Am I crazy?

[gtlfindings]

The other day I was driving through my neighborhood on trash day(I sometimes make good finds)and I thought to myself "man we are such a throw away society" seeing all these toaster ovens vacuums and other items out at the curb,then it dawned on me I dont need the toaster but the power cords have copper in them!So I'm thinking of driving around and cutting the power cords off the junk items if the whole thing isn't worth taking.Do you think this could be worth it??A vacuum has about 10 feet of cord on them.Am I nuts?

 

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[jeff of pa]

it all adds up.

Since you do this anyway, it's not like your wasting
gas to do it, so I say go for it.

 

[goldinmypan]

Do you have an easy way to strip the wires?

 

[jeff of pa]

Do you have an easy way to strip the wires?

Around here, we lay it on top of a screen on top of
the Burn Barrel, & burn it off.

Of course depending on where you live this may be illegal.

 

[willie d]

The other day I was driving through my neighborhood on trash day(I sometimes make good finds)and I thought to myself "man we are such a throw away society" seeing all these toaster ovens vacuums and other items out at the curb,then it dawned on me I dont need the toaster but the power cords have copper in them!So I'm thinking of driving around and cutting the power cords off the junk items if the whole thing isn't worth taking.Do you think this could be worth it??A vacuum has about 10 feet of cord on them.Am I nuts?

If your crazy, then your not alone. I do the same thing.

 

[Ben_banned]

Of course your crazy.

Here is what you should do,

1. Cut the cords.
2. Send them to me.

I wont even charge you!

 

[ringding]

If someone invents a tool that makes it easy to strip insulation off of copper wire they would be rich. There, I threw down the gauntlet. Who is going to rise up to meet the challenge?

 

[willie d]

If someone invents a tool that makes it easy to strip insulation off of copper wire they would be rich. There, I threw down the gauntlet. Who is going to rise up to meet the challenge?

On an episode of DIRTY JOBS on the Discovery Channel, Mike Rowe was at a recycling plant. They had a panel with different diameter holes. These holes had razor blades that cut the insulation as it passed through the holes.

 

[FISHEYE]

ringding,

there are several machines made that strip insulated wire.they are expensive,but with todays scrap prices it would pay off.several years ago i designed a cyrogenic tank that would strip wire in a instant useing liquid nitrogen.

gtlfindings,

if you are cruising thro your neighborhood,you are loseing money by just cutting off the cords to appliances,take the steel to the scrap yard after you cut off all the cords.but first check to see if any of them work,you can get more for a working item then any scrap yard will pay.if you are getting into recycling,do it right where you come out ahead of the game.

when i go to my local scrap yard,theres usally a line of trucks waiting to get in,i check out what other scrappers have,if i see something i can use ill offer them a few bux more then what they will get for the scrap.everyone wins.i scored a 5600psi gas pressure washer the other day for 20 bux.the day before got a real nice 10 foot steel sided trailer for 20 bux.even the owner of the scrap yard is pulling out all the good stuff an selling it on the side.if i bring in a lawn mower an the motor is intact,i put a hammer thru the side of itno scrap yard is going to get anything to resell from me.ive been in the scrap biz for over 30 yrs.i should write a book or make a dvd an sell if with what i know.

 

[Hartlein1]

My wire stripper, works like a dream

 

[ARC]

If someone invents a tool that makes it easy to strip insulation off of copper wire they would be rich. There, I threw down the gauntlet. Who is going to rise up to meet the challenge?

Hole in mounted upright board with mounted razor knife blade set at a proper sheathing cut depth...
As you pull cord through at downward angle it IN THEORY would do the trick as fast as you pull.

There... I applied my inventiveness here for anyone to use.

 

[Jarl]

An affordable alternative would be the Coppermine. I bought one and it works really well. Not for really high volume...you could do it but you need something motorized for that. I usually scrap with another person so high volume can be done using two strippers...I use a different bench mount stripper to de-sheathe power cords then the Coppermine to strip the inner wires. That way two people can be chomping away at the process.

 

[Davers]

Hole in mounted upright board with mounted razor knife blade set at a proper sheathing cut depth...
As you pull cord through at downward angle it IN THEORY would do the trick as fast as you pull.

There... I applied my inventiveness here for anyone to use.

I used to be a wire stripping machine , avg'ing 10 lbs an hour on house hold wire (the white stuff mostly ) Loved the Yellow , as it is thicker , now the round 4 piece , Red , White , Black , & bare wire were cool but there is an art to strip it faster.

NOW.
The Commercial wire my Electrician Farther in Law used to get , was a huge $ maker ( tie one end to a Tree or Deck then strip to the end) (the longer the better ) .

For me Cat 3-5 , extension chords were best left un -stripped. As you would not get the 'Bare Bright' price we all want.

FWIW.
On most wire (the bigger the better ) could be stripped with a $ 1 (non serrated ) Steak knife & resharpened with a 'stone' every hour or 2'. The dull blade helped by it NOT wanting to cut into the softer copper it's self.


Also I have seen a You-tube video of a machine that seemed to accept any wire & separated each type of metal in the process. === 'Amazing'. & It was being filled with the claw of a dozier and the wire looked like TV , Computer cords & such.

FWIW
GD

 

[A2coins]

It adds up over time can be a lot of work though

 

[Force_of_Iron]

You will spend far more in gas driving around stripping cord than you will ever make from it. You will spend more accelerating away from the curb you stopped at than you will make actually if that's the only thing you stopped for. I suppose its something to do but as with most hobbies you will pay to do it.

 

[ROIGuy]

Or start your own YouTube channel and love off the advertising money

 

[Gare]

A lot depends on HOW MUCH ROOM you have to STORE STUFF !!!