What to do with a bunch of copper wire?

March 24, 2011 2:17 PM

Who's got a interesting idea for a bunch of copper wire?

I pulled a bunch of copper wire out of some tvs. I don't want to make jewelry, and thought about building a motor or a sculpture, but haven't come up with anything that actually made me want to get starting building it. Got any interesting ideas?

posted by keame to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

One of the banks I visit has this table with a wire thing on it that kids can move beads along. I suppose you could make a maze-like object and add beads or notions as an art project.
posted by dragonplayer at 2:27 PM on March 24, 2011

Response by poster: I like it dragonplayer, but maybe big-people sized, like 7 feet tall that you could walk through. Sounds fun.
posted by keame at 2:34 PM on March 24, 2011

If you have that much copper, you might have fun with some backyard smelting.

If that project is to big, you can probably hammer it into a brick and carve it with a dremel tool.
posted by snsranch at 2:40 PM on March 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

If you have a lot and don't come up with anything to build with it, you could always sell it for scrap (copper is really expensive right now) and buy materials you do want to work with.
posted by cecic at 2:42 PM on March 24, 2011 [3 favorites]

Build a beautiful crystal radio?

Or a giant electromagnet?

Or a miniature tesla coil?
posted by -harlequin- at 3:15 PM on March 24, 2011

You could home-wind some guitar pickups.
posted by lekvar at 3:37 PM on March 24, 2011

Ball Bearing Roller Coaster
posted by Acton at 7:36 PM on March 24, 2011

Giant bent wire mobile! Possible with steam-punky theme?
posted by ldthomps at 8:58 AM on March 25, 2011

Response by poster: Wow, awesome ideas, thanks. Unfortunately snsranch, I live in a city apt., so smelting probly isn't going to happen. Carving is a good excuse to finally buy a dremel tool though.
posted by keame at 3:28 PM on March 30, 2011 [1 favorite]