Re: Dissolve Xfmr laminations

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Daniel Hess by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dhess1-at-us.ibm-dot-com>


Rick;

Will do. If I can't find the stuff I may use ordinary shellac. When I was
in junior high, electric shop, I built a 120-to-14 volt transformer. Had to
cut up the laminations from a sheet of ordinary galvanized steel on a foot
operated shears, built the coil form from heavy fiberboard and wound the
primary and secondary coils by hand. Put the whole thing together with
shellac and mounted it on a wood base. What impressed me the most is that
the sumbitch actually worked although my dad was a little concerned with
the exposed 110 VAC connections. (hehe, if he only knew of the things to
come!)

At any rate, here's an update thus far; Of the two transformers, they are
both identical except one was built years before the other. The newer one
is coated in the root beer looking stuff (Formvar, we believe) but the
older one has a gray, enamel looking stuff. Was able to pick up a quart
each of xylene and MEK today and tried my luck. The xylene was useless but
the MEK did dissolve the gray, enamel stuff. And rather well, too. Nothing
fazes the Formvar.

I think it was Godfrey that hit the nail on the head with the butter knife
suggestion; I used a belt sander to remove the external coating along the
edges of the core. Didn't take much, just lightly got me down to shiny,
silver metal. Then using a single edged razor blade I was able to easily
pry each layer apart. The sealant is so brittle that with a little pressure
it 'pops' apart as a bad glue joint. Someone on the list suggested that the
laminations were packed so tight that there might not be any sealant
in-between them but there is (alas!) With the grey stuff I can just soak
them in a tray of the MEK but the Formvar will have to be individually
scrubbed with steel wool to clean them up (ugh!) unless I can find a
solvent which will dissolve this stuff. But that's where I came in.

More to come.

Daniel

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cc:
Subject:    Re: Dissolve Xfmr laminations



Original poster: "Richard Williams by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <richardwwilliams-at-earthlink-dot-net>

Daniel,

I quote:
"I expect to use some sort of varnish when I do the reassembly (Formvar?)"

If you locate the stuff let me know. I've been looking for it for some time
now.

As far as the welded bead I have no idea so that will have to come from
someone more knowledgable on the subject. Sorry.

Rick W
Salt Lake City