Scrapping Copper From a Fridge And Smelting an Ingot

I scrapped a refrigerator at home for copper, and what I found surprised me! This was unexpected but fun. Since my friend damaged the lines and lost all the refrigerant, it was easy to scrap this one without worrying about that side of things. Which was nice, because this one was more fun to smash up than I expected!
Here's the compressor video for anyone who missed it:
• I Bought 2775 lbs of A...
Wire stripper I use: amzn.to/3sirg18
The motorized stripper: amzn.to/3y0JMuQ
The wire cutters I like: amzn.to/2T6j3OW
The grips I recommend: amzn.to/2QCJmYl
The melting furnace: amzn.to/3EGxT2q
(If you make a purchase on amazon through the links above, a small amount of what amazon makes on the sale is shared with me. It's a great way to help support my channel, at no additional cost to you. Even if you buy something other than my tool recommendations!)
Please like/share this video if you enjoyed it, and subscribe to thubprint!
/ @thubprint
I love mail! You can send me some here if you like:
Drake Vincent
PO BOX 99900 RF 764 740
RPO WESTBROOK
CALGARY AB
T3C 1B6
/ thubprint
/ thubprint

[@Smacks1]

When I was 22 I worked at a recycling center baling plastics and aluminum cans then worked my way to the outside and receiving all the metal, precious metal, and appliances. My favorite was to break open appliances to take out whatever precious metals were in there then separating it all from clean to dirty into I think they were 4x6 bins and weighing them. Every 2 weeks a flatbed would come and I’d load them all up and repeat the process. I can honestly say out of all jobs I’ve had, that one was my favorite! I would love to get back into recycling

[@aaronhoyes1781]

Yours is one of the few channels that I'll suffer through the ads knowing that it will generate more revenue for you.

[@gravitybear]

Love it! Your voice-over work is great.

[@thubprint]

Thank you! I’m enjoying doing narration whenever I can

[@StaticM223]

I would LOVE to see more smelting videos, its so good

[@scrapitall200]

Always wonderful when we get more copper than expected. Very nice video!

[@dianeblanchette4891]

Thanks ! I enjoyed that!!

[@MadelineRose-ep7fj]

Always worried about freon, etc. Thank you for showing this video.😊

[@VibinBryan]

nice video thub! i love these calm (sorta) deconstruction videos

[@adamdaley8090]

Knowledge is power.

[@Home_Run_Kid72]

Thank you for stabilizing your scale!

[@Dean_F]

Dude loved your melting video! Hope to see more in the future 😊

[@BushDogScrapper]

The melting videos are cool I’d love to get a crucible set and some molds to try some metal pouring! CheeRs Brother ♻️🔥🤙🏻

[@ryanthescavenger]

Nice job brother was added bonus on that

[@patrickmorrissey2271]

Great job!

[@ltdan2990]

Great video as always, keep up the good work.

[@afineliner740]

Very interesting, something to look out for. 👍

[@gussuperman7565]

M8 that was an amazing amount of cu . Please continue with the good work God bless y'all.

[@timblankenship1980]

I have scrapped a heck of a lot of those but never knew about the copper tubing in the side. Enjoy your videos

[@thubprint]

Neither did I! It was a happy surprise

[@thubprint]

@@oldbonesbushcraftrodjackso474 I’ve never seen it either, I’m pretty sure if the unit has the condenser on the back it won’t have lines through the sides

[@MrChunkydunk]

Try graphite powder. Just a light dusting before heating your mold. Should help with porosity.

[@thubprint]

I’m gonna shop for some! Probably not expensive either

[@MrChunkydunk]

@thubprint it cost as much as a pencil. Take the lead out and grind it in a pestle or something similar

[@jrae6608]

Thanks, interesting

[@LeanneRende]

I think it's great you can now melt your own metal. I've always wanted to do it, but just don't know if I can/ should, like if it's worth having to buy everything needed. In my heart I know I want to, I just don't know if my pocket will let me 😅 great video! Find it better than you found it ❤

[@thubprint]

Well you can make your own melt furnace out of all kinds of things but the insulation is expensive regardless. It’s fun! I think the expensive part is when you want equipment to cast things you can actually use, mold making and such

[@bigcountryscrapper6885]

Great video

[@alanlepard6207]

Super science, Thub -- thanks!

[@exait703]

Thub is always the Man!

[@dr.h489]

Great video as usual 👌 A humble request, if you can make a video of how to make your own furnace at home + expenses. Thank you

[@thubprint]

I could, but aren’t there already many of those very videos out there?

[@unchained20000000]

informational video

[@lukipuki7604]

Yesss i needed this

[@trench124]

@thub a new carrier awaits you in refrigerator repair 😂

[@MB-bt9km]

Oooo, is the forge new?

[@derekelliott6098]

Technology Connections does a video on Mr Coffee and the thermo contact switch. He explains how they work. Your comment is on par.

[@aureliaa723]

All fridges have lines running up to the freezer even full size ones You don't have to cut the metal outside just break the plastic inside the fridge exposing all the lines and wires Full size fridges the lines run to an aluminum radiator and fan behind the back freezer wall Easily accessible removing 2 screws The cold air for the fridge comes from the freezer through vents at the top of the fridge compartment

[@stuartsmg1]

The fridge he was tearing down had about 1 1/2 inches of foam between the inside of the fridge and the tubing that was taped to the outer shell of the fridge. He had to cut it

[@DianaRea-nv8zc]

Love this!!!

[@KayleeKerin]

What is this Thubstacked? (Smelting is SO fun, and what got me into scrapping.)

[@scottpawley1143]

Just one question when the copper is melted just before the pour do you have to remove slack? like ali has slack on top of the melted metal. Be great hear reply nice video too

[@wszechmocnieuzdolniony]

Super 👍👍👍

[@Wreck-Gar]

I hate getting fridges, all that foam is a pain in the backside. Great video as always Thub ❤👍

[@Guilhem-h1q]

copper price in your evaluation is 3.35 a pound, when the actual price is 3.35 an ounce! which is 12 times more if you have 900 grams, that s about 30 ounces, at current 4$ price, it's 120$ US Am i missing something?

[@BTP40]

Hell ya brotha!

[@scrappirateroberts]

Really enjoyable one. Thanks! 😁 🏴‍☠

[@Jedi_Scowen]

Have you been watching Bigstackd?

[@whatarewedoing0]

ive had all those pipes be steel around the fridge, rough

[@Kingcollin600]

Hey thumbprint I got a round transformer and at least weights 12 pounds or more, and I'm having trouble getting all of the copper off of it. Do you have any suggestions?

[@iffy9776]

Sounds like you have a Toroidal transformer, I tend to cut around it with a grinder. Otherwise, it takes a long time to unwind manually.

[@andyprigge4754]

Non Ferile( Non feral) Drake ha ha just for for the scrap addicts.

[@iffy9776]

I cut open a compressor a few days ago, and the copper windings in the compressor were about 10% aluminium. The modern fridge has more and more aluminium windings in the compressor. I find the UK made fridge has a higher chance of finding copper in the compressor. If the compressor is made in China, I tend to leave them. As coppers atomic mass is twice that of aluminium. I have tried keeping a chart of the makes and weight of the compressors. I now know what a copper compressor is and what aluminium is. After cutting open hundreds.

[@curtispederson9390]

Do you pay to have them evacuated??

[@thubprint]

No, I don’t take them with refrigerant in them. This one was given to me by a friend because he punctured it when trying to clean the ice out

[@beowulfstreasure9523]

I love watching your videos but in this one I need to make a critique. PLEASE, preheat your mold and if you already do please say so. It prevents stream explosions. If one person learns that it will be worth it.

[@andyprigge4754]

Maybe if youtube went away we would not have all these scrappers reducing the price of the commodity and you and I could make a good living. Question though. Aluminum is basically solidified electricity. That being the case why is it so cheap? There must be a reverse process to get that electricity back out making it a cash cow. I remember during covid I was looking for a part for my van to fix it and was told we do not sell used parts we are just crushing them as metal and sending them to the chi coms. Anyway that model is badly broken now due to despotic allies that the chi coms have. Did you even have the patience to read this Drake?

[@daleh645]

Educational as always, great video. 👍 God bless 🙏🏼🇺🇸🇨🇦🇮🇱 #MAGA

[@ThisCharminManc]

I was under the impression that fridges like this have freon gas in them. I’ve had the opportunity to get 3 or 4 of these recently and didn’t 🙈

[@thubprint]

Oh they do have Freon, or some kind of refrigerant anyway. This one was just already empty because my friend accidentally made a hole in it

[@jamesherman1350]

I have a question. Is it worth it from an economic standpoint to smelt it down into a bar, or just take it to the scrap yard as is?

[@thubprint]

Oh it’s definitely not worth it, it’s just a waste of time and fuel if all you’re doing it selling it to the scrapyard, you don’t get more for it

[@jamesherman1350]

@thubprint thank you for your input. The ingots look real cool and I am a copper nut.

[@Maharchudery1]

Is that is not dengers is not can blast or some thing what about that big battery

[@andyprigge4754]

Or do you see copper going up a lot? Me thinks not because so much of it gets reused or recycled. If only they would stop that then it would be a diminishing qty.

[@garrysekelli6776]

Did you hear about that one dude who died while attempting to smelt metal in an amateur setup? Then he inhaled mercury vapors and (he ded)

[@julieb.2868]

3rd

[@JacobafJelling]

Mate Just do metric man

[@andyprigge4754]

All that work for 12bucks, better off collecting cans.

[@abdullahislam8978]

are there any cans in copper?

[@williamralph8613]

Get out an about please

[@thubprint]

I’ll probably do one next week!

[@eternalbatteringram5916]

If there was refrigerant in the Compressor how would I take it out without breathing in the toxic gas ? Crimp the lines before cutting?

[@thubprint]

Its pressurized so crimping wouldn’t work, you need to capture it with a pump and tank

[@eternalbatteringram5916]

Sorry, I meant how to remove the Compressor without the gas leaking not saving it the gas. Crimping don't work ?

[@artaxerxes2363]

Cut the lines outside , i do it all the time. Just dont let anybody see ya do it.

[@thubprint]

@@artaxerxes2363 this is not the place to encourage irresponsible and illegal behaviour

[@klu753]

yes i do the same thing , eff them. @@artaxerxes2363

[@bradhafichuk]

Honestly, I enjoyed watching this more than the latest bigstackD. 15 min investment vs. over an hour to watch a melt video works for me!