This is a way to remove copper from a washing machine motor. It took more than 12 minutes does any one have a better idea on how to remove the copper or do you sell it as is?
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Removing copper from a washing machine motor
This is a way to remove copper from a washing machine motor. It took more than 12 minutes does any one have a better idea on how to remove the copper or do you sell it as is?
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I just sell mine as electric motors. You will find the VAST majority of washing machine motors and dryer motors have aluminum windings instead of copper windings. I have scrapped many of each, and cannot remember the last time I got one with copper windings. I always snip one of the wires to see if it is copper or aluminum before I throw it into the electric motor pile.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Yes I always snip one of the wires to find out if it is copper or aluminum too. Yep probably you are right is to much work to spend taking out all the copper plus you are wearing down your tools too.
i use a vice, work is quicker and neater
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
can u make a video on that so we can see how u do it pleaseOriginally Posted by freakinredneck
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One can break down anything they want to increase profit if time permits. Always make sure they are copper windings first. My back got sore watching him work that motor. I would find a more ergonomic work position though.
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I always completely tear down my electric motors. The yards screw you by paying 50 cents a pound for them. Even if you only get 1 pound of copper out of a 5 pound motor your still better off. Dont forget the rotors usually have either copper or aluminum on them. Worst case your looking at dirty aluminum for the rotor.
Yes put it in a vise. Use a metabo 6" angle grinder. The thing that really slowed you down was getting the copper out of the steel. For that use a punch and a hammer. A chop saw would speed up the process even more. Im thinking 3 min to remove the ends/rotor and 2 min to remove the copper from the steel. So 5min total.
watch this video from 2min-4min
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
this is a very good video and better idea on how to remove the copper. Is a good thing I posted my video so I could learn new tricks. thanks a lot jghilino.
LowLife
Where are ur gloves???
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Fan rotors are just right size for punching the copper out of most small machine stators.
It's easy enough to look at machine motor windings to determine copper or not, Al will look like bloated copper.
back to the main OP thread, removing copper from a washer motor, just run it several cycles without water, listen for the Bump! Bump! Bump!!!, turn it on it's side and sweep up the copper. Rest is shred
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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I use a framing square as a wedge to pull the wire out , much easier.....I also suggest doing it on a big piece of card board so you dont have to pick up all those little pieces of copper by hand, just fold card board into a "V" and use as a funnel to pour all the single strands into your copper bucket...:
Experienced Scrapper
started doing a few printers this arvo and quickly got bored with it so went for a walk around the block.
spotted a big washing machine just put out, I know this 'cos it was there, with cord which usually go within 25 minutes.
so I quickly walked back, took out the tv's I had ready for the mornings drop and picked it up.
i've got a few mid sized washers I'm using as outside benches so haven't scrapped them out yet, the only washing machine i've ever done was a 25 y/o one last year, seen many but usually I don't have room as they take up the entire back of the hatch.
This one was a fisher & paykel, kinda newish.
I started on the top panel with the switches and almost forgot I was scrapping a washer and not something more electrical, there were a couple boards, wires and things, was interesting anyway.
the tub was steel, nothing there so I turned it over to get to the motor..
the little thing seems to be the pump motor which came off easily, nice little chunk of copper you can see.
Then I unscrewed that plastic cap to remove that big plate and look at this..
major mojo! look closer..
even closer..
and so close you can almost taste it..
well that's as far as I got, after I had my orgasmic event the sun went down and I remembered the first time I did a washer the thing almost sprung out at me pretty intensely so i wanna be on the ball this time.
so tommorow will be the final scrapping session, I even like the steel shaft, I want that in my collection of steel bits.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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OP. Wheres your Harrys (Harry Muffs = Ear muffs) or were you using earplugs?
Ear protection is a great idea, it lets you free up a lot of your brain to work safer (less confliction) & a Lot faster.
Even bashing a shaft with a hammer once will make my ears ring for a day.
A few points. (I'm picky as doing this grinding stuff is my job...)
Your grinder guard is a little too far around clockwise, it should be about the 10-4 o'clock position.
You can use the 4 o'clock edge as a lever when you are cutting.
Use a bigger disc if possible, its all about Metres/minute at the cutting face. NEVER use a grinder without a guard or with a oversize disc.
You can grind down a 9 inch disc (in the right grinder!) to 5 inch dia & then put it in a 5 inch grinder. Its safe, its all about centrafugal forces.
To get the Ali bits off, use a hammer, bash it at the join area till it breaks a bit & then bash each end of the shaft inline & the Ali parts will break off.
Ali clogs up the grinder wheel & makes it hard to cut, then you use more force & the wheels gotta break down faster so it will expose new sharp stone to do the cutting.
Use a vice to hold the iron core, or something. When the grindstone jumps as its cutting, it breaks the stone down faster & that uses up good stone for nothing.
Also a moving workpeice is a accident waiting to happen.
It also leaves two hands to hold the grinder, theres also no left hand grip on your grinder. Use the grinder in that position as you did with your left hand 'thumb up' on the grip.
That way, if it grabs, its just gonna pull the grinder away from you & your hands.
Cut thru the wire where you did, a bigger dia wheel helps a lot here....
Once you have got a chunk of wire removed, cut as you did, or use the 1-2 oclock position on the wheel to cut thru the wire thru the side of the loops, you can cut from the outside of the dia, or from the inside towards the outside.
Inside to out works great as the wires are locked into that position & the force of the disc cutting keeps them in place.
Cutting from outside to inside lets loose wires grab & seperate & move towards the open area of the iron cores slots. Copper wire 'grabs' & shifts a lot.
You cut very well, close to the iron core. That leaves less burrs on the wire to catch on the iron core as you pull the wire out later.
Once you have removed all of the end. I find it helps to use a small dia punch (old electric motor shaft) & punch the cut face of the copper wire into the iron core a bit.
That way theres less free copper wire ends to grab onto the edges of the iron core slots. Also it gets the copper wire moving & easyer to pull out from the other side.
I tend to use a long steel rod (computer printer shaft, or screwdriver) to pull the wire out so it gets loose & can be pulled out by hand.
That idea with the triangle shaped lever tool is a really really good idea. Kudo's to the inventor.
You cut very well, close to the iron core. That leaves less burrs on the wire to catch on the iron core as you pull the wire out later.
I tried a ultra thin grinding disc to do this job, to save copper. Bad idea, they don't have the 'side pressure strength' & flex too much.
The disc cracked around the flange & broke off in one peice with a large dia hole in its centre.
Oh well, gotta find out somehow......
The thin tin disc in the ali casting can be popped out with the shaft, I think theres a greasy felt washer & a barrel shaped bronze bearing. They all pop out at once.
The black bakelite part screwed to the ali casting has a bunch of nice silver or silver/copper electrical contacts in it. I grab all of them. Same widda brass bits.
When you change discs, pull the plug out & hold it in your armpit.
In 30 years of using grinders daily, I have only had one very small accident. I cut a small slot in the left hand middle finger knuckle. Taped it up closed & kept it that way for a week. Fixed.
Last edited by eesakiwi; 12-10-2012 at 12:34 AM.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Scrapperben
Those washing motors have 1Kg of copper wire in them. The pump has another 50 odd grams.
If you unwind 3 wires & then start unwinding them at the same time, it will take you 20+ minutes to unwind it all by hand.
But, they are very sought after for homebrew generators.
Heres some sites
http://www.ecoinnovation.co.nz/pdf/W...rt%20Drive.pdf
EcoInnovation - Smart Drive Inventers Kit 1 ---------- 3 units, some work done, inc wiring & Rectifier for NZ$300(US$80 each)
You can remove the whole unit & check the bearings & melt the plastic off the ali bearing housing & then if you want, rewire it for a lower voltage & sell them for really good $$$.
I use a full face sheild & a axe to chop the bearing housing out. Med size gas torch or old BBQ or firepit melts the plastic off really easy.
Last edited by eesakiwi; 12-10-2012 at 01:18 AM.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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I have discovered the same wayne. I would say 90% of the washing machine motors i have pulled when i scrape with my knife they are aluminum, and straight to the motor bin they go.
Experienced Scrapper
Thanks, I had a look at all that, i've been interested in wind turbines and see that the newer motors are suited to them perfectly. thought the housing was just plastic so I put it back on and thought the shaft was a bit too much work so I left that too.
was going to the yard tommorow so i'll take them out before I go, at least the housing, I'll have a few cracks at the shaft and may aswell have a real go at this one and judge myself if it's worth it or not, but definately the housing part, I didn't know about the magnetic thing but I kept looking at some videos and found this one was really good too..
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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wow. 50 cents per pound for electric motors? i called today they said 25 cents a pound for copper electric motors and i think 11 cents a pound for aluminum. is that how much its dropped since the original post?
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Thanks for all the videos. It seems clear I need to get a grinder, otherwise I'm stuck recycling all motors as is. This is good to know - there really is no 'simple' method of getting into the motor housings. I figured I had to be missing something; seems I'm not.
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This may have been said before but I'm gonna put it out there anyhow. A majority of what looks like copper in washer/dryer are copper colored aluminum. Might I suggest using a file to test the metal before starting the long arduous journey of cutting and clambering.
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