Bright and Shiny Copper (Bare Bright Copper)
- Each individual wire needs to be 16 gauge or wider (think the average size of a paper clip or pencil lead)
- Hair wire will never be considered “bare bright/bright and shiny” even if it looks bright and shiny, this is due to it’s small diameter per wire
- Little to no discoloration or breakdown from the elements
#1 Copper
- Pipe, wire, etc WITHOUT paint, soldering, or other types of metals, plastics, or screws affixed
#2 Copper
- Pipe, wire, etc WITH any signs of paint, soldering, or other types of metals, plastics, or screws affixed
- Hair wire and insulated hair wire
- Silver or chrome coated copper is also considered #2 copper pipe
Both #1 and #2 copper has percentage grades that determine their value. Percentages are based upon how much insulation (plastic, paper, cloth) compared to the amount of copper inside of the insulation.
Other tips and tricks:
- Even if something appears to be brass, chrome or aluminum on the outside, be sure to take a file and scratch it to reveal the type of metal it has underneath it’s coating.
- Red brass can appear like copper, so be sure to ask your local scrap yard if you are unsure
Have something unique? Weird things come through scrap yards and processing facilities every single day. You will likely come across something new almost daily when you work around these types of facilities. The best thing to do is to take a photo of your material and send it around to a few yards in your area, try to ask how they would classify it (they may even give you a price per pound) and be understanding that it might not be a highly valued item – but what a bonus if it is!
This video we found on YouTube from Bracken Recycling is one of the best explanations of how to classify your scrap copper that we have found online. We are not affiliated with this scrap yard but think this YouTube channel is extremely informative and helpful to scrappers everywhere!
