Old components - worth anything?

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I've inherited my grandfather's shop, and there are boxes of
old components, from transistors in metal cans to rolls of
cotton insulated wire and capacitors that look like wax
sealed rolls of paper and foil. Little to none of it is
actually "new," it's mostly removed from older equipment.
There are also rectifiers that look like multiple square
pieces of metal separated by some rectifying material.

Is any of this worth anything? I'd like to junk anything
without value, but not if it's useful. Do people repair
older equipment with this stuff for "authenticity?" Not
many tubes in the collection. Comments are welcome.

 

[jakdedert]

I've inherited my grandfather's shop, and there are boxes of
old components, from transistors in metal cans to rolls of
cotton insulated wire and capacitors that look like wax
sealed rolls of paper and foil. Little to none of it is
actually "new," it's mostly removed from older equipment.
There are also rectifiers that look like multiple square
pieces of metal separated by some rectifying material.

Is any of this worth anything? I'd like to junk anything
without value, but not if it's useful. Do people repair
older equipment with this stuff for "authenticity?" Not
many tubes in the collection. Comments are welcome.

You should post this one rec.antiques.radio+phono....

jak

 

[James Sweet]

I've inherited my grandfather's shop, and there are boxes of
old components, from transistors in metal cans to rolls of
cotton insulated wire and capacitors that look like wax
sealed rolls of paper and foil. Little to none of it is
actually "new," it's mostly removed from older equipment.
There are also rectifiers that look like multiple square
pieces of metal separated by some rectifying material.

Is any of this worth anything? I'd like to junk anything
without value, but not if it's useful. Do people repair
older equipment with this stuff for "authenticity?" Not
many tubes in the collection. Comments are welcome.

Bits and pieces of it may well be worth something, other bits are junk.
Your best bet is to talk to people who restore old radios, they're the
ones most likely to benefit from it. In a pinch you could just sort it
into boxes of similar looking stuff and post it on ebay.

 

[B. W. Salt.]

There are also rectifiers that look like multiple square
pieces of metal separated by some rectifying material.

Those are selenium rectifiers. No longer used except as replacements in
very old equipment. Smell like rotten eggs when they fail. I still have a
battery charger that uses selenium...

Do people repair
older equipment with this stuff for "authenticity?"

Might well be so in the case of the capacitors, but one would have to be
really dedicated to authenticity, I would think, unless a modern component
doesn't fit the bill.

 

[CJT]

Those are selenium rectifiers. No longer used except as replacements in
very old equipment. Smell like rotten eggs when they fail.

Definitely not a good thing to breathe in.

I still have a

 

[jakdedert]

Definitely not a good thing to breathe in.

I still have a

If you use it often, replace with silicon. A series resistor is
required to simulate the original voltage drop. As CJT notes, it's NOT
a good thing to breathe...poisonous, I've heard.

The old rectifier 'will' go out...not if, but when.
Often, restorers will use the shell of the old component to hide the
new--for authenticity. OTOH, some of those old wax caps bring high
prices on Ebay, due to a misguided quest for an 'authentic' sound.....

jak

 

[gb]

I've inherited my grandfather's shop, and there are boxes of
old components, from transistors in metal cans to rolls of
cotton insulated wire and capacitors that look like wax
sealed rolls of paper and foil. Little to none of it is
actually "new," it's mostly removed from older equipment.
There are also rectifiers that look like multiple square
pieces of metal separated by some rectifying material.

Is any of this worth anything? I'd like to junk anything
without value, but not if it's useful. Do people repair
older equipment with this stuff for "authenticity?" Not
many tubes in the collection. Comments are welcome.

Yes, rec.antiques.radio+phone IS the correct group for this posting.

The cloth covered wire is used by some restorers of 1930s; 1940s radios
(authentic, look for restorations).

The transistors may be of value - especially if they are no longer available
(1950s and 1960s transistor radio restorers).

In any event do NOT chuck to the garbage. Find a bright young mind (high
school) that is interested in electronics -- and needs his first "junk box
of components -- there is at least one in every neighborhood

gb

 

[Michael Black]

Those are selenium rectifiers. No longer used except as replacements in
very old equipment. Smell like rotten eggs when they fail. I still have a
battery charger that uses selenium...

I don't think anyone uses them. The standard routine when they need
replacing (or for that matter you just want them out of the house) is
to use a silicon power diode with a series resistor to compensate
for the differences.

Getting replacement parts is not the issue here, people just don't
want to put selenium rectifiers back in a piece of equipment.

Michael

 

[CJT]

If you use it often, replace with silicon. A series resistor is
required to simulate the original voltage drop. As CJT notes, it's NOT
a good thing to breathe...poisonous, I've heard.

The old rectifier 'will' go out...not if, but when.

Often, restorers will use the shell of the old component to hide the
new--for authenticity. OTOH, some of those old wax caps bring high
prices on Ebay, due to a misguided quest for an 'authentic' sound.....

really? I think I have a big box of them out in the garage someplace!

 

[James Sweet]

I don't think anyone uses them. The standard routine when they need
replacing (or for that matter you just want them out of the house) is
to use a silicon power diode with a series resistor to compensate
for the differences.

Getting replacement parts is not the issue here, people just don't
want to put selenium rectifiers back in a piece of equipment.

Michael

The first time you have one fail and smell it, it'll be abundantly clear
why people don't use them anymore.

 

[Mike Berger]

Not anymore. You can't recover usable components from modern
electronics so there are no kids scrounging it.

The values of components used in tube circuits are usually
drastically different from what's commonly used in modern
digital circuits and won't have much appeal.

 

[James Sweet]

Not anymore. You can't recover usable components from modern
electronics so there are no kids scrounging it.

Sure you can, I'm not a kid anymore but I still scrounge plenty of
usable components. The most useful stuff usually lies in power supplies
and CRT displays, lots of nice juicy power semiconductors and inductors,
lots of capacitors, diodes, fuse holders, connectors, etc. Digital
devices often have eeproms, various logic devices, LEDs, all sorts of
stuff. If anything there's more cool stuff to salvage than there was 20
years ago.

 

[Alt Beer]

I've inherited my grandfather's shop, and there are boxes of
old components, from transistors in metal cans to rolls of
cotton insulated wire and capacitors that look like wax
sealed rolls of paper and foil. Little to none of it is
actually "new," it's mostly removed from older equipment.
There are also rectifiers that look like multiple square
pieces of metal separated by some rectifying material.

Is any of this worth anything? I'd like to junk anything
without value, but not if it's useful. Do people repair
older equipment with this stuff for "authenticity?" Not
many tubes in the collection. Comments are welcome.

Probably like gold dust to repairers and old radio
enthusiasts who like to keep equipment authentic at all cost.

 

[Aidan Grey]

Probably like gold dust to repairers and old radio
enthusiasts who like to keep equipment authentic at all cost.

I believe the rectifiers you are describing use selenium. I
think anything containing selenium classes as toxic waste, and
must be disposed of properly.

The capacitors will probably fail a leakage test if you do
one.

The other components are probably usable.


Aidan Grey

 

[Porky]

There was a movie made in the early 90"s starring the late John Ritter,
where he poisons his wife with old radio parts, and he is shown
scraping away at the deadly selenium rectifier. Marg Toggenberg (not)
of CSI fame plays the detective. I recommend a Google search of groups
for that one.

John K

 

[clifto]

I believe the rectifiers you are describing use selenium. I
think anything containing selenium classes as toxic waste, and
must be disposed of properly.

You mean like Selsun Blue?

 

[Porky]

There was a movie made in the early 90"s starring the late John Ritter,

where he poisons his wife with old radio parts, and he is shown
scraping away at the deadly selenium rectifier.

Ok so it's Marg Helgenberger and a TV show in the late 90's. Here's the
link.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http://antiqueradio.org/tvshow.htm.