Jumper cables bought as No. 2 Copper?

[billjustbill]

I stripped several pairs of $1 to $2 garage sale Jumper cables that had heavy copper in them. The stripped copper cables were dull from the cracked and oxidized black insulation. Both pair were made up of runs with four strands about the diameter of #8 strand wire, made up of fine copper. Even though the larger strands were still wrapped around themselves, the scrap buyer wouldn't take them as #1 because he said the wire was too fine.....and paid as No.2 copper.

Have you had this happen? What does qualify for No. 1 copper?

 

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[BIGSCOTT]

if it is stranded they will almost always call it #2, it's their rules and they abuse those rules to make more money, as long as it is not super fine and not stranded they will pay #1 even if it's weathered, i used to keep alot of my stranded copper seperate and melt it down, then alot of scrapyards only want to pay brass price for this, but i know places that know the difference, i see you are in Texas, if you ever get into saving your scrap metal and know the various types of metal, keep them seperate and take them to Proler in houston they pay more than anyone in the US. watchout scrapping is highly addictive!

 

[DixieLandMan]

watchout scrapping is highly addictive!



This is true. We were renovating my wife's old house and everything that was not donated went to scrap.

 

[flinthunter]

All the scrap yards around here consider it no. 1 copper only if the single strands are .060 or larger.

 

[pepperj]

The welding cable was bought as #2 and if new and bright it might be a 50/50 split between the two grades. If we separated the cable it would give me a premium over a #2, this was only done after a many years of dealing with the broker and in a 1000lb load or more.

 

[cyberdan]

thats a lot better than the jumper cable I bought. It looked like good copper and I didn't even think of checking with a magnet. Steel clamps and aluminum cable. I look closer now.

 

[Davers]

All the above sounds right to me.
Davers