On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:41:16 -0800, "William Sommerwerck"
wrote:
"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
.. .
One method I like is to use a mason's chisel. I place it along
the glue line and LIGHTLY tap the chisel with a hammer.
What about Dremel cut-off disks?
(You're supposed to respond "Well, what about them?".)
I've used those. A few problems. The big one for me is that the disk
often turns into a mini fragmentation bomb, spraying disk parts
everywhere. Just twist the tool even slightly, and it will break the
disk. I wear safety glasses *AND* a face shield when I use a hand
grinder or Dremel tool.
Another problem is a tendency to cut too deep, resulting in component
damage. The hack saw has the same problem, but I can usually feel
when I've broken through. There's also a problem of going to slowly
and melting the plastic case instead of cutting it. Lastly, I don't
like cleaning up the mess from the Dremel. It creates a fine abrasive
dust over a wide area, while the hack saw just creates comparatively
larger plastic dust over a smaller area.
One trick I've used is with an ultrasonic scaler.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ultrasonic+scaler
These are normally used to chip off plaque from teeth, but work
equally well cracking the glue line on wall warts. I use a tip shaped
like a small spatula. The down side is that the ultrasonics are fully
capable of breaking the wire bonds inside some chips and xsistors.
I've only had one such failure, but it pays to be careful with this
method.
I just watched some really awful YouTube videos on power supply and
charger repair. Everything from beat on it with a hammer to using a
hot knife. You're on your own if you want to experiment.
On the other foot, there are some wall warts which just will not
cooperate. One memorable failure was after pounding on the case
repeatedly, and resorting to the hack saw, it still would not come
apart. In frustration, I cracked the plastic case, only to find that
it had two screws hidden under the label. I just hate it when that
happens.
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060
http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558