Copper Transformers

The first two in the middle are by far very easy to do. Cut or pull the steel pins off of the copper wire. These type are very common, there will be four steel pins, two pins for each side of the transformer. Do not smash these type or break the ferrite, only makes it harder. The copper is wound on plastic wheels, use needle nose pliers, grab one end of a copper wire, holding the transformer in the other hand, pull the copper wire with the pliers. It should just "spin" the wire off of the first section. Now do the same thing with the second half of the transformer. You should get a decent amount of wire from these types, very easy, there's no tape to mess with and no reason to smash the $hit out of them (unless you just need too!). I just leave the white plastic wheel and black plastic on the ferrite core and toss the rest of the transformer in my shred bucket. Copper wire is 20 AWG and goes in #2 copper bucket. Some yards will even take it as #1 copper.

Sometimes I use a cutting wheel on my dremel cordless tool for the small ones, just cut the copper and pry out, cut on both sides if you have to!!

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Originally Posted by BDAScrapper

I always break these down no matter how big or small, after some attempts the best way I've found is to take a hammer and break them apart,
you will notice that the unit, |_{|}_| (the brackets are the copper, straight lines are the metal prongs that hold it in place)!has a metal cap welded along the top holding it all together.
With a solid hammer (I use 5lb lump) striking the weld in a glancing blow (down and away from the copper coil) will break the weld after one to three hits allowing you to punch out the retaining bracket.
you end up with a neat little copper coil that's easy to clean up (tape, plastic) and whatever metal is leftover, steel, iron etc....
The only issue I've found with this is one tricky little bugger, that has the |__|__| going one way and then the other... These have flat spacers in between, once you bang them out the retainers come out easy.

Hope this helps with my little keyboard pics.

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This same basic method works equally as well on those transformers weighing in between 5 and 20 pounds. Instead of the hammer, I use a wood splitting maul. Striking the weld with the sharpened side of the splitting head. Safety glasses, etc. are mandatory. When these puppies go flying watch out! Your head might be the great beyond in this case. Where did I hear that phrase recently....hmmmm. It's not important.;)