Copper transformer cleaning

Got 200 lb. Took to scrap dealer they said if i clean them up they will give me #2 price. Got paper and tape all over them. Any tips and tricks?

Depends what kind of transformer really. Some you can clean quickly with a hammer and broad chisel or hatchet. (search the forum or youtube for how to videos). Others have staggered iron plating and a sawzall through the copper itself is faster. You shouldn't have to worry about cleaning the paper and stuff. Should go as #2 either way. Also if you keep that steel separate from your other iron steel you might be able to get 5-8x normal steel prices for it, depending on the yard. Some places it just goes as HMS prep or tin but it's a specific steel that goes for higher than stainless at the right yards

Best to try another scrap yard. They may take it as is and save you the trouble of cleaning it up. Otherwise you may try soaking it in something that removes the glue. That way you don't have to do much manual labor.

I'll second what JJ was saying. It depends on the transformer.

The smaller ones with lots of yellow tape in the windings don't seem to be worth fussing with.They're more often found on the high voltage side of a printed circuit board. The metal is something like an irony ceramic and quite brittle. You can hit them with a hammer and break em' -or- crush them in a vise.

The larger ones with a solid copper winding seem more worth doing. You can put them in a vise and cut the end off with a chisel or a sawzall. Personally, i prefer a razor sharp wood chisel.It cuts through the copper winding like a hot knife through butter without making a mess of the shop.

I've been thinking about making a number of rectangular shaped punches out of scrap steel. Having the right sized punch would make it easier to pop the copper winding out once the end had been cut off. It's a little bit of time on the front end to make them but a specialty tool would save time for years to come.

show us some pics of it

1st make sure its not aluminum windings....

Im down to the copper windings.

No aluminum

Trying to figure out ro post pictures from my phone. Help

If you're down to the copper windings already you should be good. Most yards will take that as number 2, i can guarantee they're going to sell it as number 2. Assuming these transformers have that thinly layered steel, ask your yard about getting a "silcon steel" or "electrical steel" price for it.

Got it !

Here's a picture

for copper like that, i just take a hammer and bash the life out of it- it loosens & breaks up a lot of the glue and paper- thereafter its much easier to remove it

I used to sell my Microwave transformer Copper coils as #2.
I had cleaned all of the paper & glue off them.
My 'rule of thumb' for cleaning was, if I started to feel a bit stupid picking off such tiny amount of tape & such, it was then clean enough. Really all that was left on it was a tiny bit of tape, some paint & on some, some glue.

Then the guy at the scrap yard picked one up too look at it, started to pick the remaining tape off as proof it should be classed as 'Domestic'.
Within a few seconds it was obvious he was feeling a bit silly for doing that in front of me. And then he chucked it back in & classed it as ' #2 Copper '.

But.
Last time I sold some, it was a different guy. He immediately said "That's classed as 'Domestic Copper' "
Automatic fail.
I think their buyers had just upped the standards that they bought by. Anything visible on it except for light varnish & it's 'Domestic Copper' now.

I'd still get #2 Copper price for fridge compressor windings though.

Find a different yard. That paper covering has no weight to it. Really shouldnt affect price. By the way what is domestic copper? Is that #3 copper comparably?

I use a cheap camping hatchet and a 8 lb hand sledge to break the welds and remove one side of the steel. I take 2 cinder blocks and place the copper winding between the blocks supporting both sides. Then use the sledge and a chisel bar or punch to hammer the steel off the windings.Usually works pretty good . the bigger the hammer the better success ive found.

For what little it's worth:

I was curious about soaking them in something to see if it would loosen all of the glue. Picked up a gallon of denatured alcohol at the hardware store and let the transformers soak for a week. Didn't seem to have any effect at all.

< shrug > I guess you learn as much from your failures as you do from your successes.

Still at a loss as what to do with the little transformers that have lots of yellow tape. They don't seem to be worth fussing with. Normally, they would go electric motors @ .10/lb if they're whole. Probably as low grade insulated (.05/lb) if you went to the trouble of breaking off all of the irony ceramic stuff.

I wish we had a buyer of brown boards & power supply units in this area.