Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nHgL...2&feature=plcp

Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots of
pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.

The above article is very useful, in that it recommends sorting into 3 piles
copper
brazing copper (copper with e.g. soldered fittings)
brass

However there will be times when there are things which can't be seperated
(without some hassle), such as brass olives on copper pipe.
So which pile do those go into, or is there yet another pile for 'mixed'?

I assume that bath taps and the like which are mainly brass but have chrome
plus plastic inlays just go into the brass pile.

Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be much
appreciated.

TIA

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

On Sun, 9 Sep 2012 14:25:25 +0100, David WE Roberts wrote:

However there will be times when there are things which can't be
seperated (without some hassle), such as brass olives on copper pipe.

Doesn't take much to saw a diagonal cut through the olive with a junior
hacksaw then open it with a flat scredriver to get the olive off.

Or I saw an different design olive removal tool in been and queued the
other day. This one will fit any pipe with an ID than about 10mm.

http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/handtools...ools/plumbing-
tools/plumbing_tool_accessories/Rothenberg-Olive-Splitter-11247979?skuId=
11758684

http://tinyurl.com/9pqpufn

But not at that price...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Sun, 9 Sep 2012 14:25:25 +0100, David WE Roberts wrote:

However there will be times when there are things which can't be
seperated (without some hassle), such as brass olives on copper pipe.

Doesn't take much to saw a diagonal cut through the olive with a junior
hacksaw then open it with a flat scredriver to get the olive off.

Or I saw an different design olive removal tool in been and queued the
other day. This one will fit any pipe with an ID than about 10mm.

http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/handtools...ools/plumbing-
tools/plumbing_tool_accessories/Rothenberg-Olive-Splitter-11247979?skuId=
11758684

http://tinyurl.com/9pqpufn

But not at that price...


Don't think I could recover the cost on one lot of pipe.
It is mind numbingly boring removing all the fittings anyway and having to
hacksaw each olive would probably finish me off.
Angle grinder seems a bit over the top.
On 15mm pipe I am alternating between a pipe slice and bolt croppers.
Bolt croppers are quicker but heavier and more hassle.
You can use a pipe slice sitting down :-)

So the question remains - if I have mixed brass and copper (such as with a
compression joint which is all scaled up and too much effort to take appart)
or a stub of copper with a brass olive, which pile does it go in?

Cheers


Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

David WE Roberts wrote:

Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots of
pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.

Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be much
appreciated.

There is no point at all in separating domestic copper based scrap.
Unless it is as clean as freshly stripped copper cable, you will only
get brazier copper price.
--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

Some taps seem to also have some kind of honeycomb piece inserted up the
outflow, presumably to make the stream more contained. I have no idea what
this is made of.
Brian

--
From the Bed of Brian Gaff.
The email is valid as
Blind user.
"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nHgL...2&feature=plcp

Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots of
pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.

The above article is very useful, in that it recommends sorting into 3
piles
copper
brazing copper (copper with e.g. soldered fittings)
brass

However there will be times when there are things which can't be seperated
(without some hassle), such as brass olives on copper pipe.
So which pile do those go into, or is there yet another pile for 'mixed'?

I assume that bath taps and the like which are mainly brass but have
chrome plus plastic inlays just go into the brass pile.

Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be much
appreciated.

TIA

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
David WE Roberts wrote:

Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots of
pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.

Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be much
appreciated.

There is no point at all in separating domestic copper based scrap.
Unless it is as clean as freshly stripped copper cable, you will only
get brazier copper price.


Um....
So you are saying that the advice in the youtube video linked to in the OP
is not correct?

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
David WE Roberts wrote:

Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots of
pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.

Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be much
appreciated.

There is no point at all in separating domestic copper based scrap.
Unless it is as clean as freshly stripped copper cable, you will only
get brazier copper price.


Um....
So you are saying that the advice in the youtube video linked to in the OP
is not correct?


See your point, though.
From http://www.maxiwaste.co.uk/scrapdailyprices.php
"
Non Ferrous
GRADE PRICE PER METRIC TONNE
Copper
Dry Bright Wire £3,766.00
Clean New Copper Tube £3,625.00
Heavy Copper (98%) £3,458.00
Braziery Copper £3,083.00
Brass
Mixed Heavy Brass (Free From Steel Plastic) £2,308.00
"

So the difference is between 45p and 62p per Kilo.

Shame, just spent several hours last night chopping and sorting.

However it does look as though it was worth getting all the brass bits out
of the radiators.

I assume that as brass is a mix of copper and zinc and less valuable than
copper alone then bits of mixed copper and brass will be O.K. but not brass
in braziery copper.

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

On Sunday, September 9, 2012 5:34:59 PM UTC+1, A.Lee wrote:
David WE Roberts wrote:



Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots of

pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.



Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be much

appreciated.



There is no point at all in separating domestic copper based scrap.

Unless it is as clean as freshly stripped copper cable, you will only

get brazier copper price.


Does that mean old copper tube that has gone "brown" can be increased in value just be rubbing it with some wire wool ?
Simon.

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

sm_jamieson wrote:
On Sunday, September 9, 2012 5:34:59 PM UTC+1, A.Lee wrote:
David WE Roberts wrote:



Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots of
pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.


Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be much
appreciated.


There is no point at all in separating domestic copper based scrap.

Unless it is as clean as freshly stripped copper cable, you will only

get brazier copper price.


Does that mean old copper tube that has gone "brown" can be increased in value just be rubbing it with some wire wool ?
Simon.

Only if you do the inside as well. ;-)

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

David WE Roberts wrote:

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
David WE Roberts wrote:

Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots of
pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.

Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be much
appreciated.

There is no point at all in separating domestic copper based scrap.
Unless it is as clean as freshly stripped copper cable, you will only
get brazier copper price.


Um....
So you are saying that the advice in the youtube video linked to in the OP
is not correct?

No idea, I didnt look at it.
Any corrosion inside a pipe makes it 'brazier copper'. It is rare to get
used pipe that has not got some evidence of corrosion in it, so, for the
small amounts of monetary gain by sorting domestic pipework, it just
isnt worth the effort trying to separate it out.

If however it was in the 100's of kilos, then it may well be worth it,
bit for less than 100kg, I wouldnt bother.

--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

So the question remains - if I have mixed brass and copper (such as with
a compression joint which is all scaled up and too much effort to take
appart) or a stub of copper with a brass olive, which pile does it go in?

Cheers


Dave R

Brass, assuming it doesn't also have soldered fittings

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
David WE Roberts wrote:

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
David WE Roberts wrote:

Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots
of
pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.

Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be
much
appreciated.

There is no point at all in separating domestic copper based scrap.
Unless it is as clean as freshly stripped copper cable, you will only
get brazier copper price.


Um....
So you are saying that the advice in the youtube video linked to in the
OP
is not correct?

No idea, I didnt look at it.
Any corrosion inside a pipe makes it 'brazier copper'. It is rare to get
used pipe that has not got some evidence of corrosion in it, so, for the
small amounts of monetary gain by sorting domestic pipework, it just
isnt worth the effort trying to separate it out.

If however it was in the 100's of kilos, then it may well be worth it,
bit for less than 100kg, I wouldnt bother.


Well, the scrapyard payed me for 'heavy copper', which is one down from
'clean new' so I must have done something right :-)

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Sorting out scrap copper and brass
 

"sm_jamieson" wrote in message
...
On Sunday, September 9, 2012 5:34:59 PM UTC+1, A.Lee wrote:
David WE Roberts wrote:



Just about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots
of

pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.



Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be
much

appreciated.



There is no point at all in separating domestic copper based scrap.

Unless it is as clean as freshly stripped copper cable, you will only

get brazier copper price.


Does that mean old copper tube that has gone "brown" can be increased in
value just be rubbing it with some wire wool ?
Simon.


You could try a bath of brand Cola as this seems to shine up pennies
amazingly well.
I asume they do the industrial equivalent (drop the dirty copper into a
chemical cleaning solution) before re-using it.
OTOH just melting it may remove most of the impurities.


--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")