Any way to remove coating off copper wire?

[imported_Jdo]

I've got some thick copper wire (single strand) but it's coated with something that makes it insulating. The coating is almost the same color as copper which is deceptive otherwise I wouldn't have gotten this kind of wire. Any simple home-made solution to get rid of the coating? Would bleach work?

Extreme closeups. It's about 1.8mm in diameter

Pic 1
Pic 2

 

[lokiju]

You can use wire strippers to peel it off?

 

[olds]

Fire.
How much did you steal?

 

[rival]

what is this new technology that coats wires to make it insulating?

 

[axelfox]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Fire.
How much did you steal?

hahaha

 

[Howard]

Magnet wire is my guess. Try soaking in MEK (butanone).

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Steel wool is your friend.

 

[Baked]

Were you and your friend posing as amateur photographers at the construction site?

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: Baked
Were you and your friend posing as amateur photographers at the construction site?

With a neighbor's cc in the car?

 

[PottedMeat]

Originally posted by: Howard
Magnet wire is my guess. Try soaking in MEK (butanone).

Or burn it off and sandpaper the section.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Fire.
How much did you steal?

Heh-heh...that was my first thought as well. The copper thieves have been going crazy here...stripping out electric motors, signs, light poles, even a couple that cut the dammed high-voltage power line for the copper!

 

[imported_Jdo]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Fire.
How much did you steal?

God! You guys are crazy. I thread-crap too but now I know how it feels to be on the receiving end! I did NOT steal this wire from anywhere. Bought a coil for about $18.

I don't think it's a "new technology". The insulation looks like copper but much more reddish which is sort of deceiving because I thought that it was all pure copper. However, when I cut a piece and looked at the cross section, I could see the lighter-colored copper in the centre so it's definitely insulation.

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Jdo

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Fire.
How much did you steal?

God! You guys are crazy. I thread-crap too but now I know how it feels to be on the receiving end! I did NOT steal this wire from anywhere. Bought a coil for about $18.

I don't think it's a "new technology". The insulation looks like copper but much more reddish which is sort of deceiving because I thought that it was all pure copper. However, when I cut a piece and looked at the cross section, I could see the lighter-colored copper in the centre so it's definitely insulation.

:camera: ?

 

[mattocs]

Toss it in a fire and the next day pull the copper out. Thats what the thieves do around here.

 

[biggestmuff]

:camera:?

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: biggestmuff
:camera:?

Repost biggestmuff!

 

[biggestmuff]

Originally posted by: Zim Hosein

Originally posted by: biggestmuff
:camera:?

Repost biggestmuff!

Yeah, I saw that. Beaten.

 

[Leros]

Is it really thin? I love that stuff. When you solder it, the insulation melts off.

 

[drinkmorejava]

It's enamel, just run a lighter across it and you'll see it burn off.

 

[jaqie]

I always scraped the enamel off with a pocketknife, works for me.

 

[Mr Pickles]

I was thinking about liquidating all I had and just buying copper, but then I said to hell with it I'll buy and Okocim Fire or three.

 

[Eli]

Some light sandpapering will work.

If you need to remove it from the whole spool, you could try methyl ethyl ketone(MEK). Nasty stuff though, handle with care.

 

[Nitemare]

throw it in a fawr

 

[jaqie]

Nail polish remover worked once when I tried it, but I hate the smell.

 

[Eli]

Yeah, acetone should work fine, and more safe than MEK.