Trade secrets revealed! I show where I get my transformers, how fast I can process them, and how much they are actually worth. I will also make a video on how I went about getting my customers.
It's not that you CAN'T, it's that you need to do about 200 transformers per hour to achieve 900$. And even that's ONLY if you get the transformers for free.
well you can't cause sure you might make 900 in an hour scraping them but collecting and retrieving all of them from various devices/places also takes a conciderable amount of time and the time to sell of the stuff and then there the fact you cant do this every day or even month saying 900 per hour sugests you can do this for hours on end.....
Awesome setup. I watch all of your videos. That skiff it looks like you are building though, That is my bread and butter. Im a classically trained Boatbuilder.
That wood boat is my landlords and he is building it out of scrap wood. I gave him some of the wood from a shipping crate I was scrapping. lol He is making a video on it and when ready I will promote it. Its pretty cool. Thanks for watching.
I have been scraping metals for years but haven’t been breaking items down like you. Your video inspire me to try and break down and see if i can increase profits with a little more added time and effort. Definitely subscribe and liked.
You sir.... a virtual machine- you have this down to an art. A TRUE model of efficiency! Awesome explanation, tutorial and general 'giver of hope' to those that may be jobless, on disability or just wanna do their own thing at their own pace. Mad props buddy- MAD props to you
So cool to share your hard work, I didn't know you guys made that kind of money just goes to show that hard work and knowledge you still can make your life better, only in america.
I'd like to see the "Per hour" break down when you add in the cost of vehicle, maintenance, electricity and hours to pick up the materials and drop off of the end products including the waste. That way you can get a true "Per hour" profit. If you also have three people running this, what would the deductions be for wages etc be? Very cool set up!
What waste are you referring to? I pay labor $15 per hour so that's $45 per hour it would cost in labor. I did not account for my operating cost because it will differ from others. In the video I was just showing what the machines could produce. At 35:30 I show what the machines actually can produce with 3 people witch was around $1200 per hour witch included the cost of the transformers. That leaves you with $300 per hour to account for overhead and labor. Thanks for watching
I understand this is the "per hour" for the break down of the transformers AFTER they are removed from the original equipment. How much time did it take to remove the transformers from the equipment? Including this would be a closer true "per hour" calculation.
I enjoy watching your videos, best ideas ever!! I'm just n old country gal using screw driver, hammer, utility knife & wire cutter! All done by my hands
@@ProjectShopFl can you do a video on the setup of your hydraulic presses? On what type and connectors just in case I find those types of transformer/motors as it would be classified.. As I said before, AWESOME SETUP...
Your setup is how I wish mine was I love the way you got things going on awesome man how do you come up with all your transformers you got people that you go pick them up from or what
Hey Bud, Hats off to you, I've seen what you've Done and it's great. This proves that If you are smart enough you can far Surpass what an education can do. No Offense to formal education, just An observation on my part. Oh, and I would say you are a good teacher. Thanks, Guy in Eugene Oregon
@@ProjectShopFl Funniest damn thing is, the quality of education you were receiving back then, is one heck of a lot better than kids get nowadays, Lord only knows how that's happened.
Overhead will differ for others that's why I did not include it. I was just showing what is possible with in my opinion is the fastest, cheapest way to process transformers. I don't think anyone has equipment like this because I built them. lol the title says how to make $900 per hour, If you look at 35:30 it shows the machines could actually produce around $1200 per hour. that leaves a lot bro account for overhead. Thanks for watching.
Your setup is amazing! I’ve recycled some transformers using just a hammer and to see you’re hydraulic press was like a dream come true. Really great video and information
Hello Sir, I realy like your idea and set up....love to do it myself...but hard here in The Philippines to find volume or anything....your contact to your electrical contractor is worth gold!!!!
I'm collecting material to build a similar machine I like your project scrap on Facebook I put a couple videos on there that is pretty awesome and so is your machine I've watched this a few times 👍👍👍
Start with the Kelly bluebook of contractors and call all the electricians in your area code then expand from there. good luck and thanks for watching.
I've done alit of scraping over the years. Just a question if I may ask is. How do you accumulae the transformers? I know they are light transformers but are you buying them or getting them from jobs done?
I plan on getting a forge soon because I plan on melting my copper into something I can sell, and not just Ingots. If you’re scrapping it’s not worth melting the copper. I doubt a DIY forge is going to melt a ton an hour of transformers
HOw much time does it take to procure each transformer and fuel to pick them ,or do you have people drop off transformer to your location so keep the pencil moving on the deduction side then youll be in real time
Couple questions I'd like to ask, 1st is it better to sale the copper n alium together or is it best to separate copper from alium? I break down a A/C and remove both side.
Hey man. Hey do you know where to get a wire stripper for sizes like cat 5 ? I saw a guy in England on a video using one but I can't find one. Thanks man,and I haven't been getting any notifications ,have you put any videos up recently?
You would have to look online, I would use a granulator for that wire. I've been uploading lots of videos, I don't know why you are not getting notifications. I try and drop 1-2 videos week
Dude! I pay 5$ each for microwaves so I can rob the transformers out to build projects like spot welders for lipo batteries and arc welders so when u break one I cry just a little bit! Dang you got some nice ones!!
I just scraped a bunch that were brand new in the box. I like DIY projects and want to do something cool with the transformers. If you make a video of you making something cool with the transformers I'll send you some to play with. I literally get thousands of them. Thanks for watching.
I recently took apart a large transformer with 3 coils as large as ones on table. Problem was 2 on sides had multiple fine Cu layers each layer wrapped in paper. It took me too long to remove paper. Maybe, I should have just put them in #2 Cu wire bag.
I know you've gotten a bunch of these already, but I'll ask differently. You source the transformers from tradesmen, businesses etc. How long does it take for them to fill (1/2fill ?)a barrel. Are you getting a barrel of transformers 1 time per week, month...once a day??. I'm sure it varies but what do you think is a fair quantity per week you're actually able to get? Thanks for sharing
It depends, but I can easily get a few barrels a week. Some people fill up a drum fast and others it comes in waves but I'm also buying other stuff and charging for others. When I use to have over 100 customers and 5 people working for me I would get 2-3 drums a day sometimes more because I would buy them from the scrap yards in bulk but only copper transformers. Once I find the proper space I will ramp up how much I process and what I process.
Wow. I have to say A+ on the mathematics here as I can relate to scrapping copper transformers as I have done it old school for years. The money is good but the work is hard. Time is money and you sir have a great handle on that. Hat's off to you for a well done production setup of getting the pay dirt.
Very cool. Be careful everyone. I am a professional scrapper " junk man" . I put one of these in a log splitter one time and it spit it out and hit me in the leg. Lesson learned. And for those without a press . When I was younger I could beat 4 or 5 ton of these apart in 8 hours. Just good ol fashioned hammer. Do where safety glasses. My hammer broke once and shot me. In the arm luckily but hurt bad. Just be careful and great video
Thank you. It definitely can be dangerous. The 1'st press clamps it in place so it really cannot move. The 2nd press is the one to watch for. lol 4 tons in 8 hours is impressive with a hammer.
So one question I have (great video btw) is this way seems to work great for that style of transformer but what do you do when/if you come across a different style?
Awesome... In many transformers that I scrap from the electronic board, and from air conditioning, etc.. have varnish on them. Do you have to remove it ? (if so with what??° Can I still sell it as it is? Or is the price will be lower as they will consider that the copper is not clean. Thank you.
I sell it as is for #2 copper. If they tell you its something less then #2 copper they are ripping you off. You could soak it in a said or a solvent but I think it a waste of time. Thanks for watching.
I'll give you a solid 90% on efficiency, kudos! And its almost pointless to reach any higher, that last 10% is stuff like prepping the transformers well chopping then (left hand cuts wires well right chops), adjusting table lay out so there's no walking...ya know, shit nobody wants. Your an inspiration, honestly might follow in your footsteps. Hope life's treating you well.
@@ProjectShopFl oh to literally the only thing I can see that would improve your flow would honestly be more tedious than anything else. The only thing I can see is waisted movement (for lack of a better term). Honestly it's the difference between being an absolute unit and a robot. To more directly answer your question you could organize your counter into a "U" shape, that way you can increase whats in arms reach and reduce walking time. Using barrels also affects flow as you have to reach down, plus you're forced to lift with your back which is never a good time. Lastly there's a bit of idol hand time, like when you split transformers a few times you almost looked relaxed (in bureaucrat that translates to lazy), by automating the crusher with an arduino for instance youd significantly instance your speed. I'll elaborate on the arduino, just incase you're interested. What I had in mind was to have a 3 step process. After the wires were cut you could place it on a scale, triggering a pusher bar with a smaller arm off the front that would retract to pull the transformer flush with the backplate of the crusher. Then add a proximity sensor somewhere before the crusher, when that sensor trips you can calculate how wide the transformer is allowing you to stop it when it's centered. Then the crushing process can be automated by having it start after the transfer is in place and stop after it gives (using a pressure sensor to detect when it spits), and afterwards have the arm push it to the other side. And for the love of god have a deadman switch, like a pedal you have to apply pressure otherwise it cuts power and lifts the crusher. As I said your work is nearly flawless, and is byoned any reasonable expectation as is. Be proud of what you've accomplished, all the best to you my friend! And don't be afraid to ask if you do want to go the semi-automated route, I'd be all to happy to help you out there!
@@ltsgobrando Thank you for such a detailed and informative response. I had to look up "anduino". lol Are you a engineer because you are speaking my language. lol What you are talking about and similar I've dreamed of for years. But it would over complicate a simple design with all the sensors and electrical equipment that would be needed. You also have to think about all the shock and vibration from breaking the welds. It literally breaks welds, bolts, and bends plates on the current setup. I know beefing everything up will help that but do they make sensors that will take 1000's of 25 ton explosive hits? I'm always thinking about the simplest and fastest way and what I dream of is a punch press type situation. I bought one but I did not realize I could not just the hight and it only had a 2" stroke. Running off giant flywheels I would have a adjustable slot/clip or magazine that I can drop the transformers in and have them stack 1 or even 2 high. Having everything timed together and the pusher will push one TX in to the press as it upstrokes. On the down stroke the pusher will pull back allowing the next TX to fall in place then the new TX will push the broke one out. I would us a 50 or even 100 ton setup. The ultimate would be 3 clips one for each size and a 150 ton setup and you could do 1 every second. lol If I was not on a Harbor Freight budget, I would have some of the coolest machines in the world. I am trying with my Copper King setup. I am always open to suggestions. once again thanks for thoughts. I am interested in making this current press run a cycle. I want to just hit the button and not have to hold it. Any suggestions are welcome.
@@ProjectShopFl Strictly speaking I'm not an engineer (hell I didn't even attended university) but I wouldn't exactly describe myself as a layman either. In a nutshell I'm an aspie who's self described as a "clever cookie". I LOVE learning above all else, but school just didn't work out for me. I obsessively research one thing at a time and once I'm comfortable with my understanding I move on. Needless to say that alone made school a nightmare. Plus I started developing video games when I was 12 which helped develop my understanding of mathematics. Despite understanding and actively using calculus at 15 my school refused to work with me saying I needed to emotionally mature (because time cures autism...?) Anywho, in short I didn't attend university but I'm of the same caliber as I had the good fortune of being a clever cookie with a step-dad who's a combustion engineer, a dad who kept all his text books and went through them with me. Sorry if that sounds uncouth, hard to judge but its certified not intended to. Asperger's really does make "social interaction" all kinds of interesting 🤣 Before getting to the meat of my comment I should clarify I was thinking about possible upgrades for your current machine. Just a matter of replacing the button to squish with a microcontroller and adding a sensor or two. I failed to actually tell you what an arduino is, my apologies for that. I'm not sure how far down the rabbit hole you went or what it covered so here's the crux: arduinos are programmable microcontrollers and they can do ANYTHING. They may not necessarily be the best option for every application, but they can be used for basically anything that needs a microcontroller. They are totally open source so you can get the Arduino brand boards, cheaper knockoffs, or ones that are reimagined by a third party. The Arduino brand also has boards with different levels of functionality from the lilypad (a tiny board designed for e-textiles) to the mega (designed to be mega! It's just got more pins and runs faster) Shields are the next tools in the Arduino arsenal, and are basically a plug and play upgrade. Say you want Bluetooth functionality and didn't buy the bluetooth Arduino, just plug in a bluetooth shield. Or if you wanted an lcd display, even one with a decent resolution and a touchscreen. Yup, just plug it in. And if you need more room between then you could used a wireing harness to get all the room you need. Put another way arduinos allow average people to try their hand at computer science. If you excel at working with them then there's a level above all this, you can buy just the chip and design your own PCB. Though designing custom circuit boards isn't necessarily everyone's cup a tea it offers so much more, plus its cheap as hell (as in less than a buck a board). Only mentioning this just in case, no point in dangling half a carrot 😁 Arduinos are able a blank slate so you can plug in nearly any sensor. If you need data from extreme situations like you mentioned then you have a few options. You can buy or selvage a sensor that's been designed for it, though in this case I'd save this as a last resort (very expensive and/or very time consuming). Option two would be to mechanically reduce the force applied. This would also be among the last resorts, unless you wanted a scale that could measure literal tons. I'd start with a sheet of think steel (back of the napkin calculation got me ~1.5"), and add a suspension system that can handle load that's extreme. Bit of a toss-up there between springs and a hydronic set up, they both are dubious at best. Springs are easier to come by, just call a scapyard and see if you could get a deal buying 50 of the heaviest ones they got. Hydronic would be what I'd opt for, but it may be more expensive. In theory you could mount 4 cylinders of steel to the bottom of the aforementioned plate, and the cylinders would have have a diameter that's extremely precise. Then contact a engine rebore shop and ask for four holes to be drilled to the exact diameter plus a hair, and some piston rings to seal it. Form there all you have to do is have 4 extremely high pressure lines connected to a much larger piston assembly for the mechanical advantage. Lastly you'd have to measure the displacement of the plate, and compared with the rest its trivial, a simple toothed rod off the bottom thats connected to a gear leading to a variable resistor would do the trick. Third is the best in my opinion, simply measure something else. You mentioned a lot of vibrations, why not use those to your advantage? Use an accelerometer to measure all 3 axis, take the absolute of each and add them together, then graph it. Something like ΔV=|x| + |y| + |z| would spit out a number between 0 and the maximum value that could be measured. If you have it monitor for a spike a spike (when the weld breaks) then dip in the graph, done like dinner. Other options would be to use a proximity sensor on the side of the presses head and have it press that far plus an inch or so. A similar effect could be achieved with lasers if there's too much intolerance for the ultrasonic sensor. If all else fails then just a simple pushrod switch would work, but that's boring. Think that covers all my bases, I know I messed something 😅. If you want I'd be willing to draft a schematic for you, I got a passion for puzzles and honestly sounds like my kinda fun. Keep me posted 🤙
Add double button press starting. (Two buttons in series, to be activated each with separate hands) A mistake could cost you a hand or a finger at least.
It's called a drum clamp. Look up material handling & drum clamp or barrel clamp. lots of them online . This one was $200 10 years ago and is made by WISCO.
I use an air chisel,face off one side of the transformer and pound out the copper. Motors,cut off one side with a chop saw,metal type,and use a seal puller to get the windings out. I need a press.
wow that was really detailed info dude well done man much respect for your hard work and ingenuity im really impressed how you came about doing all that and you deserve your success. really really well do man
I scrapped out a 1980s magnetic particle machine a couple yrs ago , that thing had a number of transformers 2 that where hundreds of lbs a piece and 30’of 2” copper bus bar, grip of large copper components. It had a duty cycle of like 6000 amp DC. Had a ball breaking it down Good times. Raw copper is somehow mesmerizing for me,lol.
@@ProjectShopFl from what I was told it was for inspecting engine blocks/heads for cracks , up to 100 inches long . It was quite the monstrosity 2 units one was its power converter where all the conversion to high DC happened and the inspection table/ trough, which held water which was about 12 feet long. The last place I would want to have water . It was given to my employer never used by us so it took a nap outside for years.It was old tech replaced by a hand held unit nowadays. The weather had rendered it beyond repair, I eyeballed that thing for years then pow it was clean up time and it became mine lol.
@@ryandeboer9584 nice score.lol I think they use to call that magnaflux crack detection. Years ago when I restored cars we would have all the old blocks and heads checked for cracks and they used something like what you are describing. very cool stuff, Id like to see the hew hand held ones.
You need to take one of those large transformers or two and make you a good size magnet to pick those up out of the barrel 20 at a time and you would not have to bend over and get them out. Put it on a pulley system.
I am building a machine that will do motors. Look for my video titled building the ultimate copper recovery system. Also search for stator recycling machines, it will give you a good Idea on how they come apart. You can take that info and apply it to the resources you have available. good luck and thanks for watching.
dont know if youre in florida but theres a youtube channel called cleetus mcfarland , amongst having fun with all sorts of racecars he owns an old racetrack and is renovating it , he calls it the freedom factory now this guy was talking about upgrading ALL the lighting on that track to led and replacing the poles soon , (hes asking people to sponsor him some and maibe doing some patrion stuff to help pay for it all) you might want to talk to the guy about buying the old stuff and probably the old cables if youre near enough to make it worth youre wile as for youre calculations : dont forget the wear on youre equipment and the gas and time needed to collect the transformers , if they bring it to youre shop you might be able to pay them more and still make the same profit friend of mine was tearing apart electric washing machine and small industrial motors (cut the rotor and stator in half and tap out the copper windings with a punch ) i was watching him struggle all day and made a calculation on wat he made per hour , it was 1/4th of the average minimum wage including taxes in other words he would get payed more for saying : do you want fries with that? now machines help a lot , but it takes more money to make more money
Nice work. This is great info. We do plant decommissioning and lighting conversions and this info just opened another door for us. We paid a couple of kids for a week to strip scrap copper wire from a job and netted 12 grand.....and that was when copper prices were low.
Life is not just breaking transformers. You have to look for them, buy them, sell the metals, look for th best prisses. Your presses can break you must remake them. So $900 mines live will be a lot less. But all we ever used should be reused, so your work is a GOOD thing.
Thank you, I made this video to show the production of my presses and the cost to run the transformers and what I think is the best way to do this on a budget and not really my cost of living. Mine will differ from others. I get tons of them quick and easy. In other videos I show where and how I get my customers. Thanks for watching
Hard to say because I made them. It would cost between 1-5k to replicate this setup depending on if you use hydraulics or air over hydraulic & if you can weld.
If a transformer is good they can be worth a lot of money especially the bigger ones. You can normally sell microwave transformers for $20.00 and up on Ebay. People make tesla coils out of them. I have sold old new stock transformers for sometimes hundreds of dollars. Old jukeboxes, vintage machinery, rare televisions, etc need transformers which are sometimes missing. If you can find a manufacture and serial number on those transformers it's worth you while to look it up. You could be throwing thousands of dollars a month into the scrap pile.
Most of the ones I get have been burned up and replaced with new ones. I get new ones in the box and always try and sell them but if they are here too long, they get sent through the presses. lol Thanks for watching
You sir are a professional! There are a lot of ways to make some money in this world if you are willing to approach them seriously and put the time in which you obviously do. My hats off to you!
Very good stuff . I scrap copper while I’m on the job (big dirt construction) and pretty much get all my copper for free . Which pretty much means my garage is filled with copper and the wife hates it lol 😂 . One day I’ll get around to selling it . There must be 2k pounds in there . I think it’s like 4.25 a Lb at the moment. Probably should buy the wife something nice to make her happy again lol 😂 great video bro
Thank you. Great minds think alike, I always tell people the same thing especially people that work for me. Its only worth so much and if you don't hustle you will work for free or even loose money. Thanks for watching.
@@ProjectShopFl I have not looked through all of your videos yet. I am trying to figure out how you initially bust the transformer on the first press. You are so fast and the camera is not close enough for me to see. Could you tell me which video to go to to see the process better.
@@jamesray2273 just look for any video with transformers in the title and thumbnail. Some of them I sure exactly how the process works not sure exactly which one but here is a good start. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aL9jkAn8uyo.html
Check each one, If it has any aluminum in It pay .08 - .10 per pound. But you have to call around so you don't pay more than you have to. Some places only pay .04 - .08 If there are more than 2-3 all aluminum TX's in a drum I will separate them and pay a steel price. Most will have at least 1 copper coil. These days its usually 50/50 half all copper and half copper/aluminum. All aluminum TX's are a small % of what I get. when I first started I got burned 1 time buying a 55 drum with out checking the coils. I did not know they made aluminum TX's. It was 90% copper/aluminum mix. Since that day I've checked each one and have never lost money.
I have found a dumpster at a business that installs and services grow lights. I’m tempted to just keep getting TXs for free out of the dumpster. I have gotten well over a ton over the last two weeks out of just that dumpster between transformers,HIDlight fixtures and led light fixtures( lots of screws and aluminum)
Hey mate from Australia. Those Transformers are a pain in the ass to break down. I got really into scrapping a couple of years ago. Great setup you've got there with the presses. Think I'll have to do something similar great work buddy.
Hello from South FL. You should definitely build a press if you can get a lot of them. Then it becomes easy money. lol Good luck and thanks for watching.
I'm splitting and pushing steel. I've made a few videos on this you can get a good idea of what Im doing. I will also be making a video on the machines them selves. Thanks for watching
@@DieterSoegemeier Start with the Kelly bluebook of contractors. call all the electricians in your area code then expand from there. I live in south Florida, it has a dence population and millions of lights so location is a big part of it.
I misread the scale when you weighed the blue barrel. I thought it read 202lbs. When you snatched it up and moved it, I was like Damn! He's strong as hell! Had to re-watch it, then realized it was 20.2lbs. I need sleep.
I had to Google Toroidal transformers.lol I've only processed a handful of them and its been a while. I think I just used a grinder with a cutoff wheel and cut a line around the outside and pulled out the copper.
Yep that looks fun and great but are you including the time hunting up the transformers and drive time? Also loading unloading and your drive time to and from the seller and or the buyer of the metals? Fuel cost, expense on shop IE: electric bill, ins, rent plus all that equipment you bought or built? do a comprehensive analysis of everything from start to finish and then repunch your hour per $ ratio and amend your figures bcos if you were knocking out 900$ an hour your super awesome rich!! Ps. Luv ur video dude keep up the good work!
well I have not had a 9-5 in over 10 years and I don't work anything near a 40 hr week, that's why I'm not rich. lol That video was to show the production rate and profit the machines could make, not what I personally make, that will differ from everyone because no one has my system of acquiring and processing them. I am very efficient at getting the transformers, handling them, processing them, and selling them for the highest possible price. If you look at the break down of the sample, at capacity the machines can produce around $1100 per hour so 900 is easily attainable. Thanks for watching.
Hey Project Shop, cool channel and very nice video. New sub from 🇬🇧 here fellow scrapper. The presses are worth the weight in copper I think really speed up your production speed. Love your work shop as well so clean, tidy and organised. I think you have the same sort of OCD as me lol. Love the cost and profit break downs as well really informative. And thanks for the tips with the FB groups going to join them now.
Thanks for the sub and I hope you enjoy the channel and what I have coming. The FB group is there but I am permanently banned from Facebook so I have no control of the group. lol They don't like my opinion on certain things I guess.
