# Aluminum wire from telephone poles.



## pimpneightez (Nov 9, 2012)

Being that we just had a sick hurricane in the north east Im coming across alot of insulated aluminum wire from telephone poles. Ive been using a grinder to cut through the insulation but it's time consuming and messy. Anybody know if there's a tool that will make it easier? Ive tried the smallest grinding wheel I could find it works but like I said messy. I'm thinking about using the metal disc grinding wheel next then maybe a jig with a small battery dewalt circular saw. any tips would be appreciated.


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## grance (Nov 9, 2012)

youtube it man there are some good homade gadgets for this. there are pro wire striping machins but there expensive


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## Smack (Nov 9, 2012)

Getting the coating off is only part of the battle, getting the steel core out is the other part. You need a pipe cutter wheel mounted in a fixture you can pull the wire through. If you use a blade it will get dull, the wheel will not. FYI, don't get caught taking that wire.


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## Golddigger Greg (Nov 9, 2012)

We used to do a lot of this wire for our utility companys' roll-ends. We cut it into 3ft lengths with bypass shears and then had a simple slide-in clamp mounted on a tabletop that we placed the length into. We then ran a spoke shave down at least 1/2 the length, reversed the wire in the clamp, and spoke shaved the other 1/2. Presto, the insulation was released. Once the insulation is off the steel core wire could be easily plucked out of the aluminum.


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## Geo (Nov 9, 2012)

smack is right. even though its on the ground, the utility will set the price of the theft at the price of brand new wire. it would be very easy to get a grand theft charge for scrap wire. in situations like that where big stretches of wire has been downed, i have found utility crews making repairs that was willing to let me have all i could gather to keep them from having to make extra trips hauling it back. you can also submit a request to the utility that will grant you clean up rights to certain stretches of roadway. they have to do it that way to be sure you dont get electrocuted and sue them (if you live).


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## Geo (Nov 9, 2012)

BTW, EC wire is the highest grade aluminum as far as scrap value just above aluminum wheels.


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## pimpneightez (Nov 10, 2012)

It seemed the electrical company just left it for trash on the side of the road. They fixed the short and rolled it up and taped it in 6 big loops then left it on the side of the road. It wasn't like I was just taking down wire from poles(Is it still stealing?) My bad if it is. Another scrapper I know was picking Stuff up that was floating down the road in two feet of water. He got busted for looting but this seems like a grey area. what ever happened to finders keepers? There is no steal in this wire just aluminum. I had one guy tell me to use a potatoe peeler and another guy said make it soft with a propane torch and cut it with a razor blade(I don't think either of these solutions are acceptable) And I think the length is to short to be usable again to sell back to anybody maybe 20-30 feet at best.

editted


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## Geo (Nov 10, 2012)

yes, it is still theft. theres a utility truck that goes and picks it up. normally, the utility will auction the scrap of a couple of times a year. they will prosecute theft to make an example out of whoever they can. when i was younger (maybe 18 or so) the utility where i lived was replacing transmission lines and had dropped the old copper lines for miles and left it on the ground. it was a holiday weekend. i didnt know better at the time and though i was truly helping out as i had a neighbor the the old lines went across her driveway, she was happy for me to get it up. i went and gathered wire off the side of the road for several miles.it was over a ton of barebright #1 copper. when i went to sell, it was reported and i almost went to jail. the utility gave me the option of signing an affidavit stating that the wire was their property so they could retrieve it from the police. since i was never paid, there was no restitution so the utility decided not to press charges. i was very lucky a somewhat wiser.


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## Smack (Nov 10, 2012)

If someone parks a car on the side of the road and leaves it_________________. If no one comes looking for it I would not turn it in for scrap in the form of wire for a number of years without permission from the power company.


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## rusty (Nov 10, 2012)

pimpneightez said:


> Being that we just had a sick hurricane in the north east Im coming across alot of insulated aluminum wire from telephone poles. Ive been using a grinder to cut through the insulation but it's time consuming and messy. Anybody know if there's a tool that will make it easier? Ive tried the smallest grinding wheel I could find it works but like I said messy. I'm thinking about using the metal disc grinding wheel next then maybe a jig with a small battery dewalt circular saw. any tips would be appreciated.



These types of posts belong on the Scrap Metal Forum http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/forum.php


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