I'm in a trade where I have access to many appliance type electric motors. My question is what is the easiest way to remove the windings from a motor case. I don't care if I damage them as I am only after the copper. thanks in advance.
adam
IMO there is no practical quick way of doing it. You could sit down and pick away at the windings and maybe get a half pound of copper in less than an hour or so, if the windings were not cemented in place as they often are. Some research into commercial methods will be a real clue. Expect to see nice tools like continuous conveyor furnaces running inert atmospheres at 1500 degrees F. Since copper prices have tanked a good bit lately, you could make more money flipping burgers. Talk to some folks at electric motor repair shops. They do this kind of thing routinely, and it definitely isn't cheap or quick, which is why so many appliance motors wind up as throwaways. But hey! there may be a surprise out there. Good luck.
Joe
Years ago I worked at a company that rewound electric motors. The way the guys in the motor shop removed the old windings was to slice off all the loops on one end then pull the windings out. You might be able to slice off the small loops with a Dremel tool equipped with a cut off wheel. Flush cutters may also work for the small motors.
TDD
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