bare copper , feed it thru the cutter and hook it to the reel. Step on the power pedal and the reel pulls the cable thru the cutter. All you do is keep feeding it. I had bare copper rolls of 4/0 that where about 18" across and weighed close to 75 pounds each.
Another good trick is to lay it on the black top driveway on a sunny hot summer day, it strips real easy then with a utility knife.
I stripped and cashed in 1300 pounds in one day last summer. Got $1.00 pound. A friend has made a power operated cable stripper . He took one of those power reels the supply house uses to measure and roll up cuts of cable. We fashioned a cutter head that you adjust for the different sizes. Strip off about 12" then hook a small cable to the bare copper , feed it thru the cutter and hook it to the reel. Step on the power pedal and the reel pulls the cable thru the cutter. All you do is keep feeding it. I had bare copper rolls of 4/0 that where about 18" across and weighed close to 75 pounds each.
Another good trick is to lay it on the black top driveway on a sunny hot summer day, it strips real easy then with a utility knife.
Re: Cable Strippers
How much does a barrel full weigh in at?
How much is a dozen donuts?
Do the math....
I'd say you are getting beat big time...2 Saturdays ago I ditched some scrap $1.20/lb. ($300 for me). I had nothing larger than a #6 - but I needed the real estate.
How much does a barrel full weigh in at?
How much is a dozen donuts?
Do the math....
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Re: Cable Strippers
most of our scrap wire is #16 or #14.
most of the barrel is air when we get it full.
most of our scrap wire is #16 or #14.
most of the barrel is air when we get it full.
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
Re: Cable Strippers
There is a company that a makes a wire stripper called "big bucks", it clamps in a vice and you pull larger size wires thru it. I used to see the advertisements in EC&M
There is a company that a makes a wire stripper called "big bucks", it clamps in a vice and you pull larger size wires thru it. I used to see the advertisements in EC&M
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Re: Cable Strippers
I always recycle scrap wire, even when copper prices were down in the gutter. Since I mostly end up with scrap NM cable, there is no way I am going to strip that so I just take it to the recycler as is. Lately, the price has jumped to $.40 a pound for insulated wire so it's much more worthwhile for the effort involved.
Bare bright is getting $1.15 or so.
#2 copper tubing (aka plumbing pipe) was fetching about $1.20 at my recycler.
I always recycle scrap wire, even when copper prices were down in the gutter. Since I mostly end up with scrap NM cable, there is no way I am going to strip that so I just take it to the recycler as is. Lately, the price has jumped to $.40 a pound for insulated wire so it's much more worthwhile for the effort involved.
Bare bright is getting $1.15 or so.
#2 copper tubing (aka plumbing pipe) was fetching about $1.20 at my recycler.
hardworkingstiff
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC
Re: Cable Strippers
Most of my scrap is type W cable. It's a lot of work to strip that stuff. I figured I would make about $10-$20/hour if I was to take time to strip it, then I would need to dispose of the insulation. My time is spent better getting more work or reading this forum.
Most of my scrap is type W cable. It's a lot of work to strip that stuff. I figured I would make about $10-$20/hour if I was to take time to strip it, then I would need to dispose of the insulation. My time is spent better getting more work or reading this forum.
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