well i have taken apart a lot of appliances and came
acrossed this spool of copper wraped in tape with what
resymbols a real heavy steel square around it
can someone tell me how to get the copper out of those
and what are they? please and ty
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well i have taken apart a lot of appliances and came
acrossed this spool of copper wraped in tape with what
resymbols a real heavy steel square around it
can someone tell me how to get the copper out of those
and what are they? please and ty
Check out jackshmuc eather here or on youtube Should help
those are transformers. If you dont have an air chisel, set the transformer on the floor. At the weld up against the copper spool set an ax. Use a short armed sledge hammer to whack the ax. A few good whacks and the one side of the transformer will come apart and you can get the copper spool out. sometimes I just cant get them apart and I turn them in as is. If you have a vise big enough to hold the transformer while you whack it - even better!!
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/showt...t=transformers
heres a video showing you how to use those tools to take one apart - its at about 2:50 or so into the video where he shows how he does it. This works!!
Hi scrappergirl....welcome to the forum. There are several threads here that answer that question for you. Type in tranformers in the search feature and it will direct you to a thread on getting the copper out. There is also a video by Jackshmuck, but I don't recommend that you use that method unless you have experience in another trade involving tools. Also, we'd like to get to know you. We have an introduction section and I'd like to invite you to tell us a little about yourself there.
I see that three of us were typing at the same time...you'll get your answer !
More than likely it's a transformer or type of relay . I just put them in with elec.motors , as seperating the wire from the tape is not cost effective how ever if it is a solid coil of wire just cut some of the wire and it should begin to unravel with out to much problem. I still put those kind in the elec. motor bucket. Hope this helps. wb
Hello Dee I think four of us were typing at the same time.
thank you to all im about to watch the video now ill let you all know
what i think,,,lol
If you do it this way, wear good eye protection as your likely to have a steel chip come flying off one of those tools like shrapnel. Their not made to smack together, their both a hi-grade steel. You could use a hammer and chisel.Quote:
At the weld up against the copper spool set an ax. Use a short armed sledge hammer to whack the ax. A few good whacks and the one side of the transformer will come apart and you can get the copper spool out.
Mechanic, the ax I use has a flat head on the opposite side like a hammer head so I'm not hitting a sharp edge against a flat edge - its two flat sides hitting together. Or are you saying those flat sides could still break a pice off when hitting together? I do wear glasses anyways but if the OP doesn't wear glasses they could at least wear some sunglasses if they dont have safety glasses.
If you have already seen the video. The transformers in the video are from microwaves. What you have described sounds to me to be a smaller transformer. The transformers that have the copper wrapped in a yellow taped are too time consuming for me to scrap. (not cost efficient - time is money) Though I did have to learn the hard way & scrap a few to learn this.. LOL Instead I put them in my CBM pile (Copper Bearing Motor) pile and get paid around 15 cents per pound. Because of the heavy steel square around it they do add up quickly! Hope this helps!
The weld is the key....if it doesn't have a weld this method won't work. (I mean if the metal is complete or something that looks like tiny slices vs. welded together)
Quote:
Originally Posted by BiggerHammer
Yeah, depends on how that tape is wrapped in the transformer the OP has. Sometimes the copper is wrapped in tape in many many layers - i dont take those apart. But if the tape is just on the outside of the copper spool those are worth taking apart.
scrappergirl - if you get the spools out be sure to cut the wire and see if its actually copper or aluminum. I have had transformers that have one spool of copper and one of aluminum, some with two spools of aluminum and some with two spools of copper. So be sure to check what kind of wire you have after you get it out.
With all due respect to newattitude, I would suggest that you scratch the wire BEFORE you try to take it out....if it's all AL, don't bother.
Yes, like I stated (you can google it) they are both hi-grade steel and can chip pieces off, does not mean it will; just could happen. Be forewarned, that's all,,Quote:
its two flat sides hitting together. Or are you saying those flat sides could still break a piece off when hitting together?
another tamer method is to cut one side of the copper loup off with an angle grinder or saw and punch out the rest of the copper. this is my prefered method. im too old to chase the transformer arround when you dont hit it squarely with the ax. also sooner or later almost every one says Ill just try to hold this one with my fingers while I whack it with the ax.
An angle grinder with a thin cutoff slices nicely through these things.
On the small transformers I cut one side with a sharp wood chisel then flip it over and tap a screwdriver under the windings then just pry up on the wire.
No muss no fuss.
I have yet to take a load to the yard and have any motor grade scrap. Copper fluctuates a great deal but what they pay for motors does not.
I just take any and all transformers and throw them in my hillbilly death machine aka the INCINERATOR>>>HE HEH!1 Then after 2 mins of copper the copper just falls out into a nice pile. Speaking of which I got to go burn some snow out and sift the ashes from yesterdays run.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozzy214
Thank you for taking into account all the plastic fumes you are releasing into the air we all must breath.
Just think if everyone did this.
oh btw i took the two biggest ones i had in to the yard 2day and they gave
me .25 cents a lb and it was 22 lbs so i got $5.50 is that good?
Were they microwave transformers?
yes they wereQuote:
Originally Posted by freonjoe
I just did 10 transformers out of late model over the range microwaves. Starting weight was 105 pounds. All of them had 1 copper winding and 1 aluminum winding. Ended up with 5 pounds of copper. I lost money breaking those down!
mine were well one was a regular size microwave and the other wasQuote:
Originally Posted by freonjoe
out of a big ol microwave you know the kind that looks like a mini
apartment size fridge with the door that you pull down that one had
the biggest one
I think the older microwaves had all copper windings.
so that one would have been worth taking apart? or no?Quote:
Originally Posted by freonjoe
That one would have been.
I can definitely understand your reasoning on the VERY SMALL ones, but the ones that are not small, are worth the time and effort. Copper is the most expensive thing, and I am sure anyone would rather get paid more for than, then electric motors.Quote:
Originally Posted by wildbillhappy
What I do with the very small ones, is put them in a 5 gallon bucket, wait till I have 2 or 3 buckets and sell them.
Once you become experienced and FAST at getting the copper out you will never sell all copper motors whole again. joe only lost a little because they weren't all copper motors. You just have to practice a lot. Took me about 6 months....but that was before I saw the proper techniques on video. You'll get it.
Im not burning wires injunjoe, just the transformers. The small amount of tape and varnish does not produce any bad fumes whatsoever. Especially since I use a propane blow torch for fire. That bastard runs up to 100000 btu'/ It burns clean, hot, fast, and cheaper than any other method. Now if ya using wood or something, then sure you will get a lot of fumes. Not with this method. Got the idea from a house I was cleaning out. Guy did legal incineration'/s of dead pets and this was the same method he used. Thats where I got the idea and it works like a charm....
I had a nice run on older microwaves recently some of those transformers could be used to work out in the gym they are so heavy !!
where to start...
thanks for thinking about my video's for transformer stripping.
I don't use hi grade hatchets. the hatchets are all high carbon NOT HEAT TREATED (the really cheep ones in the store). notice that the end of that hatchet is taking dents it means it is softer then the hammer I use (the hammer being 56-58 R). this means it is also softer then the steel I am hitting.
only mike the scrapper uses 2 case hardened hammers.
that being said it is not the safest way to strip them. its just my way.
you can use an angle grinder to cut the ends off. I found a clip of this on you tubers with a similar method ill link it. I use a metal saw on motors because it has a clamp on the table part but it has been broken for last 6 months. i am probably going to scrap it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zcIL-btbGs
burning tape? its probably not tape wrapped around the copper windings its nomex insulation held by a small piece of tape. i wonder what nomex does to the environment when it is burnt?
http://www2.dupont.com/ReliatranV3/e...ex_family.html
doing the math on freonjoe's tear down project. 105 lbs starting weight. 5 lbs copper $3.25 for #2 wire x 5 $16.25. leaving with apx. 2 lbs of aluminum @ $0.50 = $1.00 remaining weight is... any body? 98 lbs of STEEL not tin not mixed tin not Lucabond not wood clean non grain oriented carbon steel lamination's welded together. 98 lbs of steel @ 0.14 a lb $13.72 giving us a grand total of $30.97 for 10 aluminum bearing transformers. from experience that sounds about right. or 105 lbs @ $0.27 = $27.30 if you get $0.27 a lb for them. you cant lose money stripping them just a bit of time. do that 100 times you just made $400 bucks. not trying to attack you you just sound lazy.