I did this the first time I got a pick. Needed to know the whole scale of what I was working with. Tried disconnecting it from all contacting terrain to see if it could drop or break. No such luck. I swear I've since heard other people collapsing them but IDK if it's worth it.

I'm pretty glad that I tried that. I don't think it would have been exciting had I already knew about the true nature of copper collecting beforehand. It seems quicker and nicer for your pick durability to simply look for the next vein after all surface copper has been taken.