[UPDATED: Added photos by Rasa Kavaliauskaitė. 3.9.2013] Post originally published at: http://www.pixelache.ac/
Photos on flickr.com
RETROSPECTIVE NOTE
The copper scavenging workshop by Ore.e Refineries for Pixelversity went well. We changed the original plans and didn’t go to “Niemen Romukauppa” in Tattarisuo… Instead went to “Romuliike Meriokanto Raimo” in Kumpula. The price of copper was 4,20 per kilo and we made 16,80 profit. Profits where shared with the group. Some video streams to the Pixelversity Bambuser channel where made during the day (but mostly photos where taken). Above is the receipt of the copper transaction.
During the “Metal Scavenging is Alchemy” waste expedition, blacksmith Jesse Sipola and artist Eero Yli-Vakkuri from Ore.e Refineries will escort participants into the world of Copper Scavenging 30. August. This waste expedition is the 3rd organised within the context of the Pixelversity 2013 Waste/d theme. The expedition will take participants for a bike trip from Helsinki downtown (meet in Hakaniementori) to Tattarisuo.
Sipola is well tuned to the junkyard scene of Helsinki and has disassembled engines for copper at his smithy in Espoo. Ore.e Refineries is a company advocating sustainable design and has worked on copper related projects since 2007, and invite you into a one day workshop process for scavenging copper and making profit! There is detailed information about programme & expectations below. Copper can be found practically anywhere in the city.
Register your interest & contacts to participate: http://pixelache.muistio.tieke.fi/pv13-waste-expeditions-oree and don’t forget to read more about Copper also.
Related blog post:
http://www.pixelache.ac/blog/2013/copper-scavaging-waste-expedition-with-ore-e-refineries
CONTACTS
Concerning workshop, travels and program: Eero Yli-Vakkuri (Ore.e Ref.) / eero //äät storijapan.net / +358 5057 29743
Converning Pixelversity 2013 Waste Management Expeditions: Andrew Paterson / andrew //äät pixelache.ac / +358 5040 23828
PROGRAM (via Ore.e Ref.)
30.8.2013
Meeting in Hakaniementori at 10:00. We’ll make a ~15km bike trip from Hakaniemi to Niemen Romukauppa Oy (http://www.niemenromu.fi/ ) in Tattarinsuo metal junk yards. While biking trough the city we’ll keep a look for copper related trash on the way. When copper related junk is found it’ll be scavenged on the field. Niemen romu is open until 16:00 and so we’ll need to arrive around 14:00 to have a proper look around.
You’ll need a bike, wire cutters, gloves, a box cutter, backpack, food/water and a positive attitude.
Looking at the city as a mobile scavenger
Visiting the Museum of Technology area
We’ll sell the copper we’ve collected durign the workshop
Talk about the experience.
All of the profit goes to Jesse?
Optional Day 0. (Before the workshop)
Participants are encouraget to scavenge all sorts of copper containing junk from the city and their homes before the workshop. The copper you bring along will be traded to cash at Tattarinsuo 30.8. Construction sites are good places to look for material. If you are having trouble finding dumpsters in Helsinki try using the https://www.facebook.com/groups/roskalava.helsinki/ service.
Tutorial on how to peel electric wires in Helsinki: http://youtu.be/ZTdrz6C5phg
Look for electric wires, old tvs, computers, transducers, power supplies, electric machinery
You’ll need wire cutters, gloves, a box cutter, a backpack, a bike, flashlight and a positive attitude.
The stuff you collect does not have to be clean. A focus of the workshop is that we’ll
TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
30.8 Hakaniementori to Rattitie 12-14 (Tattarisuo)
15km bike trip will take 2-3 hours
10:00 Departure by bike from Hakaniemen tori (Center)
~12:00 Museum of Technology (Viikintie 1, HKI)
~14:00 Niemen Romukauppa Oy, Rattitie 12-14 00770 HKI (Tattarisuo)
Perhaps we’ll buy beers and ciders with the profits? Biking back will possibly be harder (but funnier).
Link (Short link: http://bit.ly/10Z7WQp ):
http://pk.reittiopas.fi/fi/#from(point*2552569*6673654)to(point*2558681*6683503)mapcenter(point*2555637*6678580)mapzoom(7)
ABOUT COPPER (via Ore.e Ref.)
Copper is one of the first metals people have learned to use and it has a lot of applications. Modern cities and lifestyles are dependent on it. It is the best medium for transmitting information and energy. You’ll find it inside walls and computers, conveying electricity and bits. As it doesn’t rust it’s also used in plumbing systems and as a roofing material. “Copper is 100% recyclable without any loss of quality”.
It’s mostly hidden form plain site, inside transducers and PVC insulation – So people aren’t aware how much of it is wasted. As buildings are renovated it’s common to dispose of old electric wires by throwing them in the trash… When you learn to look for it you start to see the city in a new way. Every dumpster is a treasure chest filled with copper bullions turned into spaghetti. A kilo of copper can be sold for 3-to-5 euros!
But before you start profiting from extension cords and copper strings you’ve pulled from your amplifier, you’ll have to strip the insulation. Inside 10 kg of the common three-phase copper cable (similar to what you find in laptop chargers) there is nearly 2,8kg of copper. You also need to know where you’ll get the best price for your efforts. See the city from the scavengers perspective; hunt for copper junk in Helsinki!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper
Ore.e Refineries on North-South theme
Manufacturing a Copper Plate for Printmaking (2007): http://youtu.be/_AsNsZxosiE
Copper Scavenging – Helsinki: How to Peel Electric Wires. (2013): http://youtu.be/ZTdrz6C5phg
On copper as a material: Jussi Parikka – An Alternative Deep Time of the Media: a Geologically Tuned Media Ecology https://vimeo.com/72676524#t=963