List of parts to salvage - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2014, 01:08:57 am
content: I've watched some of the salvage videos here and it left me with more questions about what to salvage from broken stuff. Does anyone maintain a list of such things? I guess there's always a point of diminishing returns but that's really a personal choice. If no such thing exists this thread could serve as a start of such a list. I believe that recycling's good but reuse is much better.Possibly on a similar track how about a list of devices that contains useful stuff. For example a list of hardware that used 6502, 6809, 8051, etc.

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2014, 07:23:54 am
content: These threads should be a start to give you an idea about what may be worth salvaging:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/common-generic-cheap-easy-to-find-parts/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/good-ics-to-have-lying-around/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/building-a-lab-essential-components/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/what-parts-to-get-at-the-store/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/common-generic-cheap-easy-to-find-parts/

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2014, 11:40:50 am
content: I had a rule for salvaging:The more leads it has the less likely I will ever use it in a project. This was tested for years.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2014, 03:04:17 pm
content: All the power stuff is great to salvage. Big and easily reusable. Microcontrollers and microprocessors are the least easy to salvage, unless you can figure out how to reprogram them in circuit.

author: SArepairman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2014, 07:32:53 pm
content: I think that crap from switchmode power supplies is useful, especially power transistors, scr, low voltage drop diodes, inductors, transformers. Any power component is pricey.Those big capacitors are nice too but I don't really trust them.........I don't really see the point in saving any other components, you can buy most stuff thats not the above mentioned very cheap.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 04:22:30 am
content: Quote from: mariush on January 18, 2014, 07:23:54 amLots of good info in those links, I've been looking over them.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 04:35:42 am
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on January 18, 2014, 11:40:50 amSounds like a good rule of thumb, will keep that in mind. Someone gave me a broken old Sony handycam and I took the screws and a motor and some gears from it. I also saved some copper shielding and some aluminum. (Amazing how many crazy moving parts in this thing.) But not much else salvageable, all too small and everything says Sony.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 04:43:42 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on January 18, 2014, 03:04:17 pmI've noticed that in some cases the power stuff is self-contained and can be separated easily.Reprogramming is a possibility but probably be the exception and really rare and yeah they seem hard to salvage I will have to take it one at a time.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 21, 2014, 04:49:36 am
content: Quote from: SArepairman on January 18, 2014, 07:32:53 pmThere seems to be agreement all around on the power stuff and that's good to know. You don't trust the big capacitors because of the greater probability of failure and/or the bigger the cap the bigger the mess?As for saving other components I guess it's a personal choice. I like reusing things and for my needs it should be fine to do that. But there will be some point at which I'll draw the line and recycle it instead of reuse.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 11:25:45 pm
content: QuoteThe huge primary side capacitors are definitely worth salvaging. The secondary sides not so much, but if they are decent enough Panasonic or Rubycon or so 105C low ESR (and you measure ESR too) then why not? If it's CrapXcon then don't even bother with them - or have a seperate shit bin for them so you can "fix" tattooed chav retards POS, the disrespectful cunts that they are.

author: Dave Turner
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 23, 2014, 12:43:37 am
content: As far as I'm concerned it all depends on what you're interested in and your budget.Low wattage components are relatively cheap and probably better bought new, whereas transformers and higher wattage devices are potentially worth recovery. I'd also consider recovering ICs such as the 7400 & 4000 series which are great for developing understanding of digital techniques.If one's interested in refurbishing older equipment then get a warehouse to store anything you can get your hands on

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2014, 02:15:06 am
content: Quote from: Macbeth on January 22, 2014, 11:25:45 pmI've been stumped on how to tell the maker of the capacitors. In some of his videos he seems to recognize them right away but I couldn't see it. And just today I was trying to figure out the maker of some caps on a phone charger but couldn't.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2014, 02:18:35 am
content: Quote from: Dave Turner on January 23, 2014, 12:43:37 amI tend to agree but I need to keep in mind some of the suggestions so I don't run amok.QuoteWhere might 7400 and 4000 series ICs show up?QuoteShhh, that's what the attic's for.

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2014, 09:55:42 am
content: Always salvage inductors/transformers/toroids!It's hard to go to a shop and "Buy a general assortment", but you will easily get a general assortment from salvaging.Additionally, if they don't suit your current application/desired application, thats no problem, just re-wind them until they do!Also, heatsinks are great to salvage, in a lot of applications, there is "no such thing as too big of a heatsink", and as with magnetics, if they are "customizable", if too big, you can just cut it to size. If you're doing a project and you need to work out how big of a heatsink a product will need, you have a couple on hand to try for comparisons sake!I also salvage things like common jacks, so if you wish to "hook something up" you don't need to cut up a cord, you can just attack your prototype to the jacks and plug it right in!Op-amps are always good, every project needs an op-amp (or a slow comparator)!Low value resistors, or high power resistors - everyone has buckets of SMD or small through hole resistors, and a big wide range of types, but if you as if they have a few 5W 1ohm sitting around you'll just get a blank look.P-FETs, not so much N-FETs. P-FETs are great because they're very easy to drive and also a lot less common than N-FETs (due to being slightly worse over all), but for a hobbyist, they're great!LEDs, 7SEG displays, panel indicators, also VERY useful. Pretty much for the same reason as heatsinks, you can compare and see what looks best/suits the role.Insulating pads, washers, nylon machine screws and nuts. These are great if something needs heatsinking, but you're using the heatsink for something else, or if the case is the heatsink.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2014, 08:35:36 pm
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on January 24, 2014, 09:55:42 amTransformers I can recognize, not sure of the others.QuoteThese I know.QuoteNot sure about these.QuoteI think I know these.QuoteNo idea.QuoteThese I know.So I just have a little homework to find good pictures of the above.I'm taking apart a TV/VCR combo today. Got some nice little motors. There are some good looking rubycon caps and some suncon (never heard of).I know tvs can be deadly so I have to figure out how to safely dismantle the parts driving the CRT.

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2014, 09:10:52 pm
content: Suncon should be good. They're produced in the same factory that made Sanyo.I'm not 100% sure of the "story", but it was something like Sanyo wanting to get out of the electrolytic capacitors business and the old factory workers and some local business men bought the factory and everything and renamed to Suncon.

author: wilheldp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2014, 10:13:18 pm
content: Quote from: GiskardReventlov on January 24, 2014, 08:35:36 pmEither wait a day or so after unplugging the TV before working on it, and/or just make sure to put a screwdriver or other metal thing with an insulated handle across the terminals of any capacitors you find.

author: Macbeth
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 24, 2014, 11:35:31 pm
content: QuoteIf the CRT TV is powered off then the only deadly parts are the weight of the damn thing falling on you if you get a shock.The EHT will be stored in the CRT and is around 30kV for a colour tube. You will notice the back of the tube is covered in a grounded material known as "aquadag". You can get a long handled screwdriver and short the shaft to the aquadag while prying it under the "stethoscope" connector going into the CRT. You will get a very satisfying crack and sparks and the CRT is discharged. You can welly off the "stethoscope" from the back of the tube then.The only other nasty is if the TV uses a SMPS. There will be one or two very high value electrolytic caps, with up to 750VDC stored between them. I managed to get a real nasty burn from some of these - they arced under my skin in my fingers and left a "tunnel" under my skin. LOL!. The real danger other than burning flesh was keeping the telly from smashing to the ground and so I just grinned and bared it.Use a resistor to drain those big caps.Of course, if the TV has not been on for a couple of days none of this matters as it will all be discharged anyway.

author: denelec
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2014, 01:21:35 am
content: Quote from: GiskardReventlov on January 24, 2014, 02:15:06 amHere is a web page with a list of capacitor manufacturer logos:http://capacitor.web.fc2.com/

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2014, 02:09:59 am
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on January 24, 2014, 09:55:42 amQuote from: GiskardReventlov on January 24, 2014, 08:35:36 pmToroids are round rings of material that is used to wind inductors or transformers onto.They look like this:An inductor is a coil of wire that resists theCHANGEin electric current passing through it. By dampening it in a magnetic field.QuoteQuoteOperational Amplifiers better known as Op-amps are a very useful device, as the name implies, they perform operations in the same way a calculator does, but with voltages instead of numbers.They can multiply voltages, add and subtract voltages, integrate and differentiate voltagesThey can "buffer" a signal, by using an incredibly small amount of the signal and replicate it with more power (eg, you have a cd-player, and you put a pair of earphones in and its loud but then you put a splitter in and plug in 2 pairs of headphones, its now really quiet, this is because the signal isn't strong enough for 2 sets of head phones, so between the splitter and each of the headphones you put an op amp to replicate the signal but with more power). (This is just multiple by 1 pretty much)They can be used a a comparator where they compare one voltage to another and if the voltage is higher than the other the output is high voltage, if the voltage is lower, the output is low voltage (this is good for say... low battery detection, it will compare the batteries voltage to a standard, and if the battery goes low, the comparator output voltage goes low and turns off the device)They can also do lots of other useful thingsQuoteQuoteThere are a few types of transistors, but the two prominent ones are voltage controlled and current controlled devices, eg they turn on and off depending on voltage, or they turn on and off based on current.FETs are voltage the controlled ones. There are P-FETs and N-FETs, they both do the same thing, but are used in different places. P-FETs are the easier ones to use.

author: Dave Turner
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 25, 2014, 03:56:32 pm
content: Quote from: GiskardReventlov on January 24, 2014, 02:18:35 amI've found them in older computers and test equipment.QuoteMine's full!

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2014, 12:10:53 am
content: Quote from: Macbeth on January 24, 2014, 11:35:31 pmQuote from: wilheldp on January 24, 2014, 10:13:18 pmImportant point that I hadn't considered. This set was outside for a while and it had no bite left in it. I did short them just in case.And as for the tube well I just smacked it firmly with a 6 foot long board. Only hard enough to just crack the neck but not shatter glass everywhere.Just a hiss and then it was defanged. I did salvage the electron gun just as an oddity.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2014, 12:16:05 am
content: Quote from: denelec on January 25, 2014, 01:21:35 amHandy page. I found some Okaya and they seem to be a noise suppression capacitorPA1040.1uF M275V~ iRIEC384 - 14 ii40/100/21 x 2

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2014, 12:17:39 am
content: Quote from: mariush on January 24, 2014, 09:10:52 pmThere were some other sanyo parts so it makes sense.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2014, 12:25:19 am
content: Quote from: peter.mitchell on January 25, 2014, 02:09:59 amLike the look of those toroids. Heck I like the word toroid.QuoteI sort of knew what they were but appreciate this explanation, I still don't know what to look for, but that's half the fun.QuoteI think I found some of these, attached to heat sinks. I need a better magnifying glass. I also need to find a better way to desolder.

author: GiskardReventlov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 28, 2014, 12:28:01 am
content: Quote from: Dave Turner on January 25, 2014, 03:56:32 pmWill keep my eyes open.QuoteTime for a warehouse then!