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Old Western Electric Capacitors at thrift

StarMover

StarMover

AlienToAllThingsAudio
I ran across a grimy old box of vintage electronic parts at the thrift. Mostly old oil and paper capacitors in heavy iron cases. Sorting through them, I picked a pair of Western Electric (400 V DC 4MF) and and another, larger single 16mf. Looking on that auciton site, I see these are potentially valuable (assuming they test OK). I might just go back and score all of them.

What are the chances these are any good? :scratch2:
 
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I wouldn't even want to guess the values for these old parts. I can tell you this, having been in the telecom business for close to 39 years and worked around old Western Electric equipment, each part would have a number stamped on it.usaully started off with KS- xxxxxx.very much like the military.Western Electric used to be the manufacturing arm of the old Bell System.

There used to be a handful of people that would keep old equipment going,repaiting,refurbishing,etc.More of a hobby.There used to be clubs,but I do not know anymore. One orginization used to the Telephone Pioneer club.

If the parts are free, grab them and see if they show up on the auction site.You never know.
 
If they havent leaked, thats a start. Then you'll need a way to test them and maybe some can be reformed if there are other kinds.

Or..you could get the box full and flip them as is, making sure people know what they are getting.
They will sell no matter what if they are Western Electric.
People are crazy for that name.

Id get them.
 
Yeah, I saw a few pair out there. An OK testing pair sells for around $100. I'm gonna go back and score the whole box. Nothing to loose.
 
Oh yes... scored the box. Lots of goodies including Cornell-Dubilier oil caps, United Transformer, Triad, Western Electric...
 
You'll probably do well turning those.
I dont use old ones myself but I know a guy in Colorado that only uses old caps and swears by the "vintage sound" of the old caps.
 
Some collectors of vintage gear just want all the original parts regardless they are in spec or not. Esp the Japanesse market of hi end gear.
 
The parts cleaned up pretty good, but I confess to not knowing how to test them. I believe someone canibalized a radio transmitter, possibily military spec. I may have to ask someone in the antique radio forum how to test these big capacitors and intermediate transformers.
 
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