Thanks -- I didn't know if there was some kind of insulation around the inside that would cause them to reject it. Brass here is $1.70, btw, steel $0.05, haven't checked on ins. wire lately. I am only a very minor-league scrapper of steel/ferrous -- no room to store it! -- but a friend just changed out his washer, dryer & water heater, so, that & a few other things will make a load.