Taking apart a large transformer

[Jim Stewart]

Welding is a skill that takes time and preferably instruction to master. I suggest that if you want to learn how to weld, you take a community college course.

The transformer is probably sized to make a decent welder, but the task is not trivial. You'll have to figure out the turns ratio, calculate the size of wire and number of turns for the new secondary, wind it, probably make an inductor and deal with the leads.

So, one thing at a time. Learn to weld, research building your own welder and go from there. Don't try to do it all at once.

[Ignoramus28225]

Oh, I see. I have not gotten to it yet, I suppose. I would not miss it.

I will check out. This UPS is good for 60 amps incoming 208 volts.

i

[Ignoramus28225]

I agree completely.

I hope that I can handle that. It is just simple math.

Okay. At first, I want to understand, basically, what is it that is necessary for declaring an apparatus a welding machine. What are the requirements for a good welding machine? DC, AC, amps, does it need to be adjustable voltage, etc.

i

[Doug Kanter]

You will notice that my suggestion was posted before any of these explanations arrived. Or, perhaps you won't notice.

In any case, it doesn't matter to you, really. You know that.

[Doug Kanter]

I did not know whether his transformer contained liquid, and neither did he. If nobody else had happened by to clarify, he may well have opened up a Pandora's box, so to speak. But, it doesn't matter at this point. Your only reason for being here is because you needed to vent some anger that came from somewhere else in your life.

[Ignoramus28225]

I want to chime in.

I did know that the transformer was dry. Doug did not know that at the time he made his post. I feel that his warning was warranted, even though the facts that he did not know, obviated the need for his warning.

I personally would prefer to be informed of dangers, even though some of the warnings turn out to be irrelevant, as opposed to not being warned of dangers that "might" be actual.

This discussion of PCBs has been very enlightening to me and I thank both Doug amd "Me".

i

[Morten]

Thats almost what I did, I put any strings into \" and that solved the issue...

Yes, I know I just found it and installed it, so now that part works as well :-)

/Morten

[Ignoramus28225]

I hope that you can make good use of my script.

When I need to create a picture webpage I do this:

cd public_html/tmp mkdir MyDir cd MyDir gp # this gets pictures from the memory stick, my own script i-p # alias of the index-pix script

gp involves editing images with xv, which is extremely fast due to good ergonomics (use of keyboard). All I do is cropping and resizing.

i

[Chas]

No, those are DC electrolytic filter caps which do not contain PCB. The three oil filled AC paper caps in the picture behind the bank of blue electros would be prime contenders for PCB, but unlikely if manufactured

1990.

[Ignoramus28225]

Those do say that they do not contain PCB.

[Orrin Iseminger]

Jon --

Let me try to answer your last question. I'm no transformer expert, but I worked in power plants my entire career. I know just enough to be dangerous.

Generally speaking, large power transformers used PCBs. The liquid in the transformer acted as a coolant that carried away heat to heat exhangers of one kind or another. Most of them rejected their heat to water or atmospheric air.

One of the ways to classify transformers is by their method of cooling. O/A were oil/air cooled. O/W were oil/water cooled O/A/F were oil/air/fan, etc. (I might be incorrect on that last one. It might be O/FA.)

The PCBs were valued for their fire-suppressant properties. Thus, if a transformer ever blew up there wasn't so much danger of fire.

Long before the days of environmental consciousness, folks who could get their hands on transformer oil (PCBs) would slather it onto the wood shingles on their houses. Not only would it help preserve the wood, it would act as a fire supressant.

Regards,

Orrin

[Gymy Bob]

Insulated square copper wires from a dry transformer are not 99% copper and take a lot of work to remove the insulation.

I have tonnes of insulated copper wire if you want it. I think you could almost have for the picking it up. How many bins can you take per year?

[Gymy Bob]

Just don't ever lose weight. Toxins are stored in your fat cells.

[Gymy Bob]

[nospam.clare.nce]

Actually, there was a real good clue, as he described the visual appearance of the windings - which is pretty difficult if the windings are inside a can full of oil.

[Bruce L. Bergman]

And now you've got a PCB-laden Superfund Site on your roof. :-0

("Well, it sure sounded like a good idea at the time...") ^_^

-->--

[m II]

Where do I send the contribution? They may need more ammo.

mike

[m II]

That works well. I saved it as a text file, then did a chmod a+x on it. One suggestion would be to have it name index.html as AAAindex.html, or something like it. That way, it shows up at the start of the folder and searching through the files.icons in alphabetical order isn't needed.

Does your site keep a log of who downloads the background image?

mike

[Ignoramus28225]

It should not be difficult to change, look at line 13.

It does, but I could not care less who downloads it.

i

[Gymy Bob]

The railroads used old PCB oil to keep there ties preserved and there gravel from dusting.