Making an electromagnetic chuck from old transformers?

I have access to 1000's of very large old transformers, from 1000VA to 5000VA (there are not MOT's). I'm trying to find some useful things to do with them and was just told of magnetic chucks. I had considered making them into standard electromagnets before but never thought about a chuck to hold the work piece.


From what I see, the normal magnetic chucks are permanent magnets with a lever that "raises" them to the top of the chuck to hold the work piece down. I'm not crazy about this method and if an electromagnet could do the same job, I'd like to pursue that either with the original windings or with rewinding the transformer.

Has anyone made one of these or used one? Are they anywhere near as good as the permanent magnet ones? I would think the force of the electromagnet could be MUCH higher. IS there a market for these in various sizes or custom made?

There are a lot of electromagnetic chucks. Not just made with permanent magnets. There are a lot of variables as to how strong the magnetic field in the core is. The number of windings and voltage. This doesnt sound practical. I'm not saying you couldn't make somthing. Sell your transformers on Ebay or scrap them for the copper and buy a magnetic chuck.
Very seldom can you make like this homemade that is manufactured and come out ahead. I may be missing your plan. Draw a diagram. The size and shape of the transformer my hurt your plan. You probably wont get a huge response on this forum for a home made chuck to that could get you hurt if a part gets thrown across the room. Count your transformers. Get average selling prices on ebay. Sell them. Price a chuck.
Open the box when you get your brand new magnetic chuck.
I doubt there is a market for the homemade chucks.
I have bought a few old transformers over the years. The may surprise you on value. Check them at least for continuity and that the coil isn't grounded before you sell them.
Just my suggestion. You are thinking and willing to learn. Apply that into making something sellable.
I may be missing something. Dont let me detour you.

Electromagnetic chucks seem to end up in the scrap about the same as transformers.......they dont seem to have any value here........permag chucks are valuable tho,but even them,be sure the top hasnt been ground through,filling them with coolant....and rust...........what is valuable is round scrap steel magnets.......if you could make one of them from your transformers you d be cookin with gas.

mllud22 said:

There are a lot of electromagnetic chucks. Not just made with permanent magnets. There are a lot of variables as to how strong the magnetic field in the core is. The number of windings and voltage. This doesnt sound practical. I'm not saying you couldn't make somthing. Sell your transformers on Ebay or scrap them for the copper and buy a magnetic chuck.
Very seldom can you make like this homemade that is manufactured and come out ahead. I may be missing your plan. Draw a diagram. The size and shape of the transformer my hurt your plan. You probably wont get a huge response on this forum for a home made chuck to that could get you hurt if a part gets thrown across the room. Count your transformers. Get average selling prices on ebay. Sell them. Price a chuck.
Open the box when you get your brand new magnetic chuck.
I doubt there is a market for the homemade chucks.
I have bought a few old transformers over the years. The may surprise you on value. Check them at least for continuity and that the coil isn't grounded before you sell them.
Just my suggestion. You are thinking and willing to learn. Apply that into making something sellable.
I may be missing something. Dont let me detour you.

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I think you are mistaken on what I am planning on doing and that is partly my fault in not fully understanding what is on the market and mayb what they are called exacly The first time I heard the term "magnetic chuck" I was thinking "the chuck the holds the bit or the end mill or whatever. I woudl have called it a magnetic vice as it seems more appropriate.


I have many unique ideas which haven't seen implemented yet and the hide strength can be insandl high 3-6times stroger than permanent magnet moroes.

I have to say the 06-98% of the projects I put forth on forms 90%+ of the people who respond try to talk me out and I think the reason for this is because they look the problem and see something "similar, not nearly as good as described" and they continue to say "no novice can do any better". Well I've done this same exact thing and I'd say 65-85% per and the cost was either cheaper, the performance was vastly above that of a commercial product , often made with a staff of 1-3% of the size and MUCH higher over-all profit margins. The problems with newcomers is they often have to sell out to their competitor when they see how well they are doing and they have to take that first 50% increase in corporate profits. I think you can already start to see a decline in the last few years by major corps and online giants. Thereare some very interesting crowd funding for both bring products to market and helping people develop their project.

We are stil going to have to fight the bug, ugly, nasty satanic/pedo's who feel they musch crush anyone in their way - AAhhhhccccggghh-Zucker_ccough_burg)

Well, I hate to break it to you but 90-95% of the ideas I read online aren't worth the data they took up to make the original post, so I have no doubt that many fail. There are a lot bad ideas and many of these are even worse when effort is involved. I have confidence in my design and 2 professional trandformer makers think it should work better than permenant mount mag's so I. I don't know if members on forums like this just get used to really dump people showing up or if they are just trying to stiffle newer inventions, I hope it isn't the latter.
Thank anyway all!

I recently watched a youtube video of a dude making an electromagnet chuck using old transformers.

Two useful things (that work) I have seen made from old transformers are ....a remagnetizer for magneto magnets s........and a growler for testing armatures.......now both these devices are for things long past,but there is a definite demand,and you can be reasonably assured that Zarc Muckerberg wont care.

tuprox said:

I think you are mistaken on what I am planning on doing and that is partly my fault in not fully understanding what is on the market and mayb what they are called exacly The first time I heard the term "magnetic chuck" I was thinking "the chuck the holds the bit or the end mill or whatever. I woudl have called it a magnetic vice as it seems more appropriate.


I have many unique ideas which haven't seen implemented yet and the hide strength can be insandl high 3-6times stroger than permanent magnet moroes.

I have to say the 06-98% of the projects I put forth on forms 90%+ of the people who respond try to talk me out and I think the reason for this is because they look the problem and see something "similar, not nearly as good as described" and they continue to say "no novice can do any better". Well I've done this same exact thing and I'd say 65-85% per and the cost was either cheaper, the performance was vastly above that of a commercial product , often made with a staff of 1-3% of the size and MUCH higher over-all profit margins. The problems with newcomers is they often have to sell out to their competitor when they see how well they are doing and they have to take that first 50% increase in corporate profits. I think you can already start to see a decline in the last few years by major corps and online giants. Thereare some very interesting crowd funding for both bring products to market and helping people develop their project.

We are stil going to have to fight the bug, ugly, nasty satanic/pedo's who feel they musch crush anyone in their way - AAhhhhccccggghh-Zucker_ccough_burg)

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This really lays out the inner workings of someone with brain damage.

digger doug said:

This really lays out the inner workings of someone with brain damage.

Click to expand...

I was geting ready to describe the pole layout problem for him , but now see it would be a complete waste of time and energy. :-)
...lewie...

I have a Walker electromagnet chuck on my surface grinder that is much stronger than the permanent magnet one it replaced. In fact, it magnetizes anything made of steel anywhere near it and I have to constantly demagnetize tools. There is a whole lot more than taking the I laminations out of a transformer core and leaving the Es.

In any case, the first thing to do is learn to spell and write coherent sentences. No one is going to take anyone who writes ones like these seriously.

tuprox said:

I have many unique ideas which haven't seen implemented yet and the hide strength can be insandl high 3-6times stroger than permanent magnet moroes.


We are stil going to have to fight the bug, ugly, nasty satanic/pedo's who feel they musch crush anyone in their way - AAhhhhccccggghh-Zucker_ccough_burg)

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Bill

Why would I want a magnetic chuck that gets warm/hot?

You gave vague information and asked an opinion. Then get mad when you dont get positive reinforcement. If it's not pheasable or practical you will be told so on this forum. I had to try pretty hard not to be more critical in my first post.
Why did you ask a question with vauge information of your intentions then say that I was mistaken of your intentions. My Mistake. Where did you explain your intentions.
You sound drunk or high.
I did make a make a mistake and that was responding to your question. You deserved every critical response here. Did you get your feelings smashed.

Even if you did use the laminations to make a chuck, the pole spacing is SO Completely WRONG to hold any reasonable part.
The pole spacing on a real magnetic chuck are much closer together.
The required pole spacing is a function of the part thickness, among other factors.

Also, magnetic chucks will not hold a proper aluminum foil hat very well.

Lewie said:

I was geting ready to describe the pole layout problem for him , but now see it would be a complete waste of time and energy. :-)
...lewie...

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And...:
Casting pullies - what metal - aluminum or ZA27 (zinc/Aluminum alloy)


YouTube

"Got to keep the looonies on the Paaath..."

tuprox said:

Well, I hate to break it to you but 90-95% of the ideas I read online aren't worth the data they took up to make the original post,

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...way to eschew the norm.

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