chevyman097 2,579 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) Anyone scrap much and know anything about this? I dont scrap wire often but I do scrap as much as possible vs throwing stuff out. No need and wasting stuff when you can make a buck right? Well I was replacing some wire up to a light pole in the back yard this last weekend because the stuff was god aweful old and the switch was all rusted out. I figured start from new and scrap the old. So I know that copper is worth more without all the insulation or other crap on it. I mean any idiot that scraps often will know that. Hey it states the prices right there on the leaflets I pick up at the yard. Best way to clean it up is burn it right? Ya bad idea. Apparently the scrap yards cant take burned copper anymore without a police report from a home/auto fire.....wtf? The scrap yard blabbed somthing about crack heads stealing wire and this and that and they cant help me its my problem.. The crack heads win again. Geez now the regular folks trying to make an extra buck get screwed and the crack heads just find a new way to make money. now im stuck with about 60 foot of good copper I cant scrap because I wanted to make a few extra bucks. I just really dont see how this stops theives at all. Now old joe that doenst know this gets screwed when he tries to make a little extra money and help the recycling business. Seems to me this would only keep metals from comign in that would otherwise be salvaged seeing as the crack heas will just find other ways to rip poeple off. OK RANT OFF! sorry guys. Apparently this is some new state law, they were kinda vague and rude about it like I was some kind of criminal. I cant find anything on google about a state law though. Anyone else had this happen? I dont expect tons of people on this board to be scrapping. But I just had to rant lol. They did cheerfully take my aluminun cans though! guess a crack heads can still rip those off! oh and on the way out(i didnt put two and two together till after I left) Some dude was talking pretty loud and sounded pretty upset that they wouldnt take 4 old car batteries off him. I dunno if that is something new either. I usually just exchange those at the parts store. Edited January 25, 2012 by Chevyman097 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lone Eagle 839 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 True. So many people are stealing it and were burning it to get the copper that scrap yards are changing the rules. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akastormi 617 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Nope, not a problem around here Chevy. But all the scrapyards take photo copies of a valid drivers licence also, just in case. I'd find another scrapper to sell to. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TapeWorm3 104 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 scrap yards here want copy of your id hold check for a week. That is individuals if you have a refrigeration or electrical license you get check same day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) Nope, not a problem around here Chevy. But all the scrapyards take photo copies of a valid drivers licence also, just in case. I'd find another scrapper to sell to. ya Akastormi. They have had me on record for years. Along with my two brothers and father. When I take stuff in I can see their little screen from the ticket window. They usually ask for my last name and it pulls up a list with all our DLs pics right there on it. This really chaps my hide. I was so stunned i didnt know what to say. First thing I did when I got home was look up some other scrap yards. Guess ill be calling around tomorrow. ugh. The logic just blows my mind. In one hand they wnat you to recycle. In the other they shit on you for trying to. Edited January 25, 2012 by Chevyman097 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RED333 1,025 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 scrap yards here want copy of your id hold check for a week. That is individuals if you have a refrigeration or electrical license you get check same day. Same here inTN, we go to KY, no wait. Burning the insuation is the short cut druges use. Cut a 2x4, drill a hole the size you need for the wire. Clamp a box cutter blade in it and pull the wire through to strip it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 scrap yards here want copy of your id hold check for a week. That is individuals if you have a refrigeration or electrical license you get check same day. Same here inTN, we go to KY, no wait. Burning the insuation is the short cut druges use. Cut a 2x4, drill a hole the size you need for the wire. Clamp a box cutter blade in it and pull the wire through to strip it. lol I dunno. Burning it still seems easier to me and im not a druggy, never was my thing. I prefer the beer! lol I was thinking about soaking it in acitone though lol. I bet it would shine it up right nice and it wouldnt look burned. gah Im still so mad, i cnat believe its so hard to recycle some shit just because of a few crack heads. Its getting worse than buying cold meds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lone Eagle 839 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Should have been in the Tacoma area a few years ago when the cheap Russian copper dried up. People were blowing themselves up trying to rip bussbars out of substations. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RED333 1,025 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Chevyman i was not calling anyone names , that is what they do. Solvent will leave a film on the copper, bright copper is what the scrap guys are looking for. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 lol I didnt think you were calling me a crack head. No worries. I just think that is what the scrap place inplies. kinda their attitude. "oh the crack heads do it so you must be...." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blackknight135 9 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Think about what the sheathing is made of, burning this stuff puts out toxic smoke. If you're going to do it anyway, don't let the kids help!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 The recycle plants burn and melt all this stuff down just the same. they put off polution all the same.....and no kids arent helping. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GregM1 241 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 in houston, it is insane how bad copper theft has gotten. they will rob an entire shopping strip of all its a/c units copper in just a couple hours at night. it the company i was with had it happen several times to one location in a year. several of their others where hit also. saw a news report on 14 large moving trucks in one lot had all the catalytic converters snagged in one evening. thats why regulations like that are being made. it does suck that you cant turn it in though. maybe there is a different scrap yard that will accept it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marc 147 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I would think that the cost of any solvent in the quantity you would need would eat up most of the money you would make off it from the scrap yard. You mite try to shiny it up by wrapping some 100 grit sand paper around it and pulling it through a few times, then take it back and call it bare copper wire that you found in your attic... I've scrapped aluminum, steel and old cast iron, they treat you kinda sorta like a criminal at the scrap yards around here in Mid TN also and make you give them your thumb print and a copy of your DL Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith524 25 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 yeah im an electrician and we scrap alot... something about burning it makes it lose its value now.. the only way they will take it is stripped off... really stupid idea i think....... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
second shooter 22 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 over here in nz we get the best price for copper with the insulation stripped off(they call it bright copper for obvious reasons) if it has been burnt they will not usually take it, not so much for crackheads but the enviornmental damage caused by burning the insulation off. if they do take it the price is very low. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chevyman097 2,579 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I just dont buy into the pollution thing or that fire devalues the copper either for that matter. I have taken copper in before and it was worth more per pound without insulation burned or stripped either way. There are a lot more thing accounting for pollution than a little wire insulaion being burned. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shandlanos 1,470 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Hmmm... A time consuming process, but it should work - cut your wire into manageable lengths, maybe 6" lengths, and chuck it in a vibratory tumbler for a day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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