Ballast

I am impressed with some of my hoarded items ,One batch are balusters from fluorescents , I was surprised that 5 years ago
Value was .11 per # now there .21 #
I have some with the PCB but they have true copper windings
So those are the jewels . The PCB is in a canister so I stay away from it.
As it stands I have 1200 pounds & value year 2009 was $132
Now $252 . What makes me wonder is this just inflation .
Or just an item that was not paid proper 5 years ago . As its not like all scrap has doubled

see, hes correcting your spelling error in a subtle way
hes not telling u that its not baluster
hes just using the word ballast- so u can see how to spell & pronounce it.

good job

Are you meaning the transformer part? The ballast?

I have scrapped these in the past.
The ones in the pressed metal case are filled with tar and are really messy. They also normally have a small block of wood to fill up extra space before filling with molten tar.
On the other hand, peel the back off, bash out the transformer, break it in half, because of the 'stacked laminations' design they do break in half.
Then pull all the tar coated fine copper wire out/off, you end up with a loose ball of fine copper wire.
The laminations fall apart too, into shread not HM insize...
Definatly better to sell them as transformers unless you can stand the absolute mess of tar and ricepaper that falls off as you do it, for the little extra dollar$.

The newer white painted ones have about 100gms Copper wire in them.
You have to peel the back off again, then use a cold chisle or axe head to split the row of laminations apart, then pick out the 100gms Copper coil, then push out the little iron square tiles inside the copper loop, theres a string of Ali in there too.

Those square iron tiles....about 16mm (or 5/8th inch) square. I think they could be sold to the 'craft work' people.
Its just a flat square of metal, but painted could work as a thin tile, for pictures or decorating.
It only occured to me last week how to paint them. Put them on a sheet of ali, oven tray would work, then use spray paint to paint them.
I figured at the time, to hold them to the tray (vertical like) to spray them, use microwave magnets on the back side to hold the tiles in place.
Once dry, remove magnets and the tiles will drop off.

Im think they would use coloured tiles to make moasic (sp?) pictures

I have found some King Size ballast that had 2 pounds of copper ,
Basically a disassembled ballast
Copper or Aluminum fine wire .
Short steel
ALL ELSE gets swept up put in a pail as Mix .

But at .21 is debatable as a good payer as is .

There are some modern types that have small transformers really embedded in tar with some boards wire or AL
but those i leave as is .
Over all you know the good ones as there heavy in your hand .
Bottom Line a ballast from many many years aqo or King size ones , have great copper weight .

I best get rid of wile I can ,

I have stripped the wire out of them fairly easy if you have the right equipment. I take the back off and then put the ballast in a vice black crap facing up. Hook one end of the wire to a drill and slowly pull the copper out. It is easiest if they have been sitting in the sun for awhile on a hot day.

Jonniebrass,
May be interested in these next time I'm down your way. What do you need for them?

Originally Posted by Copper Head

I have found some King Size ballast that had 2 pounds of copper ,
Basically a disassembled ballast
Copper or Aluminum fine wire .
Short steel
ALL ELSE gets swept up put in a pail as Mix .

But at .21 is debatable as a good payer as is .

There are some modern types that have small transformers really embedded in tar with some boards wire or AL
but those i leave as is .
Over all you know the good ones as there heavy in your hand .
Bottom Line a ballast from many many years aqo or King size ones , have great copper weight .

yep the big ones are nice to find
lots of copper in those