Quote Originally Posted by wayne1956 View Post
I have taken apart MANY compressors (I currently have hoarded about 150 lbs of copper windings, which is #2 copper). I do it a little different. After removing the compressor from the a/c or refrigerator or freezer, I will drill two holes in it and drain the compressor oil. Makes for less mess later on. Then I will do it like most others here, cut open with metal cutoff wheel on an angle grinder, etc. I find the compressors out of refrigerators and freezers are much easier to mess with. The casing is thinner, and the electric motor on the inside does not have a heavy varnish coating like the a/c ones do. I find that heavy varnish makes it harder to remove the string holding the windings, and also harder to remove the windings themselves. I have purchased some varnish remover and am going to use that on a couple of a/c electric motors and see if that helps any.
One does not "take apart a comp." they are cut open! And when you cut the windings with a cutoff it melts the varnish together making it hard to pull out from the other side, hence the 24 tooth blade cutting, not melting the windings!

Work smarter not harder!