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Scrapping an AGA?
FASTdan - 30/8/11 at 01:14 PM

Recently bought a new house that has an AGA well past its useable life span - and as nice as they are, 3k MINIMUM to refurb (and thats optimistic, I cant see less than 4k) plus the daft running costs make it completely unthinkable to continue down the AGA route.

So, what started out as a quaint 'feature' is now a 400kg headache.

Entire kitchen is being pulled out anyway, so making a mess is not an issue. But has anyone had experience of disposing of one of these before? I'm half tempted to go at it with a 9" grinder rather than p*ss about with seized nuts etc. But is that even feasible? I dont know how thick the castings are? Wouldnt mind weighing it in (might aswell, get something out of it) but then on the flip side maybe a 99p start on ebay might be the way forward, just to make it someone elses problem, but from what I've seen much nicer ones dont fetch much more than £200-300 so itq questionable if anyone would have this at all (its circa 1950's and needs a full refurb).


designer - 30/8/11 at 01:33 PM

Telephone a few scrap men, they might come and take it out. I have done this with two safes.


Daddylonglegs - 30/8/11 at 01:34 PM

Just contact the local Pikeys they'll be more than happy to 'relieve' you of it


FASTdan - 30/8/11 at 01:39 PM

It is literally 400kg though, so requires specialist moving equipment etc unless stripped or cut down. If I can get it to a state where pikey's can take it I may aswell weigh it in myself (have access to a pickup anyway).

What did your safes weigh?


ashg - 30/8/11 at 02:04 PM

400kg isnt really that much to move. cant you borrow a pallet truck? my lathe was 1400kg and i got that moved from one house down 4 concrete steps and over three door ways with two mates, an engine crane and a pallet truck.


MikeCapon - 30/8/11 at 02:20 PM

Can you not disassemble AGAs? I know for a fact when the newer ones are delivered they are assembled in place so the opposite should be possible....

One thing, avoid the angry grinder on cast. I cut up a radiator that was too big/heavy to get downstairs and the dust from the grinding made my nose and throat bleed. And it hurt like bu88ery too.

And the black dust gets everywhere and yer missus gets a major grump on.


hughpinder - 30/8/11 at 02:36 PM

There are places that do them up to sell - I'm pretty sure they'll come and collect it if you dont want money for it, and may even hand over a few reddies.
We moved our rayburn pretty easily with a pair of 3ft lengths of scaffold tube and a 3ft crowbar. put thin cardboard down to stop the rollers marking the floor.
You can lift off the doors, and the central cast iron hotplate weights a lot and lifts out with a couple of 'hooks' for servicing.

Regards
Hugh


daviep - 30/8/11 at 03:25 PM

Being cast a sledge hammer will sort it in to manageable sized pieces with less mess than a big grinder.

Davie


v8kid - 30/8/11 at 03:48 PM

Yup that's how we used to get rid of cast iron baths! I must have smashed up a fortune in my time.

Wear ear defenders. You'll find out why when you try it


zilspeed - 30/8/11 at 04:06 PM

quote:
Originally posted by v8kid
Yup that's how we used to get rid of cast iron baths! I must have smashed up a fortune in my time.

Wear ear defenders. You'll find out why when you try it


Ain't that the truth.

I used to do shower adaptations for disabled users.
Old cast baths came out in four lumps.
A racket to waken the dead.


macc man - 30/8/11 at 04:18 PM

If you contact a supplier such as fired earth they will take it off you for refurb. They may even pay you. Worth a call.


JoelP - 30/8/11 at 04:19 PM

i met a chap on a job in otley who refurbed aga's, he was fitting a recon'd one onto one of our jobs. They unscrew into flat panels, just vacuum all the insulation out. Yours is worth a lot more to him than as scrap. Cant remember his name though! Google 'aga specialist yorkshire' and you'll find someone.


Bob C - 30/8/11 at 04:21 PM

Get it on ebay "buyer to remove" -
my folks sold a real basket case aga many moons ago & folk were falling over each other to buy it...

They are full of some 'orrible powder insulating material, awful things, but some folk absolutely swear by them!
Bob
PS if times have changed & you've tried that already - yes a sledgehammer will transform it into manageable chunks ;^)


NigeEss - 30/8/11 at 05:29 PM

They're actually quite easy to strip and there are surprisingly few bolts. But as
JoelP mentioned the isulation is best sucked out. It's vermiculite and gets everywhere.
I rigged up the garage Henry to a big hessian sack.

[Edited on 30/8/11 by NigeEss]


mad-butcher - 30/8/11 at 05:49 PM

No such thing as a scrap Aga the older the better, advertise on ebay with "buyer removes" I think you'll be pleasantly suprised

tony


norfolkluego - 30/8/11 at 05:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by v8kid
Yup that's how we used to get rid of cast iron baths! I must have smashed up a fortune in my time.

Wear ear defenders. You'll find out why when you try it


Sooooo true, I smashed one up in our last house, it's like sitting inside a bell, indescribably noisy


big-vee-twin - 30/8/11 at 07:40 PM

Try Contacting Andy Thornton, they deal with antique architectural fittings there not too far away from you

Ainleys Industrial Estate Elland West Yorkshire HX5 9JP (0)1422 376000

They will come and get it if they are interested.

Kev


vtecmike - 30/8/11 at 07:58 PM

My dad just returned from uk from france , just to pick a old aga up! older the better.
You can get a specialist to take it apart for you about 80quid, you wont be able to sell it on ebay otherwise because no one will want to pick a complete 1 up, just too heavy!
If you get it taken apart my dad will proberly come and get it as he wants another 1, U2U me

thanks mike


plentywahalla - 30/8/11 at 08:06 PM

Real AGA's can be disassembled, others like Rayburn cannot.

Just pointing it out because many people call all cast iron solid fuel ranges 'AGA' when they are not


TPG - 30/8/11 at 08:09 PM

Worth money. J A Wrays up at Catterrick, I'm quite sure they will fetch it out and give you money. Failing that I'll come and take out for free if I can keep it..........


FASTdan - 31/8/11 at 07:35 AM

hmmmm ok so you lot are convincing me to not be quite so rash. I have called one local seller place already (skipton) who didnt want it. Its a 1950's one at a guess, converted to gas, he seemed put off by its age. It is a genuine aga, not a copy/rayburn etc.

Having seen 10yr old apparent good condition examples finishing on ebay for circa £300 my thinking was that this one wouldnt fetch more than £100 given the condition (the enamel is very worn on the top, the ovens need serious cleansing and I think the insulation is missing around the doors. So basically its not one you'd just install and be happy with, its a strip and refurb job.

Dont get me wrong, if it was in reasonable condition we'd run it as it is and see if we could live with the costs, but as said its past it.

I'll have another ring round a few places (inc Andy Thornton) and see if they'll take it. Failing that I'll strip it properly and advertise it (anyone on here who's expressed an interest I will let you know).

NigeEss, how do you get the chrome caps out of the top? I presume these hide the fasteners to remove the top and once this is off the rest will be reasonably self explanatory. Do they just prize out or are they threaded?

[Edited on 31/8/11 by FASTdan]


Macbeast - 31/8/11 at 07:51 AM

If you do go the sledge hammer route - wear eye protection as well. Cast iron breaks into nasty sharp edged flying chips. A full-face helmet would be ideal


David Jenkins - 31/8/11 at 10:03 AM

You should probably wear a decent dust mask too - if the powdered insulation is vermiculite then there is an outside chance that it will contain some asbestos, especially if it was installed ages ago when they didn't worry about such things...

Linky


ch1ef - 3/9/11 at 09:03 AM

I just unassembled my aga and installed a new one, there is a strong resale market, the chrome caps you need to soak in wd40 and then they are threaded in so a hit with a sharp screw driver to crack the seal should do it then unscrew them. any help needed give me a shout