I do that! The reason is not the cost of course, most components are really really cheap. I do that because I leave in Corfu Island, where there aren’t a lot of electronic stores and the ones that exist haven’t got the parts I need and either I need to wait for their suppliers to send them, either their suppliers don’t supply them. Also ordering online parts (I do that a lot and every other week I have packages) can take from a week to several months to arrive from abroad because it needs a lot of stopping to different cities around Greece in order for them to arrive at Corfu.
At my work, we pitch a lot of good stuff, warranty doesn’t want shipped back, control boards, appliances, multiplex control system components radios you name it. I have developed a problem with this lol desoldering is downright therapeutic. Now what to do with the mounds of components? lol
You mean spend hundreds of pounds on drawers and cabinets and a searchable database of what you have? Where most of those components will NEVER be used?
Yes. In places like New Zealand, etc – where there probably isn’t, say, a single 50 ohm 25W non inductive resistor ANYWHERE in stock in the entire country. So it will take a week to get something unusual and cost a small fortune in shipping and import costs.
No, in place like London. Partly because of the cost per square foot of a house or flat. Mostly because I can get ANYTHING within a couple of hours at most.
Strangely, perhaps, no in a place like Port au Prince, Haiti. If I want that resistor there – I can get one made within the hour. If not, there are small traders that just stock second hand components. Connectors, whatever. How they manage their stock? No idea. They just know where everything is in what looks to be disorganised chaos.
If not, they can get one on the next flight from Miami for not a lot.
Yes to some stuff (crystals with weird frequencies, useful socketed ICs, large inductors, power resistors, transformers) but random caps/resistors/etc? nah, not worth the time
I’ve used salvaged electrolytics for free extra smoothing on a PSU, but now question the safety.
I have a theory for audio use, that using an old cap with a hurdy gurdy charge curve in a filter may lend “warmth” to the sound. Guitarists shell out Benjamins for tube preamps, but what if this hobo version was under our noses all this time?
I tend to collect all sorts of old/abandoned/broken electronics and desolder all the useful components from there — typically any Flash-storage, voltage regulators, PWM ICs, connectors, inductors, tantalum capacitors, bigger electrolytic capacitors and such.
Resistors are rarely worth scavenging, though, and so are small/SMD electrolytics, IMHO. Same goes for decade old microcontrollers, since you can get a full bagful of modern ones for pennies and peanuts and they’ll be far more capable and consume less power while at it.
All that said, the parts I find the most valuable to salvage are the connectors: they tend to be among the pricier components, if buying new and it can be hard to even find some proprietary/rare ones at all.
I do this all the time. I work in field service on industrial equipment. Most of my customers are large manufacturers and factories, and the maintenance guys are more than happy to let me dig through their electronic scrap and take whatever I want. I’ve gotten some interesting stuff this way
That would make a great jigsaw puzzle
Maybe? Yeah a lot.
Absolutely. I’m slowly upgrading my organizational methods with plano boxes and Notion.
Was that a boombox or stereo you dismantled?
I never keep capacitors (mainly electrolytic) because I can never know how reliable they are but other than that: Yes, absolutely 😀
I pick up stuff at the recyclers, use the heat gun to empty the board, take any transformers, and return the chassis the next time I go.
I normally don’t keep electrolytics that are more than a couple years old or low wattage resistors.
Yea, I do it with boards that I have.
Never, i throw them away. If i need one i’ll buy one for a few cent online and get them the next day
I have e-waste bin at work for this.
Only sometimes do I do that but I always take all the servo motors out of my printers!
Unfortunately yes. And at this point I don’t know exactly what to do with all this stuff.
I do that! The reason is not the cost of course, most components are really really cheap. I do that because I leave in Corfu Island, where there aren’t a lot of electronic stores and the ones that exist haven’t got the parts I need and either I need to wait for their suppliers to send them, either their suppliers don’t supply them. Also ordering online parts (I do that a lot and every other week I have packages) can take from a week to several months to arrive from abroad because it needs a lot of stopping to different cities around Greece in order for them to arrive at Corfu.
At my work, we pitch a lot of good stuff, warranty doesn’t want shipped back, control boards, appliances, multiplex control system components radios you name it. I have developed a problem with this lol desoldering is downright therapeutic. Now what to do with the mounds of components? lol
You mean spend hundreds of pounds on drawers and cabinets and a searchable database of what you have? Where most of those components will NEVER be used?
Yes. In places like New Zealand, etc – where there probably isn’t, say, a single 50 ohm 25W non inductive resistor ANYWHERE in stock in the entire country. So it will take a week to get something unusual and cost a small fortune in shipping and import costs.
No, in place like London. Partly because of the cost per square foot of a house or flat. Mostly because I can get ANYTHING within a couple of hours at most.
Strangely, perhaps, no in a place like Port au Prince, Haiti. If I want that resistor there – I can get one made within the hour. If not, there are small traders that just stock second hand components. Connectors, whatever. How they manage their stock? No idea. They just know where everything is in what looks to be disorganised chaos.
If not, they can get one on the next flight from Miami for not a lot.
Absolutely! Ive got storage totes full to weed through now that weather has cooled off.
https://preview.redd.it/cwzf8ugqkrub1.jpeg?width=2250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7587b5a99ad0d0d2e0dd12c95eb279b511caa529
Waiting for iron…
Yes to some stuff (crystals with weird frequencies, useful socketed ICs, large inductors, power resistors, transformers) but random caps/resistors/etc? nah, not worth the time
You can buy big boxes of scrap components, they’re great
I’ve used salvaged electrolytics for free extra smoothing on a PSU, but now question the safety.
I have a theory for audio use, that using an old cap with a hurdy gurdy charge curve in a filter may lend “warmth” to the sound. Guitarists shell out Benjamins for tube preamps, but what if this hobo version was under our noses all this time?
I tend to collect all sorts of old/abandoned/broken electronics and desolder all the useful components from there — typically any Flash-storage, voltage regulators, PWM ICs, connectors, inductors, tantalum capacitors, bigger electrolytic capacitors and such.
Resistors are rarely worth scavenging, though, and so are small/SMD electrolytics, IMHO. Same goes for decade old microcontrollers, since you can get a full bagful of modern ones for pennies and peanuts and they’ll be far more capable and consume less power while at it.
All that said, the parts I find the most valuable to salvage are the connectors: they tend to be among the pricier components, if buying new and it can be hard to even find some proprietary/rare ones at all.
Does any electronics type NOT?
Becoming the new Radio Shack? Or just selling on Ebay? (Big market for oddball components there)
I wish I could. But I don’t know how to.
I salvage every single usable component off any board I find
I do this all the time. I work in field service on industrial equipment. Most of my customers are large manufacturers and factories, and the maintenance guys are more than happy to let me dig through their electronic scrap and take whatever I want. I’ve gotten some interesting stuff this way