Check how the transformer Iron is made/assembled.Theres normally two different ways they make them.
The Iron laminations are either
1) 'Stacked' & identical shaped laminations are stacked on each other. Or.
2) 'Interlaced', they alternate how the Iron laminations are laid onto each other.
If they are 'Stacked' theres normally a thin weld across the block of laminations to hold them together & its made of two 'Stacks' that can be pryed apart.
Sometimes the weld actually joins the two stacks together, or the two stacks are stuck together like you would join 2 jigsaw peices.
The advantage if they are 'Stacked' Iron core transformers is that with some effort, prying or bashing, you can seperate the two Stacks & remove the Copper coils from the Iron cores.
With a bit more work you can remove any plastic or mica paper insulation from the Copper wire & get more money by selling the Copper wire as 'Copper domestic' or if you are lucky, 'Copper #2'.
I'd expect the Copper wire weighs between 700 & 900 grams per transformer.
You should also be able to sell the still stacked Iron cores as 'HMS insize'
Its a lot of extra work, but extra $$ and I would definatly do that if I could. Though its easy money for little work if you don't.
The Cast Aluminium box around the transformer could also be Magnesium, if it feels 'just a bit too light', its probably Magnesium.
I just chuck that stuff in with my Aluminium since I dont get much of it, its probably the same price as Aluminium ( or less ) but Aluminium normally has Magnesium alloyed in it so its not much of a big deal unless theres hundreds & hundreds of Kgs of Magnesium.
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