welder copper recovery
 

Has anyone ever recovered copper from a welder before. I am thinking about doing it to this OLD 300 amp hobart. I was told it had 600-700 lbs of copper!!

Hell I can get me a nice miller with the recovered copper.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Rectifier welder should have a large amount of copper.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Ya it does! Has anyone ever recovered copper from them? I want to get the copper out but I am worried about shock.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Just make sure you keep it plugged in so it has a good ground to direct amperage away from you're body and sensitive organs.


now seriously, Pop off the cover, I dont know if there are any capacitors in there but if there are just arc them out to kill any charge they would have. I've never done one but I wouldnt be too scared.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

and there I thought you were supposed to discharge some capacitors

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Yeah, maybe, just arc across them with a screwdriver if they are monsters clip a lead or somthing, beat it with a hammer until it falls off, even small capacitors can give quite a jolt, just beat on it obiously ur brutally dissasembling it anyway.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

I have not opened the cover yet, but, I am opinion-izing that there would be some bad asses in there giving the fact that it is 300 amps

Re: welder copper recovery
 

lol, I'm smelling what ur standin in. I guess the only way to find out is check it out, I honestly dont think there will be too much in there and for sure nothing you cant discharge with a big ass plastic handled screwdriver, if ur scared wear a glove or a shirt or somthing.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

You are...trust me, you don't want to get hit by the capacitors that are in those things. :P And a screwdriver across the terminals is also a good way to A. kill yourself, B. melt your screwdriver. ;D A big fat resistor across the terminals is a better way to discharge caps.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

pussies :)

Re: welder copper recovery
 

I prefer penis challenged.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

I'm not sure how much copper would be in them and I'm pretty sure that lots of the weight in a 700lb welder would be the iron in the transformer because the transformers in those old rectifier machines are HUGE. The copper from the windings would probably be worth more than the machine itself though. You have all the wires in there too. You could probably sell off the covers and shell for scrap steel too.

I'd use the resistor and not a screw driver. Those caps hold a pretty good charge.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

1) take off cover
2) leave in rain overnight
3) profit
;)

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Ya, just dump saltwater all over it.

Wear rubber boots.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

well the thing is, is that it still works good! Just out dated. The model is Hobart dynasty cyber-wave 300Three phase.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Outdated how? Welders are lifetime pieces... I'd love to have that unit.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

I am not saying it is a bad welder but, a new welder will weigh a lot less and can be mobile. Also, this one does not have an inverter with pulse control.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Inverter welders are also hideously expensive, and much of pulse control is irrelevant if the operator knows what they are doing.

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Are you welding on aluminum? If not you don't need pulse control and its a HUGE waste of money to go buy yourself an pulsed inverter machine. Unless you are doing lots of welding and its a proffession its not worth it. The lincoln synergic machines with S.T.T. capabilities are really nice if you are looking to spend some dough. They are capable of all three processes, they have pulse control and they produce much less spatter due to the S.T.T. (surface tension transfer) and the way that it drops off the molten metal to the base metal. Its a completely new type of mode of metal transfer and its sort of a mix between spray and short circuit.

http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...et.asp?p=12557

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Joe, you have three phase?

An inverter machine with pulse makes a good welder a better welder and the process is less tiring and tedious to the welder

and the benefits of these features become very evident when doing welding and fab work that requires many positions and beads run over less than straight line or flat joints

just wanted to know if anyone had scrapped a big 300 amp transformer machine

the flyback caps are very dangerous to say the least

they will kill you just as dead as the ones found in TV's

Re: welder copper recovery
 

Three phase converters have dropped in price over the last decade, most people don't realise how cheap they are.