Burning Wire for Copper

Рет қаралды 24,219

2 ай бұрын

A lot of people comment and ask, why not just burn the copper wire? Well allow me to explain my thoughts on burning insulated wire for scrap copper!
Wire stripper I use: amzn.to/3sirg18
The motorized stripper: amzn.to/3y0JMuQ
The wire cutters I like: amzn.to/2T6j3OW
The grips I recommend: amzn.to/2QCJmYl
The melting furnace: amzn.to/3EGxT2q
(If you make a purchase on amazon through the links above, a small amount of what amazon makes on the sale is shared with me. It's a great way to help support my channel, at no additional cost to you. Even if you buy something other than my tool recommendations!)
Please like/share this video if you enjoyed it, and subscribe to thubprint!
/ @thubprint
I love mail! You can send me some here if you like:
Drake Vincent
PO BOX 99900 RF 764 740
RPO WESTBROOK
CALGARY AB
T3C 1B6
/ thubprint
/ thubprint
Music: Harris Heller

Пікірлер: 223

@DrHutOfHandcraft 2 ай бұрын

Great video, thank you for making it! At the beginning I was actually a little irritated because I wouldn’t have thought that you would actually burn the wire haha glad you didn’t 😄

@blackwidowfarms 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for making this video, it's nice that at least someone will realize how bad burning wire is. If one person decides against burning their pile of wire, it's a complete success. I made this mistake years ago once, I put a small spool into my yard fire and it took out all my benches and part of the willow tree. The flames were 60 feet high! I'll never do it again, I learned a valuable lesson.

@shaystern2453 2 ай бұрын

that extra profit went up in flames...

@johngastineau653 2 ай бұрын

An idea for your drill powered wire stripper....... I've taken a sewing machine foot peddle control and added a female plug allowing me to plug in the drill. This gives you both hands for feeding the wires. Hope you try it out. ✌️

@shannonsmith1498 2 ай бұрын

Mad respect for loving the environment. Let’s get some more street scrapping videos. A back ground video on yourself would be cool too

@zlatanmorrison8182 2 ай бұрын

You have always come across as a decent and honest man Thub, tis one of the reasons I am subbed to your channel (other than liking scrapping videos!).

@sharkscrapper 2 ай бұрын

Here in Florida scrap yards are NOT allowed to buy burnt wire unless you can prove it came from a fire - letter from fire department. I have what we call a Secondary Metal Recyclers certificate which makes me a scrap yard. If I buy burnt wire I must know the source. The only burnt wire I buy is from my electrician clients who have removed it from building fires or lightning strikes. I get a lot of lightning strike wire from cell phone towers. It looks burnt but is very different from wire that was in a fire. Keep up the good work my friend.

@crzy11000 2 ай бұрын

I bought a truck that was burnt from Salvage. There are a lot of car fires . I bet more wire is recycled from autos than any other source. I just googled it and 12 million cars are recycled every year in USA. 213,000 of them are from fires.

@christophertaylor2464 2 ай бұрын

The state of Texas is the same

@John-eo5dt 2 ай бұрын

You can just spray off with hose looks like new impossible them tell was burnt 😂

@sharkscrapper 2 ай бұрын

@@John-eo5dt Actually you can tell the difference if you know what you're looking for. And you'll just make more of a mess and waste more time and money. Just don't do it.

@John-eo5dt 2 ай бұрын

@@sharkscrapper looks exactly the same as when you strip it when you do that way almost everyone burns it of and junkyards take it burnt around midwest no questions asked although cant really burn off #2 shit gets all brittle people don't wanna waste time stripping 500 pounds when you can burn off in less than hour

@jorojinnomad549 2 ай бұрын

the thumb clip surprised me haha... no burning... strip, strip, strip..... up to your knees in oil and grease with the grind stone to your nose.... healthy living is all of our responsibility... so good show Thub.... 👏🙌❤

@mollynakamori 2 ай бұрын

Ok - I might have twigged to this had you posted it on Monday, but you reeled me smack in. I was working on a heart attack, and was feeling like the universe was getting even more inside out. Great video, Thub. Thanks for informing the masses.

@jazzlicafan 2 ай бұрын

soo interesting!! i have watched you for years and never knew this!! i always thought it was a dumb idea but i never thought it would be illegal! thx for the vids thub 😃

@user-io2im1le9m 2 ай бұрын

I'm so glad you didn't burn that copper otherwise I would have been unsubscribing. Very glad to see you are educating people. Very good video thankyou.

@nateallen1769 2 ай бұрын

Let’s go Thub. All true and great points that many new scrappers don’t understand. Great intro too

@montanadan2524 2 ай бұрын

Fantastic intro, really grabbed me.

@rampart6925 2 ай бұрын

I like you videos bud. Keep up the good work!

@jasoncerrino8560 2 ай бұрын

Education for the benefit of all. You couldn't be more "leave it better..." Thanks from me, mine and the world Thub.

@marcgal35 2 ай бұрын

Love your videos. Here from Scotland. All your videos are entertaining and educational. Thank you.

@UrbanFreedom773 2 ай бұрын

Love your vids 👍

@Technoanima 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for explaining.

@golabrecykling 2 ай бұрын

Great video, I agree with you 💯% I don't burn my wires. I watch this video, of course, while stripping wires. 🎉🎉 Greetings from Poland🎉🎉

@jpreia 2 ай бұрын

great video, great lesson, you are the best!

@paulmurrey4229 2 ай бұрын

Excellent video. You summed it up perfectly and i loved the drinking from the gas can. Hilarious

@rixismetals 2 ай бұрын

Great video mate. I don’t sell my wire I just keep adding to it , and if I have nothing else to do I’ll strip some of the thicker wire , other then that I just keep adding to the pile lol

@AARON_McKenzie Ай бұрын

Thank you so so much for this video.. This is something I've wondered about because I've had people tell me to save time and burn them.. i tired it on a 2 foot peice and hated it, everything about it. But i always wondered if there was a better way, or if i did it wrong.. but even still just really had a sinking feeling. And the smell of a 2 foot 10 gauge wire stunk so bad..I also didnt know that it was illegal.. Thank you I feel better now

@julieb.2868 2 ай бұрын

Great vid, you are a modern day science teacher

@tghepburn1390 2 ай бұрын

That's why I call him Professor Thubprint

@tommykohler2065 2 ай бұрын

You're 100% right and I agree with you. Unfortunately homes and vehicle fires happen. So, for a scrap yard to have you put on a list may keep some people from wanting to scrap the copper wire found in these situations. IDK where I was going with this, just the first thing that came to mind when I heard that you would be put on a list.

@BushDogScrapper 2 ай бұрын

Great video this is a major issue! As soon as I come across burnt wire while stripping I set it aside so I don’t look like I’m hiding it from the scrap yards cause in time we will come across burnt copper from electrical fire may it be from a house or vehicle short out. But be honest when taking it in not all scrappers are crooks! Thub i congratulate you on this video Brother!

@benstrait333 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for this video, I'm glad this is what you said, I was a little nervous at first. Believe it or not, I actually had the buyer suggest this last time I was in😲 I'm glad I told him I wasn't comfortable with it, I didn't even know the legality of it.

@thubprint 2 ай бұрын

Oh that’s not great.. this is why regulation is important in the industry. Some people’s comments make it clear that many states don’t prevent the sale of burned wire but the laws are federal regulations so… that buyer is not doing things by the book 😅

@MicPoitras 2 ай бұрын

Good to know! Thank Sir! MIC🎉

@michaelmccoy3996 2 ай бұрын

good info! Also a good attempt to deter others! Karma for the good! Nice job Thub!!!

@jadosrd8950 2 ай бұрын

thanks dude!

@maritimescrapper 2 ай бұрын

People no thinky! Awesome video my friend!

@ScrappyDoGooder 2 ай бұрын

Killer intro Thub!

@Xenon6002 2 ай бұрын

Hahaha you had me there when sprinkling the fluid... i was like: Hell noooo... 😂😂👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@MetalsMattR 2 ай бұрын

Ha ha that got our attention, great video

@Raddog2012 2 ай бұрын

well said

@leeyingcw6113 26 күн бұрын

U sent a great message sir! Btw, may I know what u call the machine to separate rubber from d metal?

@jackb.nimble4146 2 ай бұрын

I agree 100%

@jacobhiatt3307 2 ай бұрын

hahaha! You got me with the into!

@theooverberg4897 2 ай бұрын

You know an awful lot about burning copper

@ancientpyro4598 2 ай бұрын

he sold it - from a burned down house

@jamestaylor1614 2 ай бұрын

Anyone with half a brain knows burning plastic is toxic and the thick black smoke that comes off it.

@sharkscrapper 2 ай бұрын

How many times I've had to explain the same thing. I don't understand why/how this doesn't make sense to some people. And the best one is, "what do you think the big recyclers do in order to get the copper to melt?" Completely ignoring that industrial foundries have filters, stack scrubbers and get inspected on a regular basis to ensure they remain within air quality compliance. Strip that wire baby.

@brianproctor7619 2 ай бұрын

They buy wire without insulation.

@yardmine 2 ай бұрын

Bro you had me there for a sec

@classifiedsnake3947 2 ай бұрын

Hey thub, i was wondering what your opinion is about scrapping box TVs, because i just got around 30 of em😬

@DianaRea-nv8zc 2 ай бұрын

This was incredibly timely. I have been encountering some guys who burn wire in the desert where I walk with my dog. Although illegal, can’t seem to interest law enforcement. 😡 they are standing in the billowing cloud of toxic material

@thomasmills3934 2 ай бұрын

I've never heard of a single scrap yard that doesn't take stripped wire. ...in fact they are almost always happy if u do strip the wires.

@MattsAwesomeStuff 2 ай бұрын

That Stripmeister is handy but that wrist-breaker positioning on the drill is less than optimal. I'd throw a cheap 90-degree gearbox chuck on it (like electricians use to drill between studs sometimes). And, well, I'd also mount it firmly and wire extensions for the triggers to a food pedal so that you can feed with both hands, making the job take 20% as long, but, I have an unusual appetite for optimizing.

@jessewilson8676 2 ай бұрын

Back in the 70’s we had a large iron bowl with screen that sat on a 55 gallon drum and grandfather burnt a lot of copper wire there….sadly so did I. Put wire in iron bowl and wood in drum

@funnyfarm5555 Ай бұрын

Local scrap yard won't buy burned wire except; if from a burned house you have to have a copy of the fire department report. I stripped wire out of a house that had a fire because we were restoring it, but the wire was a mess handling. At the time romex sold for more than if I stripped insulation.

@DavidGS66 2 ай бұрын

You should mention it's also illegal to release refrigerants. Also, why don't we use a drill to power all our appliances?

@pryordvm 2 ай бұрын

Hahaha you really had me there for a moment.

@bigcountryscrapper6885 2 ай бұрын

Great video my friend we cant burn wire here tho

@TB-Metals 2 ай бұрын

Some yards here in the states will only buy burnt wire with proof of unintentional fire i have been told. I strip my wire or just take it in insulated for the small stuff

@jcdenton4685 2 ай бұрын

While I mainly harvest copper wiring for smelting, I always thought it would be a cool idea to try some destructive distillation processes to see if I could remove the insulation that way. Robert Murray Smith got my noggin joggin on that idea, and it seems like an interesting way to revert what is complex hydrocarbon chains into something useful.

@benloyd1970 2 ай бұрын

smelting, A process by which a metal is obtained, either as the element or as a simple compound, from its ore by heating beyond the melting point, ordinarily in the presence of oxidizing agents, such as air, or reducing agents, such as coke.

@benloyd1970 2 ай бұрын

What you are doing is MELTING metals. Which is a waste of time and resources as the metal is worth more in its readily identifiable form, not to mention the cost of the fuel and furnace.

@garrettmillard525 2 ай бұрын

Had me worried there for a second. Ought to have known better by now :)

@GuberShep 2 ай бұрын

Proper use of pallets!

@ScrapFatherScrapSon 2 ай бұрын

Only burnt wire I get comes from house fires. Cleaned one out this weekend . Ended up with 50 pounds!

@bigman5362 2 ай бұрын

What may have got that start when i was young the scrap yard did not take any insulated wire

@BinneReitsma 2 ай бұрын

Tip : If you got a nice hot wood fire going with enough air supply you can add small pieces of wire at times, just don't overdo it. If it's a bit the heat will do its magic, if you overdo it you'll cause smoke, stank and afterwards you have allot of filthy carbon build up. This is actually the way Waste Energy Centrals work, keep it hot to keep it 'clean' But I'm more a fan of shredding cable, buy and old plastic shredder and get a shaker table, sort the hard from soft wire while running and you'll have great gains without the stink, smoke and time.

@thatcanada 2 ай бұрын

Burned copper at my yard - .75 cents. Got a load of it from a machine factory that had a fire; they filled their bin with it and while the scrap yard took it, it was for a fraction of the price - less than low grade wire untouched! And was like 420 - it's a sign!

@RockyJimmy553 2 ай бұрын

I used to burn wire, but it does damage the wire! So I started melting it off instead. Once it gets to a certain temp, it just falls right off! No burning required. And yeah, the Stripmeister takes a lot longer

@spadeofspades958 Ай бұрын

Got to put it in boiling water softens the jackets easier to strip and by this point you should buy the motor powered wire stripper. If scrapping is your steady income it would pay for itself.

@diggerlee1119 2 ай бұрын

I was just wondering I don’t burn the wire, but some wires are burnt in their categorize this number two if I ran a quick sandpaper along the wire, would it upgrade to number one? As long as you don’t see any ageing or burnt can you sand them lightly to bring their sparkle back and get a better price? Please respond to my comment if you’re not too busy.

@dr.a006 2 ай бұрын

Too much time and work for 15¢ more per pound. Which is probably the cost of sandpaper used up.

@edgar_jeremiah 19 күн бұрын

it's funny, my local scrap yard asked me why I didn't burn my wire cause I would get copper 2 for it instead of insulated copper2. I still don't want to burn it but goes to show that in pursuit of profit anything goes for corporations.

@vinnienowhere1015 2 ай бұрын

Darn, I was hoping for a good rubber 🔥 😂

@campervan-john 2 ай бұрын

Its illegal to burn cables here the uk and impossible to sell it.

@artt8381 2 ай бұрын

Sell it after burning you mean? Or you can’t sell it for scrap?

@campervan-john 2 ай бұрын

@@artt8381sell after burning

@campervan-john 2 ай бұрын

@@artt8381after burning

@scraprodriguez 2 ай бұрын

You got at first!

@albaanisissi702 Ай бұрын

Years ago it was 0,8€ per kg in wire and 6,5€ per kg in #2 copper. Thank god it is over, i burned 20-30 tons of copper wire in puplic grilling spots in the nights.

@donnykiofetzis5775 Ай бұрын

you can clean burnt copper wire to look new, to a cobra state make a pickle of low-grade acid say 1liters HCL acid to 35 liters water. sit in overnight or 2days more if needed. remove copper clean with water and bicarb and dry well. will look very shiny.

@alexpanagiotidis1811 2 ай бұрын

Hey buddy what happened when you took the house fire wire ,did you show video or something also very illegal in Australia.

@joesmith-es1zy 2 ай бұрын

As long as you can prove the wire came from a house fire the yards will take it, but at a reduced price.

@backlash1258 2 ай бұрын

Question: Is zippers on hoodie jackets and blue jeans brass.

@user-dt9ik9wx4l 2 ай бұрын

Only clicked to chew your back side, about burning? Lol

@CW88839 2 ай бұрын

Thub, so I guess you don't recommend burning the wire!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Love ya, think you're great. keep up the good work and keep doing the THING.

@iffy9776 2 ай бұрын

I would never burn wire as you said it's harmful. But I love my wire to be bare bright.

@killmimes 21 күн бұрын

You could burn it in a furnace that collects the fluid...like a wood alcohol furnace.

@unchained20000000 2 ай бұрын

Back in the 70's & early 80's insulated coper was worthless, so we had to burn it to get the best price. Now that has changed, it's better to strip it or sell it as insulated. That's why i love brass, it's easy jing $

@JasonBristow2003 2 ай бұрын

Enjoyed the vid thanks for caring about the environment! Get an electric wire stripper it'll be a game changer.

@Ljokerz 2 ай бұрын

your awsome at melting metal but suck at Stripping wires. im the other way around, il getting ready to start my 1st melt ever but i know how to strip wires :P

@daleleeman9916 2 ай бұрын

Almost had me going there.

@trasieinkersole491 2 ай бұрын

My neighbour used to burn wire and I would always have an asthma attack! He is now seriously ill. Please DONT breath that smoke into your precious lungs. Thanks Thub. ❤️💙

@liquiddrums42 2 ай бұрын

Great video Thub! 👍🏻 But now I’m wondering what will happen with the insulated wire after you dropped it by the scrapyard. Do they chemically remove it? Or use a granulator or something? 🤔

@thubprint 2 ай бұрын

My understanding is it’s a granulator and then a shaker table, all mechanical separation. Refineries can incinerate the material though, they’re capable of doing large volumes at high temperatures and the burners are set up with catalytic capture systems in the exhaust stacks. The gasses get converted and collected and what escapes is basically just water vapor. I realize the countries we ship most of our material to for refining may not have as strict environmental regulation, but I’m an optimist

@liquiddrums42 2 ай бұрын

@@thubprint You sure are Thub 😄 Thanks for the reply 😇👍🏻

@thubprint 2 ай бұрын

@@liquiddrums42 I wish I could reply to every comment 😅 I read and appreciate them all! I do get overwhelmed with all the mental tabs I keep open and it’s beyond my abilities to answer every one, but I love that I get to try

@shellez101 2 ай бұрын

How does the recycling center get the plastic off the wire ????

@brianproctor7619 2 ай бұрын

Granulator.

@easton_F350 2 ай бұрын

Intro was about recreate the last scrapping video

@SollersSrappingandDiving 2 ай бұрын

I knew there was no way you would burn that, anyone else with that thumbnail may have had me worried for a second!!

@chandlerwitt2410 2 ай бұрын

where is it illegal to buy wire that doesnt have insulation on it? I've never heard of that, is that only in canada or in the US?

@vincedibona4687 2 ай бұрын

You’re missing something.

@ronmacdonald9356 2 ай бұрын

Yes I am guilty of burning my copper lol. But that was back in the day.

@piktor6494 2 ай бұрын

I'm obvious not a scrapper but how are the recycling center doing it? aren't they burning it?

@dumpsterjerry3577 2 ай бұрын

I was dipping through alleys few months ago searching for scrappys. Ran across a burning barrel of stinky ish. There was crank heads separating wires and burning it, which I don’t know of a yard that takes it around me. Unless they do or thought it’ll be a easy buck until they find out no one will buy it. It was just very lame to run across it and see it first hand.

@curtispederson9390 2 ай бұрын

So it goes to the dump and put in the ground ?

@vincedibona4687 2 ай бұрын

No.

@kave9482 2 ай бұрын

100%

@ALex-yv8xw Ай бұрын

It sure does pay

@antejl7925 2 ай бұрын

Gypsy in eastern europen do this.... Unless you got s exteme furnace with extra oxugen and titanium dioxide it wont break down the plastics to CO2. Burning PVC coated is ultra polutting.

@OwlShadow 2 ай бұрын

i live in eu and its ilegal if i would try to bring in burned wire they would report it but as i remember like 10 years or more ago people use to do that and buyers still take it...

@benhumphregys3087 2 ай бұрын

I had to pinch myself, 2 videos in 2 consecutive days???? Does this mean daily vids? 😮

@thubprint 2 ай бұрын

I wish!! 😂 I’m sorry but I’m not able to do daily videos that include research and scripting. I just didn’t think this one alone was enough so it seemed like a good opportunity to get two done that I felt needed to be out there

@REIGNoftheDEAD 2 ай бұрын

You had me for a second then…..I was about to unsubscribe 😂😂😂

@thubprint 2 ай бұрын

🤣 I’m glad you feel that way!

@stubbshomestead1316 2 ай бұрын

So that makes me wonder, What do the recyclers do? How do they process it?

@joesmith-es1zy 2 ай бұрын

They have machines that basically macerate it and this allows them to filter out the wire from the plastics by using water and agitation.

@RTH1207 2 ай бұрын

🤩

@garretthawley9854 2 ай бұрын

What's worse burnt insulation or insulation in the landfill that won't break down

@thubprint 2 ай бұрын

Burning is worse, 1000%. Landfills are not as bad as their reputation suggests

@joesmith-es1zy 2 ай бұрын

Burning the plastic and insulation off wires can give you cancer, so I think the landfill is definitely the better option.

@IrishAndy001 2 ай бұрын

The law on burning copper wire here in Ireland is very similar to yours except no scrap yards in Ireland will take burnt copper even if it came from a burnt Building or home you need to have an affidavit science by the police stating it came from a burnt building and that you did not burn it yourself.

@thubprint 2 ай бұрын

That’s what I’m talking about right there, prevent the problem by de-incentivizing at the point of sale

@karisalonen8984 2 ай бұрын

I was about to say that buring wire is a north american thing.. but i wouild be so wrong.. i have _seen videos_ how underdeveloped countries in the world are stripping wires (or electriconic parts etc) using acids or fire etc.. so it happens elsewhere too...

@shaystern2453 2 ай бұрын

fine community service bulletin

@meansw20 2 ай бұрын

I completely agree with you on burning wire. It is terrible in every way...... however..... at our yards here in the states in my area, they WILL NOT TAKE INSULATED COPPER WIRE!!!!!!!! Any copper or any scrap for that matter, to get the best price, it must be clean of all foreign materials. Number 2 copper here is copper that isn't the proper thickness or isn't "bright." Number 2 does not include any, and I mean any insulated wire. They do not take insulated wire at all! From a guy who has a badass wire stripper that can strip almost anything but massive stuff or the very small stuff. Your laws and regulations are obviously way more extreme than most of the world, let alone here in the states. Should we just throw it away? Find a yard 2 hours away in the nearest city? Burn no for sure, but what to do with it?