1 Screwdriver Broken Already!!!

[valterra]

I recently took my broken microwave apart.  Here are some pictures of the transformer.   Holy Cow!  I think the bulk of the microwave's weight lies in this single piece.  It must weigh 10 lbs.

I already broke 1 screwdriver trying to pry it apart.  As you can see in the last picture, it's actually many "slices" of steel welded together.  

All I want to do is rescue those coils! Look at all that nicely-wound copper!

Any secerts?  PS.  I don't own a welder.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

[stephent]

No secret, I use a side grinder with a 1/8th" thick cutting blade to cut the welds through...just better check the "windings" before going to much trouble--some are aluminum wire.

[dastardlydan]

Valterra

Grind the welds out ,most coil in fransformer

or I should say fransformer are made like the letter E

lots of plates E shape one up and one down,when you

get the first one out then will come apart easy.

Dan

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[margusten]

Hi,

I took apart recently broken microwawe too. Transformer looks exactly like Yours.

Only primary for 220V.

I rewind secondary for 50V. I made transformer for powerful battery charger.

I cut this 2000V coil down by a saw.

It wasn't that easy. It was wind very tight.

Made empty holes by pushing and pulling copper wire pieces out.

Finally it's done.

Only bad thing - this transformer needs cooling fan.

BR,

Margus

[jimovonz]

I don't cut the welds right through - maybe only 2mm both sides - then tap it with a hammer. I use pre-cut wooden wedges (from hardware store - used to fix door/window frames into the opening) between the primary and secondary windings to force out the primary. I usually take a hammer to the secondary as its not much use (too fine) Whole job should take less than 5 minutes.

[Nothing40]

I just cut the secondary winding off and use a screwdriver/hammer to tap the rest of the winding out of the holes in the core.

Then rewind as you wish!

Here's a 12V power supply I slapped together..

http://www.users.qwest.net/~ptaylor/Electronics/MOTpowersupply/12Vhighcurrentsupply.jpg

(Yes,it's ugly.)