Do you salvage electrical compomnents?

Do you salvage capacitors, resistors, diodes, etc. from old/broken electronics?

Sometimes, but only the stuff I either recognise as, or guess will be, useful or is valuable.

Sometimes , mainly capacitors , transformers and things , heatsinks and that to.

Yes, but it depend from the items and conditions .....

As example, yes for "stranges" or unusual components, unknown ones (i'm a damn curious, i know ), new components that i may need on-the-fly for some experiments and have no other way for get them, heatsinks (they always can be useful), specific components that are difficult or impossible to find here, and so on.

No, for common resistors or capacitors or diodes and similars (i have around so much of new ones that i don't know if i can use them in all my life ) ..... and, anyway, there's always a risk in using harvested capacitors or resistors ..... you cannot know if in the original circuit they was overstressed or slightly damaged, so, maybe you can end with a prototype that don't work or work bad, and pass hours or days, before find that the guilty is that harvested component .....

The exception is components that i don't use but harvest, like SMD chips and ICs, but there's a reason for this ..... exercise ..... i mean, i don't become young, passing the time, and my hand don't become more steady and my eyes more sharp ..... so, i decided to keep myself exercised, time by time ..... when i find a decent board filled of SMD components that i have to throw away, i harvest all that the parts that i can without ruin the PCB (normally, heating it with a depainting phon on the back, and using pliers) ..... so, i collect a lot of SMD parts that, also if not re-usables (usually, heating them so much, you burn half of them or more), can still be used for re-soldering them on the original board, exercising hand-eye coordination and soldering skill at almost zero cost (just the cost of some soldering wire and the electricity, you don't have to buy components and boards )

BTW, i can suggest this system also to someone that want to exercise and improve their soldering skill ..... maybe i can post a tutorial with some pics ?

yes - everything that I can,

You don't know how useful some specific components can be.

Yes I do...Even when I was a kid I loved to take apart electronics.....as of now I am a bit more selective. If it looks useful at some point i'll keep it

yup.. anything n everything i can get my hands on. even if its just for 1 part

I take everything off that I can, I don't bother with SMD components, or components that has more than three leads in general. It doesn't matter if the part is useful or not (but you never know when it will be), I find the process satisfying and relaxing. I've gotten pretty got at, I have an impressive collection of parts now .
I find it easier to just leave the SMD parts on the board, and when you need a certain part you just scan till you find it.

I just keep all sorts of random PCB's from old tv's and whatnot in a big box and whenever I need a common part I go looking through the boards for it.

Copper HS, HS, Fans

Mainly heatsinks, LEDs, small motors, stepper motors, optics, power supplies, and FS mirrors, fans, computer accessories, just to name a few. I also find a lot of good quality wire in stuff.

I don't bother with caps, transistors, or resistors though, if I need those I buy new.

I also keep PCBs around that have handy components, I also have entire boxes dedicated to salvaged wire. Always handy for a project.

Keep the boards to cannibalize as needed. Don't bother for common/inexpensive components.

MarioMaster said:

I also keep PCBs around that have handy components, I also have entire boxes dedicated to salvaged wire. Always handy for a project.

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I remember that foto of the tons of wires in the box! You showed us on laserchat!

Kevlar said:

Mainly heatsinks, LEDs, small motors, stepper motors, optics, power supplies, and FS mirrors, fans, computer accessories, just to name a few. I also find a lot of good quality wire in stuff.

I don't bother with caps, transistors, or resistors though, if I need those I buy new.

Click to expand...

Same here. I do have a strange fondness for switches, panel lenses, and meters. The older the better. I have a big collection of pre 1950s electronic junk.

I keep the boards around for when I need to pull a part. Also, anythign with an inductor I keep. I've been planning to make some battery drainers and need them for a boost circuit, but I don't know how to identify them yet. Just keeping them for when I learn more about how to use them.

Electrolytic caps I buy new, although there is a nice, fat matsushita cap staring at me from a gutted power supply...

Also, strange parts like flybacks and funny-looking crystals I keep for a bit.