Pages

▼

Sunday, January 9, 2011

How To Scrap Degaussing Cable, How To Strip Degaussing Cable

Degaussing cables are used in CRT devices, like computer monitors and TVs. Check out How To Scrap Computer Monitors and TVs  for more information on scrapping these material rich consumer products.

This thicker degaussing cable is an example of one type that is
just barely worth stripping, if at all.
Degaussing cable is one of the few types of large gauge cable a scrapper can regularly find – almost on a daily basis! But the difference in gauge and the specialty of the wrapping can make stripping them very time consuming.

If you are like me, you want to get the most money for your time! You want to find a way to strip these cables, and still come out ahead. Well, I have some news for you!

When you strip degaussing cable, you may actually be LOSING MONEY! That's right, losing money.

I spent about 2.5 hours stripping a bucket full of degaussing cable, saving every single bit of wrapping, and every single bit of copper.

The Numbers:

I started with a bucket full full of high grade wire (only degaussing cables), worth $2.00 per pound at my scrap yard. This weight, minus the bucket, was 15 pounds according to my scale at home. This means If I brought it in " as is " I would have made $30.20!

I spent a good 2 and a half to 3 hours stripping these cables by hand. 


I finished with a bucket full of copper weighing in at 10.5 pounds and a pile of sticky tape wrapping weighing in at 4.5 pounds. My total value at that point was:
10.5 pounds of copper *$3.25per pound = $34.13

So I spent 2.5 hours making $4.13. This puts my hourly wage at $1.65/hour. 

Now the reason this strikes me as odd is I was only stripping the largest gauge wires. I already knew that the small ones were not worth my time. If I had been stripping the very thin gauge degaussing coils,  I would have literally been LOSING MONEY as there is not enough copper by weight in a small degaussing cable. I would actually make more money by just selling the small gauge wire to them at high grade wire. 

Conclusion:
Do not strip degaussing cable if you plan on selling it for copper scrap. If your yard has a good enough wire price, you may be making more money by simply selling the cables as high grade wire. 

Good Luck Scrapping!
at

6 comments:

  1. garbagemandaveJanuary 15, 2011 at 5:01 AM

    I guess it depends on your yard. I only have one nearby right now, and the last time I took in insulated wire, they paid only .30 a lb.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The IrrationalistJanuary 16, 2011 at 12:47 AM

    Dave, I would suggest selling the wire you can't strip on Ebay. Save it all! save ALL the wire you cant strip. Put it into a large flat rate box. Smash it full of wire, packed very tight. Then weigh it and put it up on Ebay. You will be making 3x what you are now.

    ReplyDelete
  3. IvyFebruary 5, 2011 at 12:06 PM

    our scrap yard right now pays 1.15 a pound for insulated wire.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MurtApril 7, 2011 at 9:57 PM

    Yep, several wks ago I got 60 cents a pound for insy, last week I got only 40, wtf?
    Im in an apt right now and saving metal would not be good w/ landlord, so I'm at the mercy of the yard. They MUST be making a lot on insulated, especially because my best guess is that the insulation is simply burned off in china.
    When cars are shredded, the copper and aluminum left over by the magnet are sorted in China. I read it here
    http://www.booknoise.net/johnseabrook/stories/culture/scrap/scrap.pdf

    They pay the workers 5$ a day to do this

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 17, 2011 at 8:21 PM

    I found that just running a razor knife down the degausing cable makes it very easy to strip the wrapping off the cable.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJuly 20, 2011 at 8:47 PM

    I concur with the running the razor knife comment. If you lay it flat on a vertical surface ( I use the door of my shed or a 4x4 post) and run the knife upwards, away from your hand, you'll strip that cable in no time flat.

    ReplyDelete