On 2014-07-27, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Ignoramus12347 fired this volley in
:

All I want is to get the copper out as #2 copper. I think that it will
have an unusually good recovery percentage.

Ig, we're not talking about what you want to accomplish, per se.
We're talking about HOW you go about accomplishing it.

If they are vacuum-varnished transformers (almost certain), and the
laminations are interleaved (very likely), you are NOT going to just
"pull apart" the laminations, no matter how big your press.

OK, how do they pull apart such transformers at scrap yards that
specialize in dismantling them?

I've done this work (not to salvage, to rebuild). You may get lucky and
find that both are gapped cores. I don't think that's likely.

Lloyd, now, if this transformed was heated in an oven to burn off the
varnish, then it would all separate, right?

i