Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 41 to 55 of 55
  1. #41
    EcoSafe started this thread.
    EcoSafe's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    May 2011
    Posts
    3,705
    Thanks
    3,713
    Thanked 6,807 Times in 1,954 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by scrappy1 View Post
    I dont bother with opening the compressors. I just weigh them and sell them to a guy that cuts them open for a % of the valuable metals. You will need a cutting torch or grinder a large container for the oil. And a large vice to hold it in place as you work on it. Check it out on youtube. Its a messy job. But if you have lots of them and the time. Its a pain getting the copper off the staters. I did it once.. After you go through cutting wheels or blowtorch gas. It might be better off selling them whole. All the supplys add up too!
    love what you do you are providing a job for some one else probably an SIS (survival income scrapper/suplimental income scrapper. thanks.



  2. #42
    RustyDollars's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Central Wis
    Posts
    426
    Thanks
    438
    Thanked 533 Times in 213 Posts
    I found this video to really help take the mystery out of what to expect when opening a refrigerator compressor. The video is not mine but I hope it helps answer some questions for others.
    If it wasn't for the $ in $crap, it would just be.....

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to RustyDollars for This Post:


  4. #43
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Ocala fl
    Posts
    100
    Thanks
    73
    Thanked 72 Times in 36 Posts
    On a side note the oil in compressors works great for keeping sawzall blades and drill bits from overheating.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to fordsix for This Post:


  6. #44
    eesakiwi's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
    2,531
    Thanks
    2,909
    Thanked 2,556 Times in 1,227 Posts
    I use a 9 inch disc angle grinder.
    They cost NZ$6 (US$4.80) each & cut more than 12 compressors open.

    Theres a knack to the taller refrigerator/freezer compressors, you have to cut them in the right place & then drop the laminations/copper wire part out of the casing.

    I have photos of one disassembled. Will post soon.

  7. #45
    skylinejack's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Baton Rouge, La.
    Posts
    827
    Thanks
    1,194
    Thanked 959 Times in 400 Posts
    Please do.
    AMERICAN BORN, AMERICAN BRED! AND I'M PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!!!

  8. #46
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Usa
    Posts
    763
    Thanks
    67
    Thanked 312 Times in 179 Posts
    Get the plasma cutter from harbor Freight. The blue invertor one, not the red pos. You can get it for like 500 with the 20% coupon. It has almost a 100% duty cycle and cuts the cases a helluva faster than anything. I only use the torches anymore for portability sake. If I had a big enough genny, then I would be using the plasma full time.

    But once you learn the zen to the plasma cutter, the tips last a helluva long time and you will be splitting the cases fast.

    Here is another tip too. I have a winch on the push bumper of my truck. I installed a d-ring to one side on the bumper. First I take the stator and throw it in a wood fire. This burns all the varnish and oil crap out of the copper windings.

    Now take the stator cinch it in cold water. Now the windings is loose and u can pick by hand. For the stubborn ones, hook the winch to the windings and the stator with a small chain to the d-ring. Push the button and the copper windings will pull out quicker than snot out of a hankie.

    I have it down to almost exact science. I can do most compressors in like 1 per 5 min ratio or less. So like 10-12 hour. Which it equates to min 1 lb copper to 2 lbs copper per stator. This equates to $36 hour to $72 per hour for labor by math.

    So anyone that says it aint worth it then sell me the compressors. My yard buys them as sealed units for 15c lb. I thought they were considered electric motors, but was wrong. So I will buy the compressors for 20-25c lb if anyone here does'nt want to fidget with them. :>

    Oh and hate to say this. But for whatever unknown reason the one yard here will accept burnt copper as #1 no matter the size or anything. If the copper was through a fire then its automatically #1. So this is another reason for throwing the stators in the wood fire. I guess the copper is technically clean by burning it lol.
    Last edited by ozzy214; 02-23-2012 at 04:39 AM.

  9. #47
    eesakiwi's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
    2,531
    Thanks
    2,909
    Thanked 2,556 Times in 1,227 Posts
    I have photos of one disassembled. Will post soon.

    Quote Originally Posted by skylinejackjr View Post
    Please do.
    Done


    Its not the brightest image, but if you cut 360 degrees around the case where the 3 big spotwelds are, it should come apart like this.
    You have to make a steel post so you can bash the casing down on it so the actual lamination's/copper wire part falls out of the casing.
    Thats the bottom two parts.
    The top parts fall out when it broken in 1/2.
    The spindle (shaft) part has 8 flat square very strong metal magnets inside it
    Last edited by eesakiwi; 02-23-2012 at 09:16 PM.

  10. The Following 3 Users say Thank You for This Post by eesakiwi:


  11. #48
    danielms's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    mississippi
    Posts
    133
    Thanks
    71
    Thanked 31 Times in 25 Posts
    use the oil to offset fuel costs in a deisel truck maybe a 50/50 guys on the deisel forums run highly filtered motor oil at a 50/50 so this should be ok

  12. #49
    eesakiwi's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
    2,531
    Thanks
    2,909
    Thanked 2,556 Times in 1,227 Posts
    Fridge motors with copper on.
    One end cut off.
    just the copper wire
    Last edited by eesakiwi; 04-11-2012 at 03:42 AM.

  13. #50
    wescrapmetal's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Location
    halifax
    Posts
    182
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 74 Times in 38 Posts
    hmmm i have a hundred or more of these

  14. #51
    eesakiwi's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
    2,531
    Thanks
    2,909
    Thanked 2,556 Times in 1,227 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by wescrapmetal View Post
    hmmm i have a hundred or more of these
    Hmmm, you then have over US$500.....

    If I have a lot of this wire I wash it with the dirty hot water from my dishwasher. They noticed at the scrapyard the last time I did it.

  15. #52
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    11
    Thanks
    16
    Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
    Hey Mick, and all the rest of you good folks,
    I as a matter of fact have worked many ...Many refrig . compressors, and truthfully have this bastange operation down to a science.
    Being meticulis (sp.?) is the first op. Cutting the initial case,or pot as it were, with as thin as possible cutoffwheel works superbly,making ths afore mentioned cut just up, or down from the seam weld is appropriatelynecessary,not On the weld.
    Dont push it just let the wheel do its thing ,walking round the pot...voala,careful now,pick the unit up, or smash down creating force ,dislodging comp. unit from pot.
    Asit were this is where ya gotta hold yer tongue jus right, Cutting along the topof the iron,so as to release the copper windings,carefully,popping the "nugget" of Cu from atop cleanly ,whereby alliowing the aforementioned winding to be released,by grippin with pliers,grips,or approp. tools, thru the bottom of the ring of iron without problem.so, in short ...cutoff wheel,vice,hammer,vicegrips ,lastbutnotleast safety apparel. Good Luck to Yas!
    Lucky Luckys Recov. Ent. Okc. Ok.

  16. #53
    scrapdaddyj's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Meridian, ID
    Posts
    53
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked 39 Times in 21 Posts
    Be careful with you numbers. Most compressors from the average condensing unit weigh in at around 50-60 pounds. That's if you can get them from condensing units. It takes a lot if window air compressors to make some good money. The formula for success is get a plasma cutter. It'll cut open a compressor in less than a minute.
    The best way to acquire them is hit up hvac companies.
    I made some good contacts at the scrap yard. My Craigslist ad did wonders. Just put an ad for buying compressors. But only buy alot. If you pay for meager amounts (less than 40 or so) you won't make much. Remember that you'll likely be the only game in town.
    Nobody who spends 15 minutes burning through angle grinder blades is going to even consider paying for the compressor. But you gotta know your stuff. People selling them will dog you on the price hard. Good luck

  17. #54
    eesakiwi's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Dec 2010
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
    2,531
    Thanks
    2,909
    Thanked 2,556 Times in 1,227 Posts
    Its been a while....... Good times.

    Since Coppers lower now, I'd get about $4-$5 per compressor now. And I am not doing anywhere near as many anymore, lack of sources.
    I find the bigger AC units/heatpumps have no more Copper than a normal frdge/freezer compressor.
    So I sell them 'as is' & wait till I either really really need the $, or I have enough compressors to make just gaining floor space attractive as well.

  18. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by eesakiwi:


  19. #55
    submarinepainter's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    1,025
    Thanks
    1,230
    Thanked 654 Times in 316 Posts
    someday I need to get mine cut up , I have been letting set for 2 years , maybe when I retire in January I will get to lol
    Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes;
    God bless little children while they're still too young to hate


  20. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. Industrial air conditioner need help
      By Chadcam in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 10
      Last Post: 11-26-2015, 12:49 AM
    2. Air Conditioner Value
      By nyjetsfanx93 in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 17
      Last Post: 09-22-2015, 01:25 PM
    3. air conditioner radiators
      By Mstra in forum Scrap Metal Tips and Advice
      Replies: 20
      Last Post: 12-10-2014, 10:35 PM
    4. taking apart air conditioner compressors
      By copycat in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 14
      Last Post: 09-20-2012, 07:58 AM
    5. Replies: 12
      Last Post: 05-27-2011, 08:22 PM

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 3 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 3 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook