scrapping transformers the easy way.

in this video, I'll be scrapping a 450watt hilad light. I will also be trying an easy method for cutting open transformers .

[@cyberdan1000]

Nice first video. Great kid too, keep him interested. I once scrapped a VCR with my teen age daughter. She never wanted to help scrap again. This is a guy thing. That ceramic lamp holder probably has brass inside. I wrap min in a shop rag and wack with a hammer. Check every part for brass, even the white metal could be plated. Whenever I get AL wire I toss it in with my AL. My yard never says anything. I do not get a lot so they probably do not notice it. If I had a log splitter I would be doing it that way. On most of my transformers I use the Machete method. Same idea but with a $10 walmart machete. I cut off the first 6 inches to make it handle better.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Dalton loves to help, my daughter has helped me run the sawmill . They both love to get involved which I'm very grateful for. Thanks for watching.

[@FishermanButch72]

Some people pound on an axe to break those apart

[@CopperEyeJoe]

@FishermanButch72 I've tried that one too.

[@cyberdan1000]

@@CopperEyeJoe an ax is too wide you will be fighting the strength of the wire. I use a machete. I cut off 12" and it works great. I wish I had a log splitter, even less work.

[@scrapitjc]

Awesome job on using the splitter to break the transformer. Great Video, keep doing it. 👍

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thank you , I appreciate the kind words.

[@vernonsamera8815]

You have prepared steel from the transformer and #2 copper from the transformer. Cast aluminum. Sheet metal from the housing of the unit. And some #1 wire that you can strip and some #2 wire that you can strip and throw it in with the other one from the transformer. Keep up the great work

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks for the info.

[@timothygorman2846]

I did this with a shop press and a hardened steel scraper blade. I found it worked better if I sharpened the tip of the blade so it could get between the plates and not bend them. After about 40 transformers, even though the blade wasn't damaged, it needed resharpening. Then my scrap yard only gave me 45 (mid grade copper wire) price for it. I took the money because the other yard close to me couldn't even make an offer. It's like they can't tell what 99% copper looks like. So, I'm keeping my copper from now on, melting, casting it, then selling it for 10x scrap value. Dishonest scrap yards aren't going to get rich off my labor.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Sorry to hear that, friend. I took some copper off Friday, and it was 3.80 a pound for bare bright.

[@scrapitall200]

That was awesome!

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks buddy

[@E-BikingAdventures]

LOL "You've been doing some of this without me." Make sure you're both wearing safty glasses.

[@whatsgoingon1011]

aluminum is approximately40-50 cents a pound vs short steel at 7-10 cents a pound. definately separate the aluminum. you are already right there.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Good advice.

[@ProjectShopFl]

Interesting way to process transformers. I've processed one or two transformers in my day and just want to say keep an eye out for steel spacers on some lighting transformers you won't be able to split all them like you did with out knocking out the spacers. The steel from the transformers is called silica steel and you should be able to get #1 steel. Try and keep it together as much as possible. Good luck on the new channel .

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks for the advice and for watching.

[@ramblingman8992]

Bulb sockets are usually brass, so worth recovering.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks, I've since been saving them .

[@justinbarrier3459]

Copper eye joe - great video man. I subscribed … I’m the same from Arizona . Just started scrapping for a hobby since I love the videos and am addicted haha- I work in construction as a fire tech so some days I’m in pure new Install’s and some days I’m open businesses. It benefits me greatly as you wouldn’t believe how much free stuff customers have lying around that if you ask they will let you take . In 1-2 months if I really try everyday to bring home as much as possible. I usually can come up with $500-$600 in scrap money just from take away from customers .. the other day customer was throwing away (2) commercial reach in double fridge and double freezer. The copper/brass and steel/aluminum was astounding.. copper = 23 pounds / brass = 4 pounds / steel/aluminum = 1700 pounds !! A quick haul away and dismantle took 2-3 hours and it was $185-$200 scrap!!

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Good stuff. I work on sewer pumping stations. Got 5 yrs till retirement and I'm gonna scrap full time. Put 21yrs in with my local volunteer fire department and hung it up in 2019. Welcome to channel.

[@kevinclark3557]

Some capacitors are aluminum and some are steel, but they all may still contain a charge so always short them out or get zapped. I just throw them in with my shred for weight instead of tearing them down. They have oil inside and are not worth breaking apart, but I do check to see if the prongs are brass and cut them off to sell as yellow brass

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Good to know . Thanks for watching.

[@_spider_jeff]

I scrapped most my life...i have a mound about 15-20 tons mixed metals..i'm getting too old so the blackberries are eating it lol...i throw the capacitors in shred....great video....new sub :)

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thank you for the sub, I'm 5 yrs away from a 30-year retirement with the county, so I look foward to scrapping full time soon.

[@_spider_jeff]

@@CopperEyeJoevery cool! I retired 5 years ago...got a couple acres completely off grid. only solar and rain water. finally peace and quiet. i'm the only one out here to make noise :) I hope the 5 years goes fast for you!

[@steveherr450]

when scrap got way low i just stockpiled it behind my one shed to hide it from the road view and when it went up i had them bring me semi trailers to me. I borrowed an old machine from my dad's business that wasn't being used anymore and i loaded 64 tons in their trailers that month. that was a good payday that month when i got my check. paid for most of my second shed i built where my stock pile was.

[@scraprodriguez]

Pretty cool, new subscriber. Hope to see more

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks buddy.

[@jeffw9888]

hi i do put aluminum wires in a bucket because it’s 7 cents per pound left in shred pile and 30 or 45 cents per pound as aluminum only

[@cyberdan1000]

I get very little AL wire and it is always heavy guage and I run it through my stripper. My scrap yard ahs no problem putting it in. Actually I do not even need to sort my AL they pay the same for all three types and put it all in one dumpster. I do pull out AL/CU computer heatsinks/

[@MakingBullions009]

Great video, love copper!

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thank you

[@ThatsRightRecycling]

New subscriber here, awesome job friend. I have been working on this idea, and I am going to make an extra blade from the fram disc wheels.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

I'm gonna use my wood splitter to pull copper from motors as well. I saw a guy on youtube doing it. It's a good way to use the tools we already have .

[@ThatsRightRecycling]

Same here

[@douglloyd3802]

My scrap yard gives me painted aluminum clip for the transformer aluminum coils. I also drain my capacitors mineral oil and use it for other things, chainsaws and other machinery that needs extra lube oil, the drained capacitors go in to the shred pile.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks for the info, I save the oil as well.

[@ericstoner9255]

Dalton seems like a good kid

[@CopperEyeJoe]

He has a lot of energy. He's definitely a good helper.

[@redrum2612]

Cool channel name. 🤝

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks, look foward to talking with fellow scrappers.

[@vernonsamera8815]

In the porcelain socket where the bulb goes. The socket is usually brass. So save them up in a big bucket and microscrap it later on when you save a bunch of them.

[@FishermanButch72]

I would have a bin for copper and 1 for aluminum. Make sure to separate clean from dirty. Clean ( no tape or paint or flanges )pays more.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks for the tips. I have gathered several totes, barrels, and other containers since this video. Only problem is I can't seem to ever have enough lol.

[@SouthernScrapBucket]

In regards to your aluminum, separate it. Depending on where you are, it's probably double, if not triple, the value of the steel. It would probably be an idea to check out some of ProjectShopFl's transformer videos. He's been known to do a few from time to time.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

I sure will, and thanks for the advice.

[@christophertaylor2464]

The best thing you can do is watch more videos like project shop FL. I watch and follow a lot of different recyclers you can learn a lot from other people if you have an open mind. I have been scraping for 30 years and I still learn new things your never too old to learn something new unless you forget what it was that you just learned witch I think I have done. I know I just learned something new from you but I remember making a comment about learning something on another channel and it was just last week. Any way watch more videos I liked and subscribed .

[@scottsome2007]

Yes I get the same all the time but hope you keep on finding the good stuff Copper 👍 🙂 🙏 ❤

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks and good luck to you.

[@ViperRecycling]

As soon as I'm done with my come in here I'm going to subscribe. That is a very interesting way to split the Transformers I myself collect the aluminum because it does add up fast. I would recommend getting some trash cans because you're going to need it. I always say people deserve the money not the scrap yards. And by the way I scrap in the Hoover Dam Area . Great job on the video

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks friend. I'm gonna modify the splitter to pull windings out of staters as well.

[@ViperRecycling]

@@CopperEyeJoe well I can't wait to see that video

[@ViperRecycling]

@@CopperEyeJoe oh by the way the capacitor should be silver inside. I'm going to find out here within a week or two and I'll let you know

[@nicolasravegnani4889]

Sometimes there is a couple of layers of copper winding layers under the aluminum layers on transformers. Cast has a seam halfway between top and bottom or left and right. Extruded aluminum doesn't have a seam

[@steveherr450]

Depends on the yard but the one i use most times for shred want the capacitors removed. I have seen them reject loads from the appliance stores and see them taking them out in the parking lot so they will accept the appliances. the other yard will accept most appliances full and don't care about capacitors. As others said I remove aluminum wire too. it pays better than shred.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Will do friend.

[@ericstoner9255]

I’m new but I enjoyed

[@user-xh5zd2tj3f]

Photos from in McKinley

[@bigcountryscrapper6885]

New subscriber here great video my friend

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks , and I'll sub you back.

[@bigcountryscrapper6885]

@@CopperEyeJoe thanks

[@ericstoner9255]

That’s great

[@antsd7945]

Please leave the crunching splitting noise next time

[@CopperEyeJoe]

I will just for you my friend. I wasnt sure if the noise of the gas engine would drown out the scene, so I opted for the music.

[@nicolasravegnani4889]

Transformer steel is prepared steel

[@Onemanstrash1]

working on a splitter I picked up at the dump , needs a capacitor , ordered one off Amazon yesterday ;-)

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Nice.

[@Onemanstrash1]

@@CopperEyeJoe well , It might be . Or it might be a waste of 25$ lol

[@CopperEyeJoe]

@ONEMANSTRASH1 well I'm wishing you the best of luck that it works out.

[@ericstoner9255]

Copper eye Joe!

[@AlanaCaitlin]

Fantashtick vid cuz. Looks like this is your first video and you've done amazing. Everything I know about scrapping comes from watching youtube channels. Havving now my own scrapping channel now, yours in invaluable to me. Looking forward to seeing more. Always happy to support a fellow scrapper. Liked, subbed and 🔔

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Awesome, I subbed you back. ( sheffield woodworks ) is my other channel if you're interested. There's a link to it in the comments.

[@AlanaCaitlin]

@CopperEyeJoe Great I'll sub you there to.

[@user-wf9xo1mu4z]

Aluminium is cheap today, but the price could be raised tomorrow. Take it out of steel and collect it for a future.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Feel free to visit my other channel ( sheffield woodworks) I'll add the link here in the comments.

[@nicolasravegnani4889]

Keep Aluminum coils in transformers and stap as Aluminum breakage if you had a copper coil on it, Aluminum breakage is better price than prepared steel usually.

[@nicolasravegnani4889]

Scrap not stap

[@ThatsRightRecycling]

How many tons is this log spliter??

[@CopperEyeJoe]

25 ton

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Sorry it took so long to respond, I get busy .

[@vernonsamera8815]

Scrap the aluminum from the transformer and sell it cause you already broke it down.

[@dalebroome8953]

I scrapped a street light and took the transformer out but I don't have that type of tool to bust the transformer

[@CopperEyeJoe]

I saw it done on another channel and gave it a try. Definitely makes it easier.

[@steveherr450]

Depending what tools you have you can use a machete to split it open in the center like he did with the wood splitter or you can just cut one side off with a grinder or sawzall or hacksaw and just grab the other side with a pump pliers and pull it through or use a hammer and punch it out or if you have very little in tools then you can just cut the one side off with a wire cutter and go from that. when you can afford to or me I would spend your money from scrapping to buy certain tools to make this fun gig faster and easier and then it becomes a better fun gig when you make more when you invested the same amount of time. yep in scrapping tools are your friend. my favorite is my sawzall and my plasma cutter probably. when i started 40 years ago, i only had manual hand tools and built my arsenal up from that.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

@steveherr450 thanks for the advice . I have since put my scrap money on a wire stripper. It already paid for itself many times over. My next purchase will be a nicer wire stripper and some other tools. Just messing around on the side I've made 2,500 in the past 2 months. That small potatoes, but for the little amount of time I'm putting in it's nice side money.

[@CopperEyeJoe]

www.youtube.com/@thesheff79

[@robtaylor8907]

There’s too many variables pertaining to recycling capacitors, bud.

[@mikeduggan9454]

Your shred doesnt have to be real clean, like removing the bulb socket, unless you were going to take the brass out

[@CopperEyeJoe]

Thanks for the info and for taking the time to watch.

[@schrauberfreunde7519]

Do you even know anything about scraping? Bec in this vid you act like you dont know what youre doing

[@CopperEyeJoe]

I'm a rookie, obviously. Excellent observation.