cutting the windings out of motors

Scrapping motors and general scrapping

For the first time I started scrapping small electric motors I took the electric windings out of them and threw the rest of the motor in the scrap metal pile.
I have learned a lot of tips from this site one was I bought an inexpensive 10” Skill table saw and replaced the blade with a grinder metal cutting wheel. I discovered if I used a 14” chop saw wheel that had worn down to 10” it would work perfect.
I only needed to get an adaptor at harbor freight that went from 1” to 5/8” I tried it and it worked well.
When I get down to the windings I cut off one end flush with the table saw than flip it over and put it in a vice I use a screwdriver to pull the windings out it works well for me.
I learned why aluminum windings are not worth pulling out of the motor. I was paid .38 cents per pound for aluminum windings. I was paid .50 cents for mixed clean aluminum and .60 cents for aluminum extruded clean. Of course copper is the best at 2.80 for #2 copper.
David

When you use up that blade, you can get 10 inch cut off wheels with the 5/8 arbor new for less than 5.00 apiece.

Thanks I have not seen the 10" wheels with the 5/8" arbor.

I am very green and hear to learn.

But using the old wheels from the chop saw is recycling, reusing right?

the wheels were free I already used them on the chop saw.

I find them at Lowes and Home Depots. re-purposing is best if you get a consistant supply of them.

great job David, i re use my chop saw blades also in my 7 in grinder, i really like how you still broke some of the aluminum windings just to see, its better to really know for yourself instead of just going off what everyone else says. i do small tests all the time to see whats worth what to me. congradulations on your success so far

All yards are different when it comes to AL my yard pays .50 to .55 for AL period
The steel that the windings come out of will pass for short steel and depending on the motor the rest can be AL and mix BUT don't loose out on the short

What is short steel?

Do you get paid differient prices for steel?

I usually get .09 a pound or $180 a ton

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by davidarlen

What is short steel?

Do you get paid differient prices for steel?

I usually get .09 a pound or $180 a ton

---

your .09 is probably your unprepared which here is longer than 2 feet, or your shred which could be anything from white goods to fencing, your short steel will get a premium price, 2 to 3 cents a lb here on the price sheet, your stator the part your pulling the wire out of should be prepared or short steel, but ive seen on some threads on here where its unprepared it will depend on your yard and also your relationship with your yard.