Old copper tanks

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Old copper tanks

Good afternoon all,

I have two old hot water tanks, obtained when both were replaced recently .Just looking at them, before I take them to the scrappy, there is quite a lot of copper sheet there, and this set me wondering has anyone else ever found a new use for such tanks ?  I do not make models but it seemed to me that there could be enough there to make boilers or some other parts for models, or indeed some other use.

Any ideas ??

PS   I hate to throw out anything and then find a use for it later !

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

Fred Dibnah used to make his weather vanes from old copper tanks.

 

[larry phelan 1]

On 8 October 2025 at 16:25 larry phelan 1 Said:

Old copper tanks

Good afternoon all,

I have two old hot water tanks […]

 

Any ideas ??

PS   I hate to throw out anything and then find a use for it later !

Check the price of scrap copper

… especially if they have heating pipes inside !

MichaelG.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Yes Michael, they do !

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

The old ones are much more useful than the new ones covered in foam. They are too thin for a lot of uses but are good for a) model boat sheeting over wood if recreating the plates of so many historic ships.
b) making small feed water tanks in model boats that are not pressurised
c) slug repellers for gardeners
d) electrodes for copper plating

 

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Much as I thought, Bazyle !

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

There use is dependent on what they were, mains pressure or gravity fed. Gravity tanks are thin but the sheet copper is useful for many things. Mains pressure will be much thicker eg 1.2mm and are very handy BUT they do not go as copper at the scrap yard unless you cut out all fittings and seams, as they are they are classed as brazery copper a lower class/price and if foam covered even lower.  Before going to a scrap yard phone round for prices, also remember they change daily. Good luck. Noel.

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

Cut off the concaved base, upturn it, and use it as a bird bath.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Cut the thin the copper into the form of leaves, use a brick bolster to tap the veins of the leaves into the shapes and then make very presentable garden ornaments for your loved one.

I made a water fountain feature where the water rose up through some copper tube, onto the top leaf and slowly splashed its way down the other leaves back into the pond.

bob

[Andy StopfordParticipant @andystopford50521]

I made a brewing copper out of one.

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

My father made a couple of exquisite candle sticks and a large log box out of my scrap tank.

Andrew.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

If you remove the foam, you get a bit more as scrap – last one I did a few years ago raised about £70.

Rob

[paul rushmerParticipant @paulrushmer83015]

I also have a bird bath made from the upturned base, one of my grandfathers locos has the boiler clad with the sheet from the centre section. One day I hope to make some 3 1/2 gauge box vans with corrgated ends made from these.

Paul

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

To Andy I say go the whole hog and make a still – you always need distilled water ! To the rest of you God bless and good night ! Noel.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

I agree, I think Andy has the best idea !

My thanks to all.

[Richard SimpsonParticipant @richardsimpson88330]

Around 40 years ago now I rewired a house.  Typical mid-war semi.  I kept all the old wire that was removed and put it into a large suitcase.  When I’d finished I took the lot down to my local scrap merchant and was very pleasantly surprised at what I got for it all.  I would have got a bit more had I bothered to strip the insulation but decided life was too short.

The trouble with an old tank is where to store it and process it while you decide on the best course of action.  Take it down the scrap yard and put a bit of money in your pocket.  If you can’t resist the urge to do something with them, cut them in half and put them in the garden with some plants in them.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Here you Go Larry, nice little winter project for you!!

[Alan DonovanParticipant @alandonovan54394]

Hi.

I ‘lost out’ on an old copper tank recently.  My son was having his plumbing and heating upgraded in his old house.  He had agreed that I could have the copper tank.

That never arrived because the plumber said that he quoted his price on him reclaiming the metal in the tank ………….  Funny thing is – my son was only made aware of this  on completion of the work and my son never saw a ‘credit’ for the value of the tank on the invoice.

A.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Weigh them in.  The scrappy would pay you a considerable amount for them!

 

[parovozParticipant @parovoz]

Love the Steampunk engineering on the compressed air bike…. But it doesn’t look as though it’s really a proper ‘runner’. But still a work of art…..

 

 

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

If you want to salvage some of the copper before taking the remainder to the scrapyard, knock out any deposits if there is any limescale inside. The scrappie buys by weight and only wants the copper.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Our Men’s Shed collects things like copper flex and twin&earth ‘ends’ after second fix for a place where people with learning difficulties strip out the copper. It is fun occupational therapy and increases the scrap value for the organisation. See if you can find a similar place near you that you can support with your ‘scrap’.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

There are ‘hopefully’ many less of them about but the first house I bought circa 1980 had a rare old mix of cable. Some lead covered which actually wasn’t too bad electrically but stacks of rubber insulated which when you took in both hands and bent just shed all the insulation leaving bare wire. The house was a fire waiting to happen.

 

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Some great ideas there alright !

Just checked those tanks, they weigh in at 8Kg each. Price of scrap copper seems to be from 3Euro to 7 Euro per Kg.

Might hold on to them for a while.

PS  I like that bike idea !

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

I believe copper prices are now high and when checking remember they are brazery copper not No 1. Noel.

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