Tips for Stripping Copper Wire for Scrap Metal

Copper is very popular and always in high demand in the scrap metal industry. Because of its various beneficial innate properties, copper is an incredibly useful, and therefore valuable, metal in our society. For these reasons, you can easily make some extra cash by scrapping copper materials at local metal and iron recycling center. Copper wire is one of the more prevalent versions of scrap copper out there, and easy to come by. Just be sure you know how to strip copper wiring safely, and in a way that retains its scrap value.

Continue reading to learn some different methods for stripping down copper wire, including how to determine which method is best for your metal scrapping endeavors.

Indianapolis Scrap Wire Buyers
Indianapolis Scrap Wire Buyers 1-888-586-5322

Assessing Your Wire Stripping Needs

To start, you will need a type of tool for stripping wire. Most people simply use wire strippers, however, these tools come in a wide range of sizes and prices. You can get a cheap one that works just fine, or a heavy duty one as much as $500 or more. So, before you go out and purchase a new wire stripping tool, first determine how much copper wire you plan on stripping, now and in the future. This will tell you which type of tool will meet your scrapping needs best.

100 Pounds or Less Per Month = Pliers or Handheld Stripper

More Than 100 Pounds Per Month = A Tabletop Wire Stripper

1000 Pounds or More Per Month = Electric Wire Strippers

All of these tools can be found at your local home improvement or hardware store. Prices vary depending on retailer, brand, make, model, and more. Talk to a sales representative for a brief description on the best practices for using the tool you choose for your metal scrapping projects.

Tips You Can Use When Stripping

When hand-stripping, many people might recommend applying heat to the wiring to make the insulation more pliable, and therefore, easier to remove. However, take note that you should NEVER BURN copper wiring to make removal easier. This will only serve to injure you and damage the integrity of the ore.

Instead, use the natural sun to soften the outer insulation. Simply place your copper wiring outdoors in the sunshine, and leave it there during the warmest and sunniest parts of the day. Before the sun sets, collect your wiring and begin your hand stripping while they are at their most pliable.

If you are dealing with bulk copper wiring, and choose to procure a tabletop stripping machine, be sure you read through the manual and learn how to use it before getting started. Without the proper mechanical knowledge, you can potentially injure or maim yourself. You can find further tutorials on using such machines, online.

How to Recycle Scrap Electrical Wiring in Indiana

Call Garden City Iron & Metal at 1-888-586-5322 to sell scrap copper for cash in Central and Southern Indiana. Our Indianapolis metal recycling professionals pay cash on the spot for both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including junk cars, automotive parts, appliances, construction equipment, motorized farming equipment, and more. Request a free estimate for your scrap metal, today.

Garden City Iron and Metal 1-888-586-5322
Garden City Iron and Metal 1-888-586-5322

The Environmental Benefits of Recycling Copper

Did you know that copper metal has been used by mankind for more than 10,000 years? A history as long as this is proof that copper has some pretty incredible benefits and wide range of applications. For this reason, it is important for our society to put sincere effort into the copper recycling industry. Not sure copper recycling is something that should be a priority? Continue reading to learn some of the top environmental benefits to recycling copper, and where to get started recycling in your town.

We Buy Scrap Copper! 1-888-586-5322
We Buy Scrap Copper! 1-888-586-5322

Recycle Copper to Preserve Natural Resources

Copper is highly valuable resource that should be preserved to our best ability. Copper recycling allows us to preserve our earth’s natural resources and reduce our need to mine for new ores. In fact, the energy needed to recycle copper is around 85 to 90 percent less than the energy needed to process new copper from virgin ore.

Although only 12 percent of known reserves have been used up, sadly, copper is not a renewable resource. The only remaining natural deposits of copper in the United States are suggested to add up to 1.6 billion metric tons. Most of the copper mining and production in the United States take place in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Utah.

Recycle Copper to Reduce Air Pollution

The mining and processing of raw natural ores inmates a massive amount of factory emissions which are harmful to our air quality. These omissions are filled with pollutants that are not only harmful to our health, but also to the health of pets and plants. Harmful factory emissions from mining metal can even be damaging to our Earth’s atmosphere as well.

Recycle Copper to Be Efficient

Copper can be recycled over and over again, which means it can be repurposed indefinitely. Furthermore, our societies need for copper is increasing as technology is improving, and innovative electrical devices are being introduced to the market, every day. Our generation is a crucial time to begin preserving our copper resources so that we can keep up with the demand of this highly- useful metal.

Types of items that contain copper and can be recycled include computers, circuit boards, washing machines, drying machines, refrigerators, dehumidifiers, heat pumps, dishwashers, copper plumbing pipes, copper gutters and downspouts, copper plumbing fixtures, copper trophies or statues, coins, wiring, pots and pans, and anything else containing copper.

Where to Recycle Copper in Indiana

Call Garden City Iron & Metal at 1-888-586-5322 to sell scrap copper for cash in Central and Southern Indiana. We pay cash on the spot for both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including junk cars, automotive parts, appliances, construction equipment, motorized farming equipment, and more. Request a free estimate for your scrap metal, today.

Garden City Iron and Metal 1-888-586-5322
Garden City Iron and Metal 1-888-586-5322