Cleaning up transformer copper

Where are you located?

Ludington Michigan

Hum -

Depends on EPA - but :

Motor repair shops cook the motors in an oven - like a kitchen type - but not in a house (smell!!!).

Another possible is a solvent of some sort.

Stay away from LYE or base. LYE will catch the AL on fire. SO most paint strippers will have LYE in it - be careful.

Mart> We are scrapping out a couple old welders. Has anyone found an easy /

Do you have a wood stove handy - one w/o a catalytic combustor? If so just toss the transfoemer in, get it out in the morning.

That would do more than just stink up your neighborhood. Just scrap it as is and consider yourself a good Samaritan.

Diox> Do you have a wood stove handy - one w/o a catalytic combustor? If so ju= st

Oh Crom..a Luddite.

Gunner, grew up in da UP and Grayling eh.

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

- Proverbs 22:3

Unwind and touch it to a naked flame then clean the soot

a naked flame quickly burns off the insulating coating "varnish" type stuff on copper

i'd almost say wind it while feeding it into a candle (Yes when i say low temp cangle or butane lighter will burn it off)

after the flame you have easy to clean sooty copper.

Depends on if your time is worth it

HeavyMetal wrote:

Ed's right about those fumes, nasty stuff !

I used to cash in a lot of copper wire in the past. Some people burn it but I always stripped, 12 gauge on up. With a razor knife you can fly through a pile of it.

Anyway years ago rumours began that the EPA was on the watch for people that brought in "burn cleaned" wire/copper.

As an right-wing environmentalist I urge you to not burn it but if you do I would suggest calling the scrap center you plan to go to and ask if they'll accept it.

Thanks for all the input. We shopped around for the best price as is, stripped from the iron cores. We are segregating into piles, stripping the heavier wire and letting the small stuff go as is. I may try and process a batch in our small heat treat oven just to see what happens. Thanks