Got a nice copper wire score

Emperor Findus Cladius

Bronze Member
Sep 2, 2004
1,831
46
TX
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Picked up a bunch of scrap (enough to fill a 16 ft flatbed) from someone who called my on my craiglist ad (haul off scrap for no charge). Included were several junction boxes with pipe conduit. Each of these contained three 600 volt wires in lengths of 3 ft to 8 ft. I got all of the wire removed and stripped, and ended up with over 50 lbs of clean copper wire. They still have a lot of scrap they want me to pick up, so I am really hoping for a bunch more boxes. I am hoarding all my copper since prices are a bit depressed, and am hoping to have 500 lbs by the time copper get back up to 3.50 or better. With this latest score I have about 150 lbs hoarded.
 

petecnc

Full Member
Dec 17, 2004
165
24
wilmington nc
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used to own a whites dfx. i dont currently own a machine. cant wait to save up for a new machine
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OP
OP
E

Emperor Findus Cladius

Bronze Member
Sep 2, 2004
1,831
46
TX
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Whites Vision/V3 Spectra, AT Pro
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coinwolf said:
Sitting and storing my copper also. Maybe when you go back you'll pick up a load more! ;D
That is my hope!!!!
 

NGE

Silver Member
May 27, 2008
3,506
119
S.E. Michigan
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Saving my copper plumbing, till the next scrapper tries to steal it again. Po Po made short work of the dinks that tried to break in whilst we were sleeping. The popo caught them with a van load of copper plumbing, 2 a/c units, Makita cordless sawzalls, and 10 pre-charged batteries for the saws. Next time I'm not calling popo, will handle it myself, got an equalizer now.......NGE
 

Darshevo

Full Member
Jun 16, 2010
129
7
Spokane, Wa
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Tesoro Silver uMax, Fisher CZ-6a
Before I sold my business I made sure to drop the hint to a few of the bad element who would come through (as customers) that I was the kind of guy to beat someone to death with a pipe and leave them in the street and not so much the call the cops kind of guy. While I am sure some of the stock I stored outside was stolen from time to time (I had more than I could possibly have kept track of) I was never stolen from to a point at which I could tell anything was missing.

-Lance
 

NGE

Silver Member
May 27, 2008
3,506
119
S.E. Michigan
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The dinks were trying to cut my copper plumbing out of my house, they picked the wrong house. Because we hardly go anywhere, they thought the house was empty.......DINKS!...........NGE
 

Cherokee_Kidd

Sr. Member
Feb 16, 2010
357
7
Arizona
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I gotta start saving copper again. Last time I sold my copper I had before I had almost 700 lbs. It took about 3 years to save up that much copper because I don't go out every day and find it like my brother in law and his brother . They have a deal with most of the businesses around here to haul off the junk tvs and computer monitors etc. My sister called me once because 4 men were trying to steal my brother in laws truck and he wasn't home so I walked to their house and when I got there the thieves were still there so I walked over to them and asked what they were doing. One of them tried to tell me that they were repoing the truck and I said how can you repo a truck that was paid for in cash? He tried to make some lie up and I said look I know you're full of it so just get out of here . They tried to talk trash but then my brother in law got back and his brother both ran over there to see what was going on. The guys trying to steal the truck hit my brother in law and his brother and tried to hit me but that didn't work out very well for them because I'm trained in several martial arts and hand to hand combat techniques. The funny thing was the cops showed up and asked what happened and when we explained to the cops what happened the cops laughed at those guys and then they arrested them.
 

Diggin-N-Dumps

Gold Member
Sep 9, 2009
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Fort Worth,Texas
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Nice Find..I remember about 8 years ago or so, my buddy worked for Mastec, and was responsable for removal of all the old lines, we took in about 350 lbs of copper, but i swear we only got about .50 cent a pound for it at the time..Now im doing the same as most..Storing it up, in hopes to buy a cruciable and melt down..i was browsing thru ebay, and noticed how people are selling there scrap copper in boxes on there..and then noticed if the copper is melted and made into a bar..the prices triples or even more..way more then market value
 

OP
OP
E

Emperor Findus Cladius

Bronze Member
Sep 2, 2004
1,831
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TX
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Whites Vision/V3 Spectra, AT Pro
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Diggin-N-Dumps said:
noticed if the copper is melted and made into a bar..the prices triples or even more..way more then market value
Hmm, might have to remember that. I have a couple of hundred pounds hoarded now. Would be easier to store if I could make 20 lb ingots out of them.
 

Cherokee_Kidd

Sr. Member
Feb 16, 2010
357
7
Arizona
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Whites
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I know a guy who melts his copper. He also melts transmissions and all aluminum except cans. He has a machine that he built to melt everything in and it seperates the stuff too. I don't know how he built it but it works good , I stood there once and watched him melt 10-15 transmissions in about 25 minutes.
 

Darshevo

Full Member
Jun 16, 2010
129
7
Spokane, Wa
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Tesoro Silver uMax, Fisher CZ-6a
Ive seen that done before. Does he have it set up so that the melt temp is set about aluminum heat? The one I saw was hot enough to melt the aluminum, but not the steel. As the aluminum melted it flowed out into a mold while the steel fell into a trap in the bottom to be removed later
 

Diggin-N-Dumps

Gold Member
Sep 9, 2009
6,046
3,781
Fort Worth,Texas
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CTX 3030 / AT PRO / Etrac w/ NEL
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wayne1956 said:
Diggin-N-Dumps said:
noticed if the copper is melted and made into a bar..the prices triples or even more..way more then market value
Hmm, might have to remember that. I have a couple of hundred pounds hoarded now. Would be easier to store if I could make 20 lb ingots out of them.

Thats Probally the best idea..im looking into buying a cruicable and doing the same..I met someone who wanted there property picked up in trade of unlimited access to their farm..and its nice because most the "Junk" is copper and alumium
 

davest

Silver Member
Nov 5, 2007
3,265
1,273
somewhere between here and there, south of over th
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titan 3000xd/seahunter mk ll/Ace 250/whites 6000XL Pro
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I'd really like to see that set up. The copper melting one. How hot does he have to keep it in order to smelt it? Is it inside or outside?

I think that would be a great idea.
 

OP
OP
E

Emperor Findus Cladius

Bronze Member
Sep 2, 2004
1,831
46
TX
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Whites Vision/V3 Spectra, AT Pro
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All Treasure Hunting
Diggin-N-Dumps said:
wayne1956 said:
Diggin-N-Dumps said:
noticed if the copper is melted and made into a bar..the prices triples or even more..way more then market value
Hmm, might have to remember that. I have a couple of hundred pounds hoarded now. Would be easier to store if I could make 20 lb ingots out of them.

Thats Probally the best idea..im looking into buying a cruicable and doing the same..I met someone who wanted there property picked up in trade of unlimited access to their farm..and its nice because most the "Junk" is copper and alumium
Awesome, that is a win-win for you!!!!!!!!!
 

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