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Cutting some transformers today

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    Mick started this thread.
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    Cutting some transformers today

    and sorting by copper and aluminum windings. I don't often run into both in the same transformer.



    People may laugh at me, but that's ok. I laugh all the way to the bank.

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    This is like this in almost all micorwaves unfortunately

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    Mick started this thread.
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    Quote Originally Posted by scrapping4ever View Post
    This is like this in almost all micorwaves unfortunately
    That might have been where this came from. Finally got around to several microwaves last week. They'd been sitting for three or four years. Shows how slow things have gotten the last few months. I think next, I'll tackle the 15-20 copiers and printers.

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    I scrapped 3 last weekend by cutting the sides off. It was 6 or 8 pounds of #2 copper total. I have between 500 and 600 pounds of transformers to go.

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    Mechanic688's Avatar
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    Know what boat your in Mick, I just got done with a dozen of the office style printers (about 2 ft. tall), a whole lot of fluff, 4-6 motors, couple boards. Had to get them out of my living room tho,,,
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    Mick started this thread.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mechanic688 View Post
    Know what boat your in Mick, I just got done with a dozen of the office style printers (about 2 ft. tall), a whole lot of fluff, 4-6 motors, couple boards. Had to get them out of my living room tho,,,
    I'm fortunate in that I've got a fairly large cabin that I'm using for storage/office. You can pretty well make it out in the background:

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    You should watch out overloading that trailer like that. Is tying down a tractor with string legal?

    Also, I go through a lot of microwaves...even the really old ones have had aluminum in the transformers. Either all aluminum or half and half.
    Last edited by ryanw; 04-24-2014 at 06:48 PM.

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    Mick started this thread.
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    Quote Originally Posted by ryanw View Post
    You should watch out overloading that trailer like that. Is tying down a tractor with string legal?

    Also, I go through a lot of microwaves...even the really old ones have had aluminum in the transformers. Either all aluminum or half and half.
    Thanks. That answered a question I was trying to figure out. I cut seven or so transformers today. Making it like an assembly line - cut one side of them all - sort by type and pound them all out another day. And there's more transformers in that cabin to process. About half were all copper and half all aluminum with this one being half-and-half. I had a few air coolers and portable air conditioners, too. So the all aluminum must have been the microwaves, the all copper were the coolers and this one a high-end microwave. Not that it really matters. They all wind up the same; either the copper pile or the aluminum pile, the electrical wire barrel and the rest goes on the Light Iron pile. No matter what they were in "life", they're equal in the recycle world.

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    davidarlen is offline Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mick View Post
    I'm fortunate in that I've got a fairly large cabin that I'm using for storage/office. You can pretty well make it out in the background:
    I really like your tilt deck trailer did you make it or modify it yourself? David

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    Mick started this thread.
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    Quote Originally Posted by davidarlen View Post
    I really like your tilt deck trailer did you make it or modify it yourself? David
    That's how I bought it. Since this picture was taken, I've put a winch on it.

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    Mick would the alum. ones be worth more just selling as a transformer?? I get .22 a lb and the alum. can't be worth much more than that??? I'm also figuring time invested tearing them down.

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    redcrossnj is offline Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mechanic688 View Post
    Mick would the alum. ones be worth more just selling as a transformer?? I get .22 a lb and the alum. can't be worth much more than that??? I'm also figuring time invested tearing them down.
    I got an answer to thats one mech if its copper and aluminum and you tear it down you will lose money depending on your prices . You could try what I do and cut the copper side out with a wood chisel and punch it out . Leave the aluminum part in and sell as a transformer.

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