Would it be worthwhile selling a large transformer for scrap copper?

Hi all,
I'm in the midst of re-doing my basement studio and there is a large, old, rusty 600v 30KVA transformer that is no longer being used (the building used to be commercial in the 80s) that's just getting in my way.
Even though I'd imagine it still works, I doubt anyone would pay much for it as the metal box it's in is quite rusty from being in a damp basement for so long.
Has anyone here ever sold copper? I wonder if this thing would be worth selling for scrap?

Transformers have been $0.30/pound lately.

PRR has been crawling up power poles to make ends meet,
hey,times are tough,

stripping the copper off would be fun, or not.

it is a dry unit, i bet it buzzed a lot, so the lams might be easy to unstack, or not.

silicon steel and cu can be both be sold,

but the price of scap metal is so low thswt you may as well save yourself the cuts and bruises and sell the whole thing for 29 cents a pound

(stocks down 259 points and sinkin)

It depends on what your definition of worth it is...

My old metal shop teacher in highschool was a specialist in salvaging and cleaning metal. He'd round us all up on a weekend and we'd burn through about 2 tanks of acetylene cleaning up a bunch of scrap stuff (even dead transformers bought off the power company). Money can be made, but you really need to be set up for it. If you have a big skil saw with an old combo blade you don't mind sending to a hot fiery death, you could scrap it all out. But I recommend just trucking it down and selling it as dirty scrap.

When I was downsizing couple of years ago I sold about 200Kg worth of perfectly working min condition transfromers at about 25p per Kg as it would be madness to attempt to seperate the copper. But that is a different matter. If you have the time then seperating the copper may bring you extra few bucks.

Clean copper is high, last time I checked it was over $3.00 lb., a few years ago it was close to $4.00.  I've been bringing home my wire scraps for years to my Father, who set himself up a little area in his garage where he escapes to every now and then to strip and box. He listens to a ball game on the radio and finds it quite relaxing. He makes enough to take a nice vacation with my Mom every year just using the proceeds from the scrap.

Does Dad wear a face mask and gloves?  Old stuff is loaded with all sorts of pcb based chemicals.
Mike

You might do well to put in on ebay for the mad scientist sector out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcGtjCwfjdQ


Looks like this is being used for some type of solar panel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHNLjhymSgQ&feature=related


Or find a matching capacitor and have some fun like this guy:


http://www.youtube.com/user/riflemann69?blend=15&ob=5

Hey thanks for the great info folks!

CJ said:

it is a dry unit, i bet it buzzed a lot, so the lams might be easy to unstack, or not.

Click to expand...

Oh yeah, play a loud A♭ thru an amp in the same room and that thing belts out like a fat baritone hornet.

sodderboy said:

Does Dad wear a face mask and gloves?  Old stuff is loaded with all sorts of pcb based chemicals.
Mike

Click to expand...

He's only stripping romex, should be OK. No transformers. Thanks for the tip, though.

1st off I'd check around your local scrap yards and find out what there paying

Last time I sold a deal with scrap transformers I got .40 lb In Los Angeles

It made it worthwhile for me.

Steve

> PRR has been crawling up power poles to make ends meet,

Not yet, but I probably will, "to make ends meet". I'm 500 feet back from the street, the power line is strung tight, the lights run dim when the pump runs, a backhoe bit the underground end of it last year.... I'm about ready to go up a pole.

Mainly waiting for metal prices to fall.

However while we are on the subject: whoever even thinks about cutting the ground wires off of poles, STOP IT!! It forks-up the power system, some on a good day, and badly in lightning storms. If I catch you on my street, I'll make you harvest the 6,000 Volt conductor with your teeth.