It Started As A Simple Task… Then It Took Over The Yard
August 12, 2025
source: Reddit
If you ever scrap copper for recycling in the past, I’m sure you remember exactly what I’m talking about. Stripping copper wire for scrap was not Sunday suit and tie work. It was rough, dirty work more often than not interspersed with some danger. The image above — heaps of tattered, yellow-brown insulation strewn across a square of grass — could have appeared in the backyard or garage photography studio from years past. It is a story all too familiar to many scrap collectors.
Mmm, Just Like the Good Old Days — of Earning a Few Pesos Here and There
Stripping copper wire for scrap was a way of life. It was a weekend hustle, a side gig, for many — and even a summer project for others. You would pull old electrical cable from the wrecks of houses demolished for new development. There was just one thing they were all there to do and that was get the shiny copper out of its unyielding jacket of plastic, or some sort of rubber compound.
Copper had value, and it hurt to see that pile of naked rusty-metal get taller… weirdly satisfying too. Yes, the prices were always up and down, but it sure was exciting making a dollar out of wire that would have gone to the dump.
The Tools of the Trade
You were not always lucky with the wire-stripping machines in those days, Most of us turned to the standards — a utility knife, pliers, perhaps even a pair of side cutters. The process of stripping copper wire for scrap was lazy and meticulous. A few resorted to makeshift rigs with clamps, or heat to soften the insulation.
That, of course, had its risks — melted insulation stank to high heaven and inhaling those fumes was never a fun time. Well, in that moment, I wanted the goal more than I wanted to forego the trouble.
The Mess You Couldn’t Avoid
Even an auto business person who may do it, and they understand me: stripping copper wire just creates a clean up in the several. The brown insulation strewn about in the photo is a stark reminder of how much mass the casing contributed. You see, you might have collected all the nice, clean bunches of copper but there would be a pile of shredded plastic or rubber that comes out with it.
Embeeds of the Body StockingYes, and occasionally it sat there longer than it needed to (because you said to yourself that you’re going to clean up later).
More Than Just Scrap
As bad as that annual trip to the PO seemed for us, this was no just about destination or dosh for a lot of people. Skinning copper wire taught you patience, ingenuity, and the rewards of hard work. Stripping copper wire for scrap was one of those jobs where you could tell the difference as soon as you started — your work very literally turned trash into treasure.
Yes, your hands might get nicked, your clothes might get stained, and you may have insulation particles in the grass of your backyard But you also came away with a wad of cash in the pocket and a sense of accomplishment in turning something into nothing.
Looking Back
Today, most yards still take wire insulated as-is and with stripping machines that are more modern the process is much faster which means a better price. But for those that loomed by hand, stripping copper wire for scrap has a whole different kind of relationship between the work. A pile like the one above can make you feel nostalgia for your knife, the sound of insulation being peeled back, and copper in a bucket.
It is messy, it is dangerous, and above all it is nostalgic.