How do you dissassemble a CFL...

[AhuraMazda]

In the older versions, the CFL was actually soldered to the driver board. In the more rescent versions the CFL part plugs in to the board.

[Raui]

I wish to reclaim all parts. The device: http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p1760709dt.jpg

Well the method I use just involves carefully prying the cover open with a screw driver. Snip the wires coming from the ballast to the tubes and bobs your uncle. its simple to put back too. The wires snipped from the tubes can be carefully soldered back on. As you might be able to tell a degree of care must be taken if you want to reclaim the device back to a working lightbulb. If you have trouble I might try to find a working video camera lying around (I would use my phone but its being repaired =/).

-Raui

[jadaro2600]

I have no youtube account, otherwise I would make one myself.  I'll have to work on it at another time however, so no rush.  I'll just keep an eye on this thread.

I also have an easily accessible CFL from a digital scanner.  It's supposedly a florescent also.  IT puts out quite a bit of light but I have no idea how long it will last.

[Pirate88179]

Well the method I use just involves carefully prying the cover open with a screw driver. Snip the wires coming from the ballast to the tubes and bobs your uncle. its simple to put back too. The wires snipped from the tubes can be carefully soldered back on. As you might be able to tell a degree of care must be taken if you want to reclaim the device back to a working lightbulb. If you have trouble I might try to find a working video camera lying around (I would use my phone but its being repaired =/).

-Raui

I agree with the above.  I have taken apart 4 of these stupid devices and salvaged the parts.  There are some great parts in there.  I used a very small jeweler's screwdriver on the seam and worked it around, carefully!  There was no cutting involved, well except for the wire leads once open.  There are now at least 3 versions of the cfl floating around out there that I have seen and this method works with the 2 types I took apart.  Just be careful.

Bill

[Yucca]

If you can pry round the join with a driver as Bill says, then that'll be the easiest way.

On the noname tubes that I've stripped I had to cut, as the seam was welded solid. In all 3 that I've stripped so far the heating filaments at each end of the tube had blown open circuit, the tubes are still ok to light with SEC or highV blocking oscillator though.

Below is a photo of one I opened last night. The glass tube itself is securely attached to the top of the plastic with some kind of resin, it looks like plaster but it's very solid.