Value of Range Scrap?- Jackets etc

[Jon]

Since wheel weights are pretty difficult to get around here, I've resorted to berm mining. I have a pretty good pile of copper jackets etc. Is it worth trying to get any scrap value for these? Where should I start? If not, what should I do with this stuff? I could work it in the regular trash, but some might frown on that sort of thing.

[docone31]

With any lead on the jackets, the copper value is diminished.
If it were me, I would melt the jackets and make a copper ingot. Whether that would be worth the expense of the melting is another issue.
I do not remember which acid, but, you could either dissolve the copper, or the lead, and have prime stock there.

[Willbird]

Since wheel weights are pretty difficult to get around here, I've resorted to berm mining. I have a pretty good pile of copper jackets etc. Is it worth trying to get any scrap value for these? Where should I start? If not, what should I do with this stuff? I could work it in the regular trash, but some might frown on that sort of thing.

I have heard of some people working it in with other copper scrap and getting copper scrap price for it. Mine seems to be dirty dusty stuff and I end up with some lead dribbles in it. The guy at the scrap yard offered me .03 per lb for it and I took it back home with me.

Bill

[Jon]

With any lead on the jackets, the copper value is diminished.
If it were me, I would melt the jackets and make a copper ingot. Whether that would be worth the expense of the melting is another issue.
I do not remember which acid, but, you could either dissolve the copper, or the lead, and have prime stock there.

What would you need to melt the copper into an ingot? Is it something I could even think about with propane temperatures? I do have a OA torch, but it gets a little expensive to run.

Also, what would you use for a crucible? Would Cast Iron hold up to those temps?

Thanks

[jdowney]

Make some thin ingots, buy a rolling mill, roll it down thin enough to make some gas checks :bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2:

Or if you prefer efficiency, throw it all in a big bucket with any wire scraps, etc, and when the bucket is full, take it to a scrap yard.

[DragoonDrake]

i took my copper jackets to the scrap yard yesterday and got $1.5/lb. I don't know about you but I can live with that.

Adam

[docone31]

There is another way.
Collect all copper scrap. Get a bunch of it.
Get a large stainless steel pot, fill it with salt water.
Get a 6volt bettery charger.
Attach the anode to a piece of copper, the cathode to the pot. Do not let the two touch in the salt water.
Turn on the charger. The water will turn green, and the copper will go away. Keep running this batch untill all the copper is in the water.
Take Rust Off, from the grocery store, it is sodium metabisulphate, add it to the salt water. The copper will fall out of the solution.
Filter the batch and melt the elemental copper in a crucible. Then, either roll it out, or ingot it.
There is still heat involved, but this is a simple and time consumeing way to purify the copper.
Another way is to ship it to a refiner. I do that with my scrap gold, and silver. Bench sweepings etc.
There is a large difference between the weight of gold and silver and copper, especially in terms of value. Small batches can be melted with a hardware store plumbers propane torch on a piece of wood. Copper, like silver, firescales rapidly. The carbon absorbs the O2 and provides back heat when melting. Pool PH Reducer, sodium bisulphate, will also remove firescale residue, and to an extent lead, leaving the copper behind.
With Pool PH Reducer, you will need to bring a non-ferrous pot of solution to hot temperature. Put the copper in the pot. Do not let anything iron touch the solution.
At least then, the copper can be sold as clean.

[mike in co]

i have done the same with my indoor range scrap. the problem at my scrap yard was that they would only pay for the lowest value in the mix. so lead prices for copper, and lead is cheap right now....i did a lot of work to get the lead off the jackets....still no luck....so i gave up. i accept the lead scrap price for the copper and move on. i get the lead cheap, and being able to recover some cost for the "scrap" is ok .

mike in co

[scrapcan]

maybe this datasheet will help to answer hot much input it will take to melt

http://www.australwright.com.au/datasheets/alloys/Copper%20&%20Brass/90-10%20Gilding%20Metal%20C22000.pdf

If you can melt aluminum with charcoal you might try melting the gilding metal with charcoal and use a fired clay pot as a crucible. I have no idea if it will work for gilding metal, but I know it will work for aluminum. Look up back yard metal casting.

[scrapcan]

http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/

The above is a link to some good information