My compressor experience

[Ran440]

Long time scrapper/ first time poster

Took some pics of breaking down a compressor.



http://community.webshots.com/album/...host=community

First cut with sawzall was just below weld at top.
Second cut was just above large line at the bottom.
Bottom came off with armature attached.
Drove the windings out with hammer and screwdriver.
Cut the windings off in the middle of the stacked plates.
Was a lot of work, but greatly increases the value of a uncertified compressor.

[Mick]

Welcome to the Forum. Ran440. You might want to make a post in the Introduction section. I'm wondering why the last step? (Cut the windings off in the middle of the stacked plates.) Didn't you already drive them out with hammer and screwdriver?

[Ran440]

The windings were driven out of the case with the hammer and screwdriver. Then cut threw the copper between stacked plates to be able to remove copper from plates.

[Mick]

OK. I'm obviously missing something.

[injunjoe]

Welcome to the board. Nice pictures.
I am confused why you are cutting the outer casing twice. I will take those types of compressors and cut around it half way up.
I notice your blade is snagging the wires. I am guessing that is why you changed and cut through the laminated plates in the last pictures.
A simple solution to the snagging wire is, Buy a long blade with as many teeth per inch as possible. The trick is to use that one blade for cutting the one end of the windings and nothing else. I use compressor oil to lubricate and cool the tool!



I hope this will save you some time.

[IdahoScrapper]

I was lost too. Then after looking at the pics, I see what he is doing. He changed his method.

[Ran440]

Yup. It was a learning process. Never did a compressor before.

[IdahoScrapper]

It's cool. I couldn't figure out how there could be copper in the middle if you punched the windings through. Do you have an angle grinder with a cutoff?

[Ran440]

Yes I do. I started with the grinder. I used an entire blade just making one cut. So I tried the sawzall. Worked better, but man those cases are thick.

[eesakiwi]

I'm using a 9 inch angle grinder to open the cases & also to remove one end of the windings.
It leaves the ends clean with no caught & ripped out bits of wire.

The small discs do cost a lot more than the 9inch ones, thats just taking money from away the job, the 9 inch discs vary a huge amount in prices, it pays to look around to get the best deal.

My 9inch grinders out of action at the moment, the 4 screws holding the discs shaft come loose & the two gears got a bit to far away from each & started to strip the teeth.
Thats some maintenance I should have done, my fault entirely.
With any luck I can pick the burrs free & maybe add a spacer so the gears are closer to each other.
It was a cheap brand new grinder when I got it, a 'cheapo' brand but its still a good worker.
So, check the 4 screws are tight every time you use one or replace a disc, I'm going to put in hex head screws & locking tabs.

The grinder makes the copper easyer to work with when removing the insulation & strings & the 3mm thick cut dosn't make much difference to the copper weight.

The other option I have found is similar to what you are doing with the sawzall.
Note, those sawzalls seem to be pretty common in the US. I have only seen one in NewZealand.

What I did was to use a cold chisel to cleave a gap between the laminations in the same place as you have cut thru it.
Then I open it up a bit more & then use a hand hacksaw or meat cleaver to cut thru the copper wiring.
It comes out of the laminations easyer too, but twice as many bits of plastic insulation to pick off....

I will put some effort into making a ornimental cannon from gas bottles & fridge compressors & post the info here as I think its a good sideline job to scrapmetal.