Set the Split
Decide with the crew who gets what before the job starts. The foreman's call, in writing, in the group text.
FOR JOURNEYMEN & LEAD MEN • SERVICE CHANGES • BIG PULLS • CREW SPLITS
THE ELECTRICIAN'S SCRAP WIRE GUIDE
The apprentice gets the cutoff bucket — the journeyman gets the service change. Bigger pulls, old service wire, demo'd panels, and the occasional motor: this is the guide for the wireman running the job, deciding the split, and holding the crew's whole stream.
Foreman's CallNo MinimumsService ChangesFast Quotes
THE JOURNEYMAN'S STREAM
Bigger wire, bigger lots, bigger decisions.
- Service-change wire: old number 2 through 4/0 service entrance cable pulled during upgrades. Heavy, valuable, and long.
- Demo'd panels and disconnects: copper bus bars and breakers inside steel cans. Worth pulling apart at the shop.
- Big pulls and feeders: long runs of thick wire from commercial work. The best strip-or-sell decision in the trade.
- Motors: copper windings inside steel frames. Small motors add up; big ones are events worth calling about.
- A single service change can produce 50 to 300 lbs of wire and equipment.
- Contractor crews run multiple yard trips a year — and the foreman usually decides who gets what.
- The foreman's decision: the split is the lead man's call. Set it before the job starts, not after it ends.
- Old-timer math from the trade: one contractor's crews average hundreds of dollars per yard trip, several trips a year, split across the crew.
SERVICE CHANGE50–300 lbs
Old service wire, panel, and meter gear.
BIG PULL100+ lbs
Commercial feeders and long thick runs.
CREW SPLITSet early
The foreman's call, made before the job.
THE FOREMAN'S PLAYBOOK
Decide the split before the first pull.
The crews that fight about scrap are the crews that never set the rule. Set it on day one.
- SET IT EARLY — “Crew splits the service-change wire evenly” — said before the job, honored after it.
- APPRENTICE TRADITION — Many shops give the cutoff bucket to the apprentice and split the big stuff. Say it out loud.
- STRIPPING PARTIES — Some crews strip together and split evenly — the cookout version of scrap day.
- WRITE IT DOWN — A group text with the split ends every argument before it starts.
YOUR TYPICAL LOT
From a panel swap to a commercial pull.
Whether you are holding one service change or a truck bed of feeders, it all counts. No minimums — every bucket counts.
PANEL SWAP50–150 lbs
Old panel, service wire, and meter gear.
SERVICE CHANGE100–300 lbs
Full upgrade with long service runs.
COMMERCIAL PULL300+ lbs
Big feeders and demo'd gear. Call about pickup.
FROM JOB TO CASH
How the journeyman sells.
Pull and Stage
Coil the service wire, stack the panels, set motors aside. Keep copper, brass, and steel loosely separated.
Text Photos to Sonny
Send a photo of your pile to 312-880-8174 for a fast quote. No minimums — every bucket counts.
Drop Off and Get Paid
Bring it by, watch it weighed in the open, and get paid by check, wire, or cash.
WHY IRONCREST
Why journeymen sell their wire to Ironcrest
- No minimums — every bucket counts. One service change gets the same welcome as a commercial pull.
- Fast quotes from a photo: text your pile, get a real number back.
- Weighed in the open on a digital scale. You see every pound.
- Quick payment by check, wire, or cash once your lot settles.
- One direct contact: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174 — not a yard window, not a phone tree.
- Your material never leaves the United States.
ONE DIRECT CONTACT
Talk to Sonny, not a department
Every quote runs through one person who answers the phone: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174. No portals, no ticket queues, no yard line.
- NO MINIMUMS — Every bucket counts. One bucket of cutoffs gets the same welcome as a truckload.
- FAST QUOTES — Send photos of your material and get a real number back fast.
- QUICK PAYMENT — Check, wire, or cash once your lot settles.
- US ONLY — Your material never leaves the United States.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Asked by workers holding this material.
What do electricians do with scrap wire?
The smart ones sell it. Cutoffs go in the apprentice's bucket, service-change wire and panels get staged for the crew split, and the lot gets sold when it is worth the trip. The rest goes in the dumpster — which is the habit this page is trying to break.
Who decides who gets the scrap on a crew?
The foreman. It is the lead man's call on every job, and the crews that never fight about it are the ones that set the split before the first pull. A group text with the rule ends every argument.
Should I strip service cable or sell it as-is?
Long runs of thick service cable are the best strip-or-sell decision in the trade — they can be worth the effort. Short pieces and thin wire almost never are. When in doubt, ask when you call and you will get a straight answer for your specific pile.
Is a demo'd panel worth anything in scrap?
Yes — copper bus bars and breakers live inside the steel can. Panels sell as a mixed lot: the copper inside grades as copper, the steel can as steel. Pull the guts at the shop if you have the time.
Do motors have enough copper to bother with?
Small motors add up across a year, and big motors are worth calling about on their own. Copper windings are the value — sell motors whole and let the buyer handle the teardown.
How do I sell a truckload without wasting a day at the yard?
That is the whole point of selling direct: text photos to 312-880-8174, get a fast quote, drop it off, and get paid. No yard line, no scale house, no ticket window.
THE CREW'S STREAM, SOLD RIGHT
Your service-change pile is worth a quote.
Text a photo of your wire, panels, and gear to 312-880-8174. You will get a fast quote based on what is actually there — no minimums, no yard lines.