Stripping wire: Is it worth it?

Stripping wire: Is it worth it?

You may have seen the headlines about people coming home from a holiday and finding all the copper wires and pipes being removed from their homes and wondered why. Is it really worth their effort? Well, when it comes to stealing them, then no it’s not worth it, but if you can get your hands on legitimate copper wire, then yes you can make money. Especially when you are working with the right wire stripping tools and working fast. Let’s explore wire stripping a bit more.

The wires

Copper wire can come with one or two layers of an insulating coat. When it comes to making money stripping wire, then two layers is going to take longer to remove therefore less profitable. It may not be worth stripping and can be sold as is. However single layer insulated wire can be stripped much quicker and easier with wire stripping tools, making it worthwhile. The price of copper does fluctuate though so make sure you sell at the most profitable time if you can.

How to strip

The best wire stripping tool for the job will depend on the task at hand. For short lengths you can use a knife to slice a line down a small section of the length, then use the pliers to grip the coating and pull it down and away from the exposed wire. You could also use a drill to grip the coating and use that to pull the layer away and remove it. This is a much quicker process than using a set of pliers. Whatever wire stripping tool, or method, you decide to go with, it must work quickly and efficiently, or it won’t be worth your time. Never, we repeat, never burn the wire to remove the insulation layer. It is usually made out of a PVC plastic which emits toxic fumes when burnt, it is dangerous and in most places it is illegal to burn these plastics.

Selling

When the wire stripping tools you used have done their job and you have piles of copper wire left, you need to sell it. Firstly, find out what the going rate for copper is then ring around and see who is offering the best money. Now all you need to do is take the copper wires in and collect your money. Without the right wire stripping tools the job will take much longer and although you will still receive the same amount of money it will take you longer to earn it. For help with choosing the right wire stripping tool contact the team at RS, they have all the knowledge and products you’ll need.

If you can get your hands on cooper wire (the legal way), then whether it is worth stripping it will depend on how fast you can get the job done. With a little knowledge and hard work though, stripping copper wire to sell it, is definitely worth the effort. Contact the team at RS about wire stripping tools.

Will Smith

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