Copper, Brass metal shortages

[Modelworks]

I just watched the news here in NC and there was a story first about how a gas leak last week was caused by someone stealing the copper gas lines.

They said that the local recyclers were all required to get photo id for scrap metal now.

After that they had a story about the local police departments, saying they had some ammunition that was on backorder for several weeks. Partly to do with the war in iraq but also due to lack of copper and brass.

So I go to the post office, theres a lady in line talking about how someone snatched her outdoor AC compressor and her neighbors and how they found both units at a local recycler after the police tipped them off that it was likely some crackheads after easy money.

Has the lack of copper really gotten that bad ? Recyclers here say they give $2.54 a pound for copper. And copper is one of the heavier metals.

Just curious if people in other parts of the country have heard anything about things like this.

 

[slsmnaz]

Been happening for a long time, even when copper was low. We had our warehouses broken into by people looking for copper tube (building wholesaler). The price going thru the roof didn't help either.

 

[Stifko]

I know some guys that used to melt lead and pour it into copper pipes to make them heavier. They must check for that more carefully now. Time to get rid of my scrap metal that is lying around.

 

[Homerboy]

all caused by these kids and their OC'ing their CPUs
have you see those new HS/Fans?!??

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Ammo prices, in particular for .223 is up 20%+ just over the past month. Several agencies are short of ammo, with backlogs of months now, not just weeks.

 

[BigJ]

Go back two-three years ago and look at the prices of wire and tubing compared to now.

It really is that bad.

 

[RU482]

According to New Scientist (May 26, 2007) the earth has an estimated 61 years supply of copper left.

 

[montypythizzle]

Well, if all goes as planned... We will have plenty of lead and copper in Iraq after this war is won New mining techniques will have to be utilized, such as cadaver dogs

 

[ballmode]

Man I feel that by the time I am near death the world will be so expensive to live in....

I'm 23 now...

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Ammo prices, in particular for .223 is up 20%+ just over the past month. Several agencies are short of ammo, with backlogs of months now, not just weeks.

That has to suck.
Imagine being a police officer and being told "You can only have half a clip of ammo"
Or something similar.

 

[legoman666]

Originally posted by: redly1
According to New Scientist (May 26, 2007) the earth has an estimated 61 years supply of copper left.

That's BS. It's not like we burn and use copper, it's just being used for more things. There is as much copper now as there was 100 years ago. Just need to make a greater effort to recycle it.

 

[hanoverphist]

here in az the company i work for makes a pretty good wage replacing the well, pump and generator copper leads that keep getting stolen. ive made a ton of cash off of intrusion measures for the same site that got robbed as well. we also had our back door driven through just to get to our spools of cable and other copper stuff we keep in the shop. for amounts over 75 bucks, the salvage places have to cut a check (you have to show ID to get that) and over 300 dollars they have to mail you a check. copper thieves stole the water pipes two time in the building i work in. really sucked to have no bathroom or water fountains for those few days while they replaced it all.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: legoman666

Originally posted by: redly1
According to New Scientist (May 26, 2007) the earth has an estimated 61 years supply of copper left.

That's BS. It's not like we burn and use copper, it's just being used for more things. There is as much copper now as there was 100 years ago. Just need to make a greater effort to recycle it.

I bet there is a LOT more that goes to waste that you think. Just think about all of the copper that goes into phone and networking wires. It almost NEVER gets recyled. It's just not practical to do so. But it accounts for tons and tons of copper being used once you add it up.

Plus you have lots of copper going into disposable/throw away items that your average person either doesn't know how to recycle or doesn't care to.

 

[Modelworks]

I think I'll be going pvc for anything outside.
If it gets too bad I could always throw up an electric fence around the ac unit outside
I wonder if it will get high enough in price per pound to make pennies worth recycling.
How many pennies in a pound ?

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Ammo prices, in particular for .223 is up 20%+ just over the past month. Several agencies are short of ammo, with backlogs of months now, not just weeks.

That has to suck.
Imagine being a police officer and being told "You can only have half a clip of ammo"
Or something similar.

That is due to more demand for ammunition in general than base material costs.

With the war in the ME and general uneasiness over there it is all getting sucked up.

 

[Agentbolt]

According to New Scientist (May 26, 2007) the earth has an estimated 61 years supply of copper left.

Either you took that out of context or New Scientist is the single stupidest magazine ever. Copper isn't a resource we destroy when we use it. We can recycle more old computer, pennies, wiring, whatever. There's plenty of copper out there and most of it's not even underground.

 

[FoBoT]

it is mainly the crack/meth addicts stealing it
i have a solution, but you don't want to know what it is

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
it is mainly the crack/meth addicts stealing it
i have a solution, but you don't want to know what it is

They suffer an unfortunate smelting accident?

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: redly1
According to New Scientist (May 26, 2007) the earth has an estimated 61 years supply of copper left.

uh, is it leaving? or do you mean as in a finite accessible amount available for current usage (i.e. wiring in existing buildings is "current usage" vs. too much in landfills or something)

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: FoBoT
it is mainly the crack/meth addicts stealing it
i have a solution, but you don't want to know what it is

They suffer an unfortunate smelting accident?

if by "smelting accident" you mean "chop off their hands", then...


maybe

 

[rise]

Originally posted by: Homerboy
all caused by these kids and their OC'ing their CPUs
have you see those new HS/Fans?!??

lol.

i'm doing my part by switching to water

 

[adairusmc]

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: Modelworks

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Ammo prices, in particular for .223 is up 20%+ just over the past month. Several agencies are short of ammo, with backlogs of months now, not just weeks.

That has to suck.
Imagine being a police officer and being told "You can only have half a clip of ammo"
Or something similar.

That is due to more demand for ammunition in general than base material costs.

With the war in the ME and general uneasiness over there it is all getting sucked up.

I have been buying all the 5.56 ammo I possibly can every time I see it in stock for about a year now.

Just picked up 4,000 rounds of sardine sealed wolf 5.56 from ammoman.com last payday. Might as well get it while I can.

 

[Daishiki]

A crime analyst who I talked to mentioned that new housing developments tend to be targets of people ripping out copper piping and wiring to sell.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Daishiki
A crime analyst who I talked to mentioned that new housing developments tend to be targets of people ripping out copper piping and wiring to sell.

First thing you put in is the alarm system or hire a security guard.

They will literally rip out EVERYTHING the night of the day you put it in.

 

[TwiceOver]

We recently cleaned our production area and scrapped a bunch of copper wire for more than we originally paid for it. They even took our solder slag and some other stuff we thought was worthless.