The Steps For Stripping Copper Wire

One of the best materials to take to the scrap yard is copper. Copper tends to net you a larger return on your investment in comparison to other materials you can scrap, which is why even scrapping copper wire can be lucrative. If you want to scrap copper wire, you need to prepare the wire and remove any insulation around the wires.

Step #1: Soften Up the Insulation

First, start by softening up the insulation that is wrapped around the wires. The best way to do this is by putting the wire in direct sunlight for a couple of hours. The heat of the sun will naturally soften the insulation. Don't use artificial heat to soften up the insulation; that could result in you burning the insulation, injuring yourself, and potentially damaging the wires.

Step #2: Use Basic Tools

Second, you don't need really advanced tools to strip the insulation off the copper wires. For small quantities of copper wiring, all you need are some thick gloves and a razor blade. You want to wear some thick gloves, as the wire can be sharp and can easily leave a deep painful cut on your hands. You can take the razor blade and use it to make a cut down one side of the wire. Once you have cut through the insulation, you can then work it loose and pull it off.

This simple method works great if you only have a small amount of wire to work with.

Step #3: Upgrade to a Machine

If you collect large amounts of copper wires, it is smart to finance a tabletop wire stripper. A tabletop machine that will help decrease the time it takes to remove the insulation from the wires. There are manual machines, where you feed the wire through the machine and turn a crank or lever to strip the insulation off the wire. Then there are powered machines, where the wire is pulled through and stripped automatically. If you regularly collect large amounts of copper wire, a tabletop wire stripper machine can be a useful investment.

Step #4: Learn the Wiring Types

Finally, it helps to know what copper wires are worth stripping down. The best types of copper wires are thick cabling wires, which provide you a better return. Spaghetti copper wires generally require more effort to strip and are not worth as much as thick cabling wires. Either way, you will still make some money.

Copper is extremely lucrative to scrap, which is why it makes sense to collect copper wire. When you collect copper wire, you need to remove the insulation around the wire. Soften the insulation up by leaving it in the sun, then use either a razor or a wire stripping machine to remove the insulation. Remember to protect your hands with gloves; this type of wiring can easily cut you. Once the wiring is stripped, you can scrap it and get the best possible value for the wiring.

Contact a copper recycling facility in your area.

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