A Guide to Stripping Your Copper Wire

A Guide to Stripping Your Copper Wire

Finding a scrap yard in Toronto that you can trust is essential as you want to get the most out of your items. Many people know that getting a scrap metal pick up in Toronto allows you to earn some extra cash, but what many don’t know is that if you strip your wires beforehand, you make even more money. Though striping your wires takes some extra time, the payoff is worth it. Below is a detailed guide on preparing and sorting your wires before scraping them for the best outcome. 

Read on to learn how to strip your wires effectively.

Finding a reputable scrap metal company that adequately separates, sorts, and recycles your scraps is essential. The team at Tal Metal values receiving scrap metals as it contributes to environmental stability. When scrap metal is recycled, it reduces copper mining and refining, minimizing the harmful effects of processing. When you sort and separate before drop-off or scrap metal pick up in Toronto, you are guaranteed to earn more. Stripping your wires will expose the metal core of the scrap, such as copper or aluminum. The right tools and instructions make stripping wire all the easier. 

Preparation 

The first thing you’ll want to do before anything else is to get bins or rent a bin with Tal Metal. A durable place to keep and separate your metal is a critical step in recycling. Depending on your wiring, you may know what metals are underneath and be able to sort them before stripping. Before you strip your wires, you need to remove the insulation to be able to get to the copper wire. You should use a stripping tool instead of a regular blade or scissors. Using a stripping tool dedicated to removing insulation is the fastest and easiest way to strip your metals and can fit any size or type of wire. You may use a utility knife to cut and remove the insulation, but it takes experience, and we only recommend it if you are comfortable doing so. 

Removing the Insulation

Before stripping your copper wire, wear protective eyewear and gloves to ensure safety. Next, you need to find the notch that matches your wire’s gauge, or if you are unsure of the size, place the wire in each gap - the wire that fits snugly into the notch is the match. After finding the right spot, put the wire in it and gently compress the stripping tool’s handles. In addition, spin the device around the wire to ensure all the insulation is cut. 

Stripping Your Metals

When stripping your own wires, be prepared for materials to fling around and will require you to sweep up some cables and metals afterwards. You should also have more than one heavy-duty bin to effectively sort the wires (which will be sharp to the touch) and insulation, which is garbage. 

Once you have prepared your station and have gotten your wires ready to strip, place one end in a vice such as mounted clamps to hold the wire. Next, slice into the middle of the insulation with a sharp blade, preferably a utility knife. The last step is to cut and pull the insulation away from the metal until you reach the wire’s length. This leaves you with your copper exposed and ready to be sorted. 

Why Choose Tal Metal 

At Tal Metal, recycling scrap metals is important to us. We value the importance of helping the environment, and our customers get their well-deserved money in return. We offer competitive pricing for good-quality scrap copper, aluminum, and brass that puts us ahead of competitors. 

Instead of throwing away your scrap copper, it’s time to recycle at our metal scrap yard in Toronto. Enjoy extra cash for the material you don’t use while feeling good about helping the environment!

Call us today to schedule your pick-up!