Coaxial Cable Scrap: What Sellers Need to Know

Every coaxial cable is four layers: a center conductor, a foam or solid dielectric around it, a shield (braid, foil, or both), and an outer jacket. The copper lives in the center conductor and sometimes the shield — but “sometimes” is doing real work in that sentence, because coax construction varies more than any other common cable.

• RG-59 — thin (~20–22 AWG center), old CCTV, composite video, short antenna runs.
• RG-6 — the common one: 18 AWG center, TV, satellite, and cable-internet drops. Center conductor can be solid copper or copper-clad steel.
• RG-11 — thicker (14 AWG center), long trunk and riser runs.
• Hardline / Heliax — corrugated large-diameter cable from cell towers, broadcast, and radio sites; copper or aluminum construction. Yards grade it as its own category, separate from RG cable.

This is the test that matters: many RG-6 and RG-59 cables use a copper-clad steel (CCS) center conductor — copper skin over a steel core — instead of solid copper. From the outside they look identical. Two tests settle it: a magnet (steel core grabs it; solid copper ignores it) and a fresh cut (CCS shows a silver-gray core inside the copper skin). Shielding can likewise be copper or aluminum. Never assume coax is solid copper — test it.

Honestly, usually not. The copper per foot is modest, the layers fight you, and buyers purchase coax insulated by the category as a matter of course. Hardline/Heliax from tower work is the exception worth a conversation — it is its own yard category with real copper content. Photograph the cable markings, the cut end, and the quantity; that is all a buyer needs to quote it.

Photograph what you have — the wire, any jacket markings, and the overall quantity — and send it to Ironcrest for today’s offer. We buy nationally and coordinate pickup from your site.

Sell your copper to Ironcrest →  |  Call or text 312-880-8174  |  Send photos →

See also: Solid copper vs. look-alikes  |  Should I strip this wire?  |  Copper wire grades guide (canonical)

Is coaxial cable worth stripping?

Usually not — the copper per foot is modest and the layered construction is slow to strip. Sell it insulated by the category. Hardline/Heliax from tower and broadcast work is the notable exception and deserves its own quote.

Is RG-6 solid copper or copper-clad steel?

It can be either — manufacturers make both, and they look identical from outside. Test with a magnet: if it grabs the center conductor, it is copper-clad steel. A fresh cut shows the steel core inside the copper skin.

How do I tell if my coax center conductor is copper or steel?

Strip back the end and hold a magnet to the bare center conductor. Solid copper ignores the magnet; copper-clad steel grabs it. A cross-section cut confirms it visually — silver-gray core means steel.

Does the scrap yard take coax cable?

Yes — coax is a standard insulated-wire category. Many yards buy RG cable and Heliax/hardline as a matter of course; Heliax is often graded as its own higher category. Quantity and construction (copper vs. CCS) set the quote.

What is Heliax / hardline cable?

Large-diameter corrugated coaxial cable used for cell towers, broadcast, and radio infrastructure. It carries substantially more metal than RG cable and yards grade it separately — copper and aluminum constructions both exist, so the cut end still matters.