bare bright

Bright and shiny stripped copper wire only. Tarnish, corrosion, any other material excludes it from this grade. VERY strict

#1 copper

#1 copper – stripped copper wire with no thinning. Bright and shiny wire can go with this but if separated is worth more.

#1 copper

#1 – Clean Pipe

 

#1 copper

#1 copper – clean pipe, wire, and bright and shiny flashing. No glue, paint, solder, or any other material is permitted in any amount

#1 copper

#1 copper – corrosion is ok until is it so severe that you can’t tell if solder is present. In that case, it becomes #2 copper

#1 and #2

#1 or #2 – once cut off from steel plate – #1 if very clean, #2 if soot, corrosion present. This example would be #1.

# 2 copper

#2 copper – rubber gasket inside crimp makes this #2

#2 copper

#2 copper – copper with small amounts of other materials such as chrome, solder, paint, glue, but not steel

#2 copper

#2 copper –  examples of solder paint and glue

# 2 copper

#2 copper – a small amount of solder – a wipe or drop makes this #2

lite copper(sheet copper)

Lite copper – clean flashing (paint tar ok in very small amounts) copper pots, trays, copper lamps. No other materials. Look for and remove steel in rims of pots.

lite copper

Lite copper – copper lamps – verify not brass by scratching. Yellow is brass, orange is copper. All steel, glass, and sockets need to be removed.

lite copper

copper flashing

 

dirty lite – ice dam

Ice dam in any amount makes this dirty sheet copper. If you have a large piece with a small bit of ice dam it’s worth cutting it off.  

dirty lite – wood

sheet copper/ copper flashing with other materials attached. Typically paid at 1/3 of clean sheet price

Bronze

Composition bronze – alloys with 85% copper or higher. Most DWV and cast sweat fittings, many valves if any brass or other material has been removed

Clean Brass

bronze and copper screens
are paid as brass

Brass

Brass – copper pot with steel rod around the rim. Brass handle frames. porcelain would need to be removed to be paid as brass. If brass handle and steel rod removed this would go in sheet copper with clean flashing

Very Clean Brass

brass  with no other materials chromed ok – very strict

Mixed Brass

Brass of all types with small amounts of other materials. Remove handles and it is clean brass and a higher price.

Aluminum rads

aluminum radiators – as aluminum if clean. Worth about 1/4 of aluminum if plastic is still attached.

80% copper wire

THHN or any copper wire larger than 14ga and less than 5/8 inch diameter conductor with thin insulation. Wire with thick insulation or tinned will be a lower value grade

 #2 wire 

 

Thick rubber insulated wire. very often tinned so once stripped would be #2. Not typically worth stripping and about the same price as data, telecom wire

 

data, tel, power cords

 low % copper wire – thermostat, telephone, data, power cords, extension cords, larger diameter wire with very thick insulation, jumper cables, welding leads, dryer power cords

Aluminum extrusions

Aluminum extrusions

worth about 25% more than aluminum. 6061 alloy is most common. shapes made through a die that can’t be made from folding.

 Aluminum bx

 Aluminum bx with copper wires inside.

 

Lead flashing

clean lead – very small amount of paint tar or silicone ok. Ice dam makes this worth zero.

Dirty Lead

we will take dirty lead but not pay for it

Silver plate

silver plated flatware, trays, bowls, etc. no steel.

Steel bx

steel bx with copper wire inside

white metal

diecast and zinc

white metal (b)

diecast and zinc – note kitchen faucet housing is sometimes diecast