Help with wire stripping

[goldencoin]

I got a whole bunch of copper wire and i need help stripping it. the wore stripper i have doesn't work....any ideas?

Here is the pic of the wire

HH
-GC

 

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[whitesid]

can you show a pic of the wire. some wire i feel is better to strip with a razor. but it depends on the type of wire

 

[Monk]

People used to burn wire! Like pile it up and strike a match. However you may have to go to the country to burn wire today.

 

[diggummup]

Don't burn the wire.In most places it's illegal.You won't get as much for it,if they take it at all and you will lose some of the copper content in the process of burning it.Either use a razor knife (carefully) or just get another pair of strippers.

 

[goldencoin]

I tried a razor, but it still wouldn't come off...i found it underwater in a pile and i think the rubber it rotten...i'll see if i cna get any money for it un-stripped


HH
-GC

 

[jimmatt_43]

It may be tedious but a wire stripper is best.If not,I would think someone would buy it unstripped.
Jim

 

[whitesid]

I tried a razor, but it still wouldn't come off...i found it underwater in a pile and i think the rubber it rotten...i'll see if i cna get any money for it un-stripped


HH
-GC

most of my metal comes from a river by my house, people dump stuff to stop errosion but it doesnt work so i find it down stream. the rubber/plastic does get hard but it still can be striped.

 

[Ben_banned]

Leave the insulation on Insulated wire may look to be worth less but there is a lot of wieght in that rubber.

 

[chong2]

after reading this scrap metal forum, i got pumped up a little bit, i stripped and pulled and wore my funger nails sore, this is all i got after about a hour, feels pretty but i dont think it was worth it

 

[EDDE]

try some berry white music

 

[chong2]

opps, i shoulda read over my typing before posting, hey leave my rocks out of this

 

[lothias888]

that stuff is worthless the center may lokk like copper but put a magnet to it its probly steel depending on how old it is like the other post said the best place for it is in the tsash

 

[fiatboy]

hat stuff is worthless the center may lokk like copper but put a magnet to it its probly steel depending on how old it is like the other post said the best place for it is in the tsash

I don't quite understand. So some wire that looks like copper is actually steel? Is all steel magnetic?

 

[lothias888]

judging by the picture it appears to be coax cable if it has one single strand running down the center surrounded by plastic with stranded wire on th outside of that then the black coating it is a coax cable like i said it depends on the age some of the older cable used a steel wire while the some of the newer uses aluminum or other non mag material as for looking like copper if it is coax it is coated with a copper look i personally would not waste my time with coax no one here in michigan will buy it too much to process as the center plastic they use in it is highly toxic when they burn it off thats what i was told by a yard i dealt with some years ago just remember a magnet can be your best friend when dealing with any scrap saves a lot of headaches at the yard

 

[Functional]

I haven't hauled scrap in years, but I know there are cheap wire strippers out there and DIY (Do It Yourself) designs, that anyone with some basic tools can throw together. All you need is an adjustable wire guide and feeder with a good motor and blade. I just looked on eBay and saw a few. Just type in "wire stripper" with the quotes.

I also saw something called a Thermal Wire Stripper, that I assume, causes the wire to melt through the insulation. It looked interesting, if you have cheap power to run it.

F.

 

[Urban Prospector]

Put one end of the wire in a vice,stretch wire out to untangle.Lay razor knife flat on wire at vice.Guide wire with left hand as you cut off a quarter diameter of insulation exposing wire.Draw knife toward you as you walk backward.Hard to explain easy to do.

 

[DR]

Hi, I'm an electrician by trade and have skinned a lot of wire in my day.
Here is my two cents worth.
If it is electrical wire anyhow.
Go and buy you an "Old Hickory" fillet knife.
You can get them at Wal-Mart. I reccomend this knife because it it very stiff and stout. On big wire you will be exerting considerable pressure and a thin flexible knife will bend and most likely break.
Make sure it is not too sharp cause a sharp blade will tend to nick into the wire and that will slow you down if it catches. You will know when it is about right. Funny as it may seem a half dull blade works better than a real sharp one.
Get some leather gloves.Ya know PPE, Personal Protective Equipment.
Next tie one end of the wire to something that will stay put under load.
If the wire is long tie the other end to something also. This will make the stripping really fast. Pull it tight so it is off the ground and take the blade and lay it flat on the wire with one hand on the handle and one on the back of the blade and take off walking and the insulation will just zip right off.
If the wire is short just lay it out and tie it off at one end and use one hand on the blade and the other to maintain tention on the wire and pull yourself along and again it will zip right off.
On tough and heavy wire lay it out on the ground in a straight line and sit down with the wire going over your leg. now place the knife blade flat on the wire and take the bottom of your shoe of the leg you have the wire going over and place it against the back of the blade. Your hand on the handle and foot on the blade will equalize the pressure on the blade ends. Now take your free hand and pull. Off comes the insulation.
On big wire it is still hard work but you can sure move through some wire in short order.
The main trick with this Old hickory knife method is the double ended tension and the fact that you have several inches of blade for error in your movement.
Hope this is of use.
DR

 

[NickelNintyFive]

i tend to cut my cable into 1-2 foot sections and then put it into a vise and strip with a razor blade, i have done several thousand dollars worth with this method and it works very well.

 

[Ben_banned]

Same method I use, put iot under my foot and strip.
I can get about 2 foot sections off in one stroke.

 

[goldencoin]

Thanks

HH
-GC