[pianotech] Copper recycling of bass strings

[Laura Olsen]

It's not what I would call easy, but you can take a larger (1" diameter) metal washer bend it slightly and, after unwinding just a bit of the copper, pull the copper through the washer with a pair of needle nose pliers.  If you're shorter than the string you can stand on a stair or stool and by holding the washer and pulling the tail that is the winding you can spin that winding right off the wire.  Try it yourself and see if you can make the procedure safe enough for a 13 year old. 

Laura Olsen
Barrington, IL
On Jul 1, 2011, at 4:38 AM, John Delacour wrote:

> At 23:28 -0700 30/06/2011, Rob McCall wrote:
> 
>> I have a set of bass strings I removed from an old grand. My 13 year old wants to know if she can have the money from recycling the copper.  The recycling place won't take it if it's still wrapped on the steel core.
>> 
>> I've tried to find an easy way to have my daughter remove the copper but the effortless method has eluded me to date. :-)
>> 
>> Anyone have any ideas?
> 
> I wish I had.  I get £4 per kilo for "bright" copper scrap but they give very little for what they call "brassy iron" and I have hundredweights of it waiting for the right idea to light up.
> 
> I think the answer for a large quantity is to hire or build a furnace, but for the 5 pounds of copper you're going to get from one set there's no cost-effective answer unless your children are good with an oxy-acetylene torch!
> 
> JD