Stripping SWA - any quick methods

[gazdkw82]

iv got a large amount of 4 core 10mm SWA to Weigh in.

Iv never took copper to a waste site before to get weighed in.

Few questions

Do they take the steel armouring too?
Is it actually worth stripping?
Has anyone used brownhills before?
Is there any quick ways to strip? It's took me ages to strip about 60 metres

 

[telectrix]

save it till the price goes up. it's down to under £3/kilo bare copper atm.

 

[gazdkw82]

Ok cool.

So is it worth stripping? What's the price difference generally?

 

[westward10]

You are always going to get a higher value if the copper is seperated from ferrous metals.

 

[telectrix]

about double the price for bare copper as opposed to insulated.

 

[rsgaz]

4 core 10mm SWA to Weigh in

So, that weighs 998 grams per metre.

40mm² * 1000mm * density of copper per mm cubed = 358 grams per metre of copper

If you bin the steel, PVC and PE, you just threw away 64% of it's weight.

• So, if the scrap dealer is only paying double for bright copper/kg vs the SWA/kg as is, you just lost money by stripping it.
• If the dealer is paying 2.77 times, it's a tie, but you just wasted an awful lot of time/effort and now have a load of cr@p to get rid of.
• If they are paying triple, you gained 8% by stripping it, but was it really worth all the effort and rubbish you've now got to dispose of?

The steel is practically worthless in that sort of quantity and not worth calculating.

Moral of the story - Don't bother stripping scrap cable!!!!!

 

[davesparks]

So, that weighs 998 grams per metre.

40mm² * 1000mm * density of copper per mm cubed = 358 grams per metre of copper

If you bin the steel, PVC and PE, you just threw away 64% of it's weight.

• So, if the scrap dealer is only paying double for bright copper/kg vs the SWA/kg as is, you just lost money by stripping it.
• If the dealer is paying 2.77 times, it's a tie, but you just wasted an awful lot of time/effort and now have a load of cr@p to get rid of.
• If they are paying triple, you gained 8% by stripping it, but was it really worth all the effort and rubbish you've now got to dispose of?

The steel is practically worthless in that sort of quantity and not worth calculating.

Moral of the story - Don't bother stripping scrap cable!!!!!

The scrap dealers around here pay around 40% of bright for PVC insulated and around 20% of bright for armoured.

 

[rsgaz]

around 20% of bright for armoured.

So five times the value for stripping it would be worth it, because you'll add 80% (5/2.77 in this case) value to what you already had. Still seems like a lot of effort though, depends on how quickly/efficiently you can strip it I guess.

 

[davesparks]

So five times the value for stripping it would be worth it, because you'll add 80% value to what you already had. Still seems like a lot of effort though, depends on how quickly/efficiently you can strip it I guess.

For me it depends on the size of the cable, the bigger it is the more likely I am to bother stripping it.

 

[Generator]

so, if I wanted a length of 10mm armoured, could I get it for next to nowt from a scrap dealer? Seems such a waste to strip it!

 

[KennyKen]

10mm is not worth stripping bright. Smaller the CSA the more of a ------- it is to strip insulated core sheath.

 

[gazdkw82]

I have a decent length of 4 core 25mm. Is that worth stripping?

 

[Pete999]

save it till the price goes up. it's down to under £3/kilo bare copper atm.

60M 4C10MM why scrap it?

 

[gazdkw82]

Pete I have no use for it at the moment and I just don't have any room to store it

 

[Pete999]

Pete I have no use for it at the moment and I just don't have any room to store it

Can you not sell it as a going item? I mean 60M of 10mm4c must be worth more as an installation item, than spend hours scrapping it, I can understand the storage problems, but someone must have a use for that amount of cable. If you are that sure tou want to get rid of it, see how much a scrap dealer will give you as is.

 

[Wilko]

Put a price on its head - someone here will want it soon enough

 

[gazdkw82]

good point pete. Ill look into that.

what about the 4C 25MM. I need that gone too and less likely someone is going to want that size cable

 

[Pete999]

good point pete. Ill look into that.

what about the 4C 25MM. I need that gone too and less likely someone is going to want that size cable

I would be surprised if ant scrap dealer didn't have an outlet for that amount of SWA, weigh together what they offer you as is, against the time and effort it going to take to strip it

 

[gazdkw82]

So basically load the car up and take
It over there and see what they offer as is? Then ask what they would offer stripped?

 

[Pete999]

So basically load the car up and take
It over there and see what they offer as is? Then ask what they would offer stripped?

Yes you could do that. you just have to justify the time and effort it would cost you in stripping the outer cover, the armour and the insulation to produce bright copper.
Advertise the cable in the for sale area you might be presently surprised, remember a lot of these scrap dealers send unstripped large cable to a third party for stripping,or a electrical contractor who might be interested, another thing to think about is the Police, that amount of SWA might ring a few bells, I'm not saying it's iffy cable, but you know how paranoid the Police are.