/diy/ - Do It Yourself

you strip PCB's? you a poor faggot or something? 99% of components cost pennies or less, and when bought in bulk even cheaper.

I can see salvaging large filter caps or x-formers but why bother with small caps and resistors?

you would spend allot more time making shit and less time fucking around with garbage if you stop wasting your time.

>>131997

Even then I can only see him salvaging for components that cost a damn arm and leg. Mostly high quality stuff he isn't going to find in dumpster dive vcrs and other electronics.

i like to keep different part values available since i experiment a lot on the protoboard or do cut-and-try circuits. i almost never build stuff from already-made circuits (part list is already set for you). the people that just build stuff from pretested circuits have no creativity in them.

Theres plenty to be had out of old electronics, large caps, inductors (srsly, how else are you going to get a wide selection of inductors) transformers, Vregs, monolithic amp IC's, heatsinks, power resistors, power mostfets, stepper / sync motors, potentiometers, rotary encoders

None of these things are particularly uncommon in old electronics and they are all things that are worth the effort of heating up the iron to get hold of for free. Some things, such as tos link sockets are notoriously hard to source without pulling apart some old electronics.

>Hm, I'd like to try something
>Oh wait, I don't have any parts
HURR DURR

>>131997
>>132008
>buyfags

>>132014
Indeed.

>>132017
It's cool to be researching stuff and find a project you like and know you already have all the parts for it.

>>131997
Where do you buy your super cheap components at? I'd actually like to know. most places like RadioShack have their smallest capacitors starting a $0.39 each. I have a bag of those things. At that price the bag is worth about $70 and most are larger than the $0.39 priced ones.

>>132029
>buying components at radioshack
ISHYGDDT

digikey, mouser ect.

learn how to order from them and never look back

>>132030
You really didn't compare RadioShack prices with those websites did you? Their 1 unit price is about the same, just slightly less. You'd need to order in bulk to get the prices low. Then pay shipping costs.

Your point just fizzled away.

This guys website is kick ass, lots of cool info.


http://www.dansworkshop.com/2008/03/smt-hot-air-pencil/

>>132030
>part: $0.06
>lowest shipping: $6.95
>total cost: $7.01

lol wut?

>old VCR in local trash bin: free
>time to strip: 1 hour
>electric cost: $0.2652 (40wh)
>number of parts stripped: around 400
>Total cost: $0.2652

>My hourly wage: $30
>Total energy cost from stripping VCR PCB: $0.2652
>Total cost: $30.2652
>$30.2652 / 400 = $0.075663

Comparison between parts costs,

Buying one part from Mouser: $7.01
Part average for stripping the VCR PCB: $0.075663
Difference: $6.934337

You method would cost $6.93 more than my method. Unless I needed 25 to 1000+ of one single part.

>>132048
That is pretty cool and very /diy/. Saved.

>Tips and tricks for PCBs you've developed?

I bought one of those electric desoldering pumps.

It is seriously the best $100 I've spent in my life, desoldering thru hole components is so painless now.

>>132052

Last time I checked they don't sell junk VCRs at radioshack.

>>132081
Now you're trolling or don't know anything about electrical circuits. I'm thinking its a bit of both.

Nah nah nah. You have to build your own resistors and caps from earth products.

>>131991
>that pic
>PCB board
>printed circuit board board

Here's my growing collection. There's some big transformers not pictured. I priced one of the motors from a VCR out of that bag of VCRs and the only place online I could find it had it priced at $35. The little motors are going for $4-$7 each on eBay. Crazy.

>>132119
> pill bottle of resistors

insert Left 4 Dead joke here

>>132119
thats interesting,
i like to disasamble electronics for small projects but barely find time to thinker with them.
could sell some stuff for some pocket change.

guess diy'ers nowadays don't have junkboxes.

>>132308
Yeah, /diy/ has become like Legos these days. Just pre-constructed shit like Arduino for instance then slap some parts on and someone else's program and suddenly you're a leet /diy/er.

>>132321
That's unfair.


/diy/ is also about HOW DO I BUILD RAILGUN?

>>132326
Well, after I posted that I realized I used /diy/ instead of DIY. Most of the DIYers I know are plug and play people. None know how to weld, sweat a water pipe, or even change the oil in their car. When I mention I did something as simple as building a kite they look at me like I have 2 heads.

>>132342
I know how to sand and apply Danish oil to some wood. I am hailed as the second coming.

>>132326
I made this during the first week of /diy/ being up. Its kinda sad it already had predictable threads at that time.

true diy is making a comeback i think. products today are not designed to be home repaired, but they can stiil be fixed. too bad they are often cheaper to replace, cutting out a huge sector of fixer uppers like the appliance repairman of the past

>>132321
> Just pre-constructed shit like Arduino for instance then slap some parts on and someone else's program and suddenly you're a leet /diy/er.

If you don't mine your own resources and refine them for photolitography of your own circuit design you're not a true DIYer.
>Herp derp, elitism

Most people care about the end result, not the convoluted purist process that goes into reaching it.

>>132364
Holy fuck. That's all shit I posted non stop about too, lol.

But hey, now my GE is in perfect working condition.. fuck yea.

>>132370
Elitism and condescension builds character.
Hopefully, it makes people think twice about shitposting "just got an arduino. wat do?"

i can weld like a mother fucker and can solder anything. i didnt build the welder, and i didnt design my iron.

but i am elite, and better in skill, and mind, than 99% of you here.

just know that. i see others here that fit into this category, but sadly most of the thread starters are fucking imbeciles.

>>132390
a "can weld so what should i weld" or "can solder so what should i solder" guy huh.

>>132079

I suck at desoldering, and would like it to be more painless too. What model did you get and from where?

>>132394

sorry man, was responding to the poster that was bashing the arduino user for just backpacking on techology. tools are developed, and people learn to use them

>>132119
if there is one amp chip i hate it's the STK series. they tend to randomly break without a reason. i've heard numerous people call them STuK amps (stuk means broken in my language)

>>132701
they make good stepper motor drivers tho.

>>132119

I like the inductors, large caps, and hybrid SIP packages.

I wouldn't bother personally with small electrolytics, but hey, for prototyping, you probably wouldn't care about the reliability anyway.

>>132702
Do tell. Got any circuit diagrams using them?

>>132081
Which makes their parts actually more valuable. Like old record player parts or even old original car parts from the 1980s and older.

>>131991

Hey OP, what do you use to heat the back??

>>132014


What sort of circuits you build??

>>133042
A cheap Weller SP40L 40watt soldering iron with a solid copper chisel-shaped tip that solder loves to eat up. Here's what the tip looks like.

>>133047

Cool, man. Thanks for the tip. I'm going to have to forage for components

>>133049
The solid copper tips need to be reshaped and eventually replaced. The solid core copper with steel plating tips last a LOT longer. The chisle head allows you to cross more than one lead so you can pull a part quickly. The faster you get it out the less heat it'll take in.

>>133044

>>133112
>CD4049

Where can one find one of those, other than buying it I mean. What sort of devices might have one?

>>134181
They literally cost a couple of cents jew

>>133112
Thank you for not doing it on a uController.

>>134201
You could also use a 74HC04 but the pinout is different.

>>134181
pulled couple from an old dialup modem.

>>134201
Fucking buyfags in my /diy/.

How does one go about removing large IC chips from PCBs without damaging the chips themselves?

The small ones like the IR2E02 are fairly easy to remove using a chisle-shaped soldering iron. But, the large ones, damn, not even the solder wick wants to get in there and get all the solder out. Should I buy a solder sucker?

I tried this method before but then I realize I dont have a room full of VCRs with recoverable PCBs

>>135446
Hakko tweezer

>>134693
I'd rather make shit than spend my time fucking with junk. I also have a Mouser account at work, so I get dem discounts.

You'd have to be a goddamn moron/borderline hoarder to want to salvage resistors. Seriously, they cost less than $0.01 from Mouser.

There's a point where you have to step bakc and see how you're spending your time. Making a DIY hot air pencil is a shitload of extra work to just be able to get on with desoldering. I'd rather build shit, but then again some people just like doing simple shit.

>>135446
one pin at a time

>>135463

I agree. If I find something interesting in something that's broken and I'm just screwing around with, yeah I might save it. But this whole BS thing about herp da derp that 1 cent resistor costs 8 dollars in shipping. The reality is, I never order just a fucking resistor. When I order from places it's stuff for a whole project with usually lots of extras - that way I start to build a collection. It's not really bad to buy 40 bucks worth of components and pay 8 bucks shipping...

Besides when I buy something new I know it should be in working order, labeled, clean (never soldered), and ready to install. That can't really be said about a lot of salvaged components.

>There is a time and place to used salvaged stuff.
>/diy/ HV gear from MOT - salvage
>spending an hour desoldering through hold resistor - not worth my time.

>>135463
>>I'd rather make shit than spend my time fucking with junk
>>will never build anything from scratch.

sad...the way of the new diy'er

>>135475
Did you refine the metals?

>>135473
>>135463
Buyfags gonna buy.

>>135476
He may not, but I do. I also make capacitors (Leyden jar style and rolled style), transformers, etc.

>>135473
>That can't really be said about a lot of salvaged components.

This is because you don't know the correct ways to salvage; which takes only a few seconds.

>>135480
How can get such parts in the first place?

>>135463
>Seriously, they cost less than $0.01 from Mouser.

If you buy 5,000 of the same kind for $250. If you did buy only one then it would not cost $0.01. It would cost around $7. You're forgetting shipping and handling charges.

Meanwhile I have a bag of over 100 different kinds of resistors that cost me only about 30 minutes to pull off a free PCB.

also, why are you in this thread? Are you just here to tell us how wrong we are? This is a salvage thread and you come in and go, "salvaging is shit, HUEHUEHUEHUE" so obviously you are a troll.

http://www.4chan.org/rules

>Do not post the following outside of /b/: Trolls,

>>135482
Which are you referring to specifically? Making parts of salvaging or...?

>>135484
So are we going to get these magical low cost PCBs?

>see circuit diagram for a simple metal detector
>get inspired
>go to box of parts
>happen to have all the correct components on hand
>make working metal detector in about 30 minutes

mfw buyfags need to wait 5-7 days for their parts to get there and I've made 20-30 devices in that time from stuff I found in the dumpster993

>>135487
Broken electronics.

>>135489
This is /diy/? I mean we already the parts on stand by for these occasions?

>found in the dumpster

I mean the only way to get a hold of these old PCB boards is buying them from a thrift shop

>>135487
A lot of dumps are starting to refuse electronics, PCs, etc. You have to take them to special recycle centers and pay them to take them. So, all you need to do is put an APB out for broken electronics like in freecycle.org, craig's list, local bulliten board, etc. You get more than you'll ever need so normally you should be specific for what you want, "microwaves, VCRs, PCs, etc"

>>135490
How can you attain them in the first place? I mean you cant exactly find a classified ad promoting that they are throwing equipment away for free. I mean dumpster diving is not something that happens on a frequent basis like you would see in television.

>>135492
This guy here, >>135463 doesn't. He is ordering all his parts as he needs them it seems since he's against any kind of "hoarding".

>>135492
>I mean the only way to get a hold of these old PCB boards is buying them from a thrift shop

Holy shit man. They are everywhere. Put an ad in paper or something. You'll be up to your ears in them.

>>135493
I tried this method before but it served to much much more of hassle than what it really worth. Then you have to take account the transportation costs and possible unsalvageable parts due to oxidation.

I mean you can't exactly carry a Big screen CRT on a back pack

>>135497
I have tried various methods before and the end product wasd not something worthwhile.

>>135498
LOL I just put an ad like this,

Taking all broken electronics. Drop off location: (insert where you want your stuff delivered to)

>>135499
I think you are lying.

>>135502
>I think you are lying.

More like, he can't figure out how to desolder. lol

>>135502
>Taking all broken electronics. Drop off location

I also tried this method before but I never received any calls or a drop and also do mind that other people are into this sort of hobby as well. So you have to compete for these parts and well you still need a vehicle to transport such parts but the oxidation once again is not something I look forward.

So let me ask again where are you going to get these magical low price or free PCBs?

>>135503
Or maybe you are the ones trolling with malicious fallacies?

Point still stands on how to get these magical free PCBs in pristine condition?

>>135508
First you say you don't know how to get free PCBs. You get told how to do it. You turn around and say you've done that and got shit results. Then you say we're trolling you.

See these pics. The pile on the right is PCBs I've not processed yet. The pile on the left is stuff I've already done today. There's 6 shopping bags of PCBs from last week that go to the trash. all of these are free and in perfect condition. In fact, I'm thinking about taking all the working components and start fixing the stuff I'm getting now and reselling it as working electronics.

You are lying and trolling. GTFO.

>>135506
>I'm trolling hard.

GB2/b/

>>135512
>First you say you don't know how to get free PCBs

What country are you from? I think you read the translation wrong because it was more of the sarcastic side of asking how can get you get these free PCBs.

>6 shopping bags of PCBs from last week that go to the trash

Oh you mean a fallacy because it works for you as the individual but not as a whole. I mean really I wish we all this fortunate that you have but sadly some of take advantage of SALES for quality parts without oxidation.

>>135516
>complains about English translations
>how can get you get these free PCBs.

>calls fallacy
>spouts nothing but fallacy

Something tells me you're an armchair DIYer that hasn't really made anything in his life.

>>135520
So you sage the thread to prove what exactly? I mean the only thing you have been doing is attacking me because my point of view?

>>135524
>doesn't know what sage is for

>>135529
I do? I mean you are not even using it correctly? I mean if you are going to continue the conversation might as well bump it to the front page.

>Lego-class buyfags everywhere
>asked how to get free PCBs
>tell anon how to get free PCBs
>get called a troll because anon can't get free PCBs using the same tried and true method that 1,000s of electronic DIYers have been using for decades
>devolves into trolls trolling trolls fight

/diy/ is turning to shit. I think I'll go back to making circuits and salvaging components. At least I won't have some faggot calling my a troll every 10 seconds. OP's thread can rot for all I care.

>>135446

I removed the 40+ pin DIP off of a Sega genesis cartridge's PCB using my Hakko 850.

I bet you could do the same with a hot air gun if you are careful about it.

>>136030
I was actually thinking about making a hot air nozzle or soldering. I have enough transformers and tons of other stuff like a toaster.

Here's today's meager catch. I had only enough time to do a couple boards. I was too busy making and planning some other projects.

Also, I just had a, "Detected possible malicious code in the image file" error from this image. lol

quick way to desolder is using a paint removal heatgun. clip the board to a visegrip, heatup the board until the solder melts, then bang it against a table. all the solder will fly off the board leaving the holes clear. then you can use needlenose pliers to pick the parts off. of course it'll burn the board so expect to keep it.

Salvage 4 lyfe.

I've been doing shit like this for a long while, and can't even begin to tell you how handy a grab bin full of random components can be in a repair shop situation.

>exploded cap, weird size, large 100v+
>oh, heres one
>it works
>money made
>go go spare/random parts.


I'm going to fill my shipping containers with salvaged parts to fix my radios, so I can can have some tunes while my kids and I dumpster dive for more free shit.

Is there a nice chart that has PCB actual photos of components on it with the names of them AND their electrical symbols? I'd love a big poster of something like that. I've been searching and can't find such a thing.

>>136536
This is the best I can find, btw. It doesn't have the circuit symbols and isn't in chart form. I guess I might make one.

http://www.uchobby.com/index.php/2007/07/15/identifying-electronic-components/

>>131991

I love doing this, though I never actually use anything - I just get off on desoldering and hoarding it.

>>136543
I know that feel.

I sometimes think of end of the world scenarios like in some video games. Like they use PCB components for trade and money. Kind of like a STALKER or Metro 2033 type of game. In my mind I'm like, "I'm fucking rich!"

>>136542
>uC Hobby
>Microcontrollers and Electronics Hobby
>Fucking bookmark

>>132131
>Left 4 Dead joke

I don't get this. someone explain?

Enjoy your toxic fumes.

>>137099
Use a vent.

>hot air heat guns

This sounds great, but I'm going to need to make a vented blast chamber to prevent the fumes from being blown all over and affecting my health. Right now I just use a vent and fan over the soldering area that sucks fumes right from the spot I'm working on. A hot air gun wouldn't work for that.

I'm building a blast cabinet anyway so it wouldn't be much or a problem.

>>137876
Does anyone here that uses a Hakko know how much, if any, smoke they make compared to an iron?

>>138802
The smoke is mostly from the flux and any organic material on the tip/boards/components. Dust (yes, dust), oil (including fingerprints), and burned flux are the chief culprits, but the smoke can (and will) carry small particles of vaporized solder with it, which is bad for you even if the solder is lead free.

A good quality soldering setup still needs proper ventilation.

>>138819
Are you referencing smoke made from air heated soldering setups? I would like to know that specifically. I can wager a guess that it will create some fumes just from the things you listed.

I'm building a vent hood today or tomorrow and may at another time build my own air heat soldering station. Taking into consideration what does what will help. I know if I used a ventilated blast chamber (like for sand blasting) that it wouldn't matter what kind of soldering method I employed as all fumes would be sucked out of the chamber and out of the room to be vented outside.

what i do is use a heat gun(high power blow dryer) that i got from harbor freight for like $9 and just heat the back side of the board. grab the components with a pliers and they pull right out. works really fast and you dont really overheat the components as you pull them out the instant the solder melts.

>>138842
I really need to get or make a regular heat gun. The first junk toaster I get I'm making one.

>go to local recycling center
>ask about broken electronics they receive and if I can have them
>get told a committee will be meeting on x day
>anything taken has to be approved, etc
>leave name and number

I was drooling over all the massive TVs, microwaves, tons of PCs, and similar items. I should know in a week or so if I can lay hands on that treasure.

>>131991

A big haul of components... about half of which are useful...
...and would cost about $10 to buy on eBay...
...how long did that take you? All night? What's your time worth OP?

just saying, even if you can do it yourself, doesn't mean it makes any sense.

and don't buy components at radio shack. get them from sellers in Hong Kong on eBay. A whole bunch specialize in component assortments. Yes, inductors too.

>>140661
>buyfags, buyfags everywhere

>>140661

fuck you, yes it's better to buy delicate hard/to find components but nothing is better than the joy you get from building shit from 75%+ scrap.

You know how much useful techno scrap is littering the world?

fuck you.

>>140667

There are plenty of worthwhile old discarded tech things to reclaim in the world. You on the other hand spend hours stripping old resistors that cost .000015 new and may or may not be anywhere in spec anymore.

That's what I want in my /diy/... guys who collect broken old vacuum tubes and smash them up to get the yttrium out. Even the light-bulb terrariums make more sense. Oh! Oh! Save that tungsten! It might be useful!

>>140672

>That's what I want in my /diy/

fuck what you want, salvaging is economically friendly, environmentally friendly and relaxing, just because you want to buy 50+ resistors every time you need a specific value or waste perfectly good recycled tech doesn't mean i do.

This is /diy/, not /buy/ and not /complainabouthowImtomuchofafaggottoscavengeparts soicomplainaboutothersdoingso/,


The fuck with you.

>>140667
>nothing is better than the joy you get from building shit from 75%+ scrap.

I thin Anon here could use a little more magic in his life.

But hey, if it gets you off, great, just stay off the 8 o clock news eh.

>>140672

>may or may not be anywhere in spec anymore.

It's called a multimeter.

>>140676
>environmentally friendly and relaxing
well except for all that metallic lead getting everywhere.

But, OK, sure "I want to" is as good a reason as any. How about you post pics of a few things you've made with this gigantic pile of hard won booty?

>>140678
>>140672

Oh, and you not what else?

I save abs plastic cases from old shit because I cut it into pieces/reform to make shit.

I even use cad software and old plastic to cut mechanical parts out.

I save styrofoam to, which i melt with acetone and sculpt with(usually over wire frames)
Scavenge building is best building.so fuck you.

>>140679

which don't see increased shot noise or intermittent damage. Hope you're not gonna use those in hifi.

>>140682

>I save abs plastic cases from old shit because I cut it into pieces/reform to make shit.
>I even use cad software and old plastic to cut mechanical parts out.

OK awesome, that's some solid /diy/, post some of that stuff eh.

>I save styrofoam to, which i melt with acetone and sculpt with(usually over wire frames)

Mmm, jizz-sculpting

>Scavenge building is best building.so fuck you.

ahhh... nope, you lost me again.

>>140686
I'm not op but I can post shit I've made from scrap.


Don't have all my shit on this computer but I'll post bits and pieces.

the pic here is part of a mechanical spider I built out of scavenged wood, I later added fiber glass and card board to finish out the body. I drove the lets with a motor from a windshield wiper.

>>140688

forgot pic

New /diy/er here. Without sounding like an idiot (or being told to simply google it) I was just wondering how one would reuse those? I mean, I know you are taking them off, but where did you learn how to use them for other projects/whatever. Good links appreciated (this is why I prefer not to google, you guys know what you are doing already so you will know the good sites).

animatronic talking doll

Made entirely from scrap except the 4 leds.

I run it(along with all the other decorations that year) from an old win 95 computer which was also salvaged.

the head is sculpted out of old chicken wire,and melted styrofoam

>>140692

OK, see, now this is the kind of shit I'm talking about. Building stuff. Yourself. This anon is doing it. Awesome.

Sick of every goddamned thread turning into a fucking dumpster-diving / how2hobo thread. yeah, I stripped pcbs for parts too when I was growing up and poor because I had no choice. I didn't do it to be part of some kind of hippie 'smell-the-earth' club, I did it to build shit. So.. let's build some shit and stop the endless thinspo-like obsession with hoarding broken crap and being proud of it.

close up of the face before it was finished(back of the throat and teeth weren't finished)

The eyes(which moved along both x, y)are those plastic egg things kids get 50 cent toys it

this one was made in a similar method to the doll, no moving joy though just moving eyes and groans.

.

>>140699

Uhhh... OK, I think I've seen enough. Please make it stop, that thing is... disgusting? nngggh

>>140679

Haha, so you actually test every fucking resister before using it?

Go outside and enjoy life, man.

>>140703

It was pretty cool I got some chicks from /x/ to vocaroo some creepy phrases then I used audacity to dub each phrase three times at a high, low, and normal frequency which I then sped up to give a child like sound. I used the computer's mic as to "train" the program I wrote to the vioces to synch the jaw.

The whole thing was triggered by noise threshold on the mic. With the eyes moving semi randomly until the jaw triggered.

>>131991

This whole thread is like DIY for meth heads. You seriously spend your days yanking resistors off vcr boards, because maybe you can use them someday?

So you end up with a bucket of completely random resistors, and anytime you need one of a specific type it's time to go dig around in the bucket for an hour, looking for it. MONEY SAVED!

Here's what's most likely to happen to your treasure trove of bullshit:
You'll eventually die, and a cleanup crew will have to go into your house with shovels and wheelbarrows to get the junk out, wearing respirators so they don't have to breathe the fumes of horrible chemicals and cat shit.

This is coming from someone who is no stranger to salvaging shit off boards and repurposing old devices. For example I'll snag rotary encoders and servos and solenoids, if they suit my needs.

But try building lots of something with piles of garbage like that. You gonna use your laser printer to make 100 circuit boards?

TL;DR- exhaustively salvaging trash from old boards just in case you might need it someday is for meth heads and part-time ass hobbyists. If you ever have a serious project that you need to get off the ground and get done within a time frame, you order in from china and forget about it.

This thread is really about diy for the sake of diy, and diy to actually get shit done. I choose the latter.

>>140711

>specific type it's time to go dig around in the bucket for an hour

The fuck? You organize all of your resistor to prevent this.

Scrap or new.


You want to buy every little piece from china because it makes you feel like a serious(what ever the fuck that means) hobbyist then enjoy.

I''d rather have the joy of scavenge.

>>140711

>building lots of something

I know right, which is why Papier-mâché is stupid, sure you can make a quick sword or helmet for decoration but try showing up to an actual roman battle with that sword.

Or remember the old erector sets? Sure you can build something that moves like a crane but try picking up a real car with one.

Or fucking legos. Sure as a kid you could build dinosaurs from them but try taking down a real triceratops.


Or origami, sure you can make a crane but try getting it to fly.

Or an NES sure you can play Super Mario Bros, but good luck playing Halo.


Or cars sure you can drive to the store but good luck taking an ocean cruise.

>>140712

Enjoy scavenging stuff then man, all I'm saying is while you are sorting resistors, I'll be actually working on a project.

And I said in my earlier post that I do salvage, too. That's only for development/r&d phases though. When I am building something that I might possibly sell, I don't have time to worry about it not working because the parts are from garbage manufactured in 1986.

Most of my stuff is made with smd components these days, and custom pcbs.
I buy shit in from china because each part has to be a specific size and shape to fit and work with my pcb designs. Every part has a specific form factor that it has to fit, or it just won't work.

I do freelance work for new media type art installations, and build my own devices and sell them hand to hand. But still, the idea that it's better to scavenge like you is ridiculous even for a beginning hobbyist. Just buy a decent assortment of discrete components and start doing projects and learning.

>>140722

>while you are sorting resistors

you sort as you acquire

>When I am building something that I might possibly sell

see >>140721
.

>>140721

None of this really makes sense, meng.

If you're a beginning diyer, maybe just learning how to use an arduino, do you really think it's better to spend hours amassing a pile of random components than to actually learn to program, or read about the theory behind how all these things work, and cement that with actual application?

Come on now.

>>140724

So you can strip a vcr board in the 2 minutes it takes me to order in 1000 diodes of a specific type?

While it's coming in from china I am working on a million different aspects of this or another project I have going.

>>140725

It makes perfect sense.

Your claim scavenged components are worthless for production as an argument that they are worthless for hobby is no different than claiming a plastic sword is worthless for play because it's worthless for battle.

>how to use an arduino

Now your trolling.

As for the what one or would not be better off doing in what context is subjective.

For the beginner maybe, not so much because of time spent learning but due to eliminating possible sources of error while making circuits.

But to a non beginner there's no reason to pass up good components for HOBBY projects.

Nobody said anything about production.

(but I have done professional repair work on everything from amps to washing machines to cars using scavenged components with no problem)

>>140726


>So you can strip a vcr board in the 2 minutes it takes me to order in 1000 diodes of a specific type?


derp, who made this claim. if I'm involved in a project and don't have the value I'll simply strip it off something. Although usually I do have the value because when I'm bored/have no projects/no will to do them I'll strip for the hell of it.

>While it's coming in from china I am working on a million different aspects of this or another project I have going.

While I'm desoldering I'm relaxing or doing the mental leg work on a project, or I have no project at all it doesn't matter you're comparing leisure activities that have as their goal enjoyment to production.


This is really fucking stupid.

>>140728

Nobody said anything specifically about non production either. diy implies neither.

Not trollan about the arduino. It's a decent platform to learn with.

>to a non beginner there's no reason to pass up good components for HOBBY projects.

Subjective. How bad do you want your stuff to work? how much time do you want to spend on one project?

Doing repair work is different, that's one off stuff. Personally if I was being paid to fix something for someone, I would use the best components I have available to me. I wouldn't use scrap parts unless it were absolutely necessary, and then I would let the person know what's up.

If you fix something for somebody and get paid for it, it is kind of implied that it is going to work. If it fails in a week because you used garbage from a clock radio made in the seventies, you just look like an idiot. If a part from China fails, lesson learned, find a new manufacturer.

In general though, repair is a world apart from any kind of production.

>>140736

You (was it you?) posted a thread acting like it's worthwhile to amass piles of junk through stripping archaic boards. All I said is that that's completely ridiculous for anything bordering on serious diy projects.

By serious I mean something that has to work because others are relying on you to make it work. Even though my stuff is paid, this extends to hobbyist projects too, in my opinion. Any time it actually matters that something works, junk just won't cut it. Maybe that's subjective though, maybe that's just me.

>While I'm desoldering I'm relaxing or doing the mental leg work on a project, or I have no project at all it doesn't matter you're comparing leisure activities that have as their goal enjoyment to production.

So at this point desoldering stuff off boards is a liesure activity? I mean that's cool, just don't represent it as a worthwhile means of getting anything done besides collecting parts. Personally I circuit bend. To each their own. Both are nerdy as hell.

>>140740

>diy implies neither.

context does. And it should have been pretty obvious what the context was.
>Not trollan about the arduino. It's a decent platform to learn with.

I disagree.


>How bad do you want your stuff to work? how much time do you want to spend on one project?

Never had significant set back due to scrap components.

>I would use the best components I have available to me.

scrap components are often of as good a quality or BETTER than new components.

Ever noticed all of those old floor model Tvs from the 80s and even 70s still floating around functioning while modern flat profile technologies that are dead in 5-8 years due to popped cap on the power supply board or some such other stupid crap? not saying I'd scavenge caps for repair work but the point remains.

It's standard practice at appliance repair shops to reuse old parts, and many car shops refurbished old parts.

>implied that it is going to work

yes and?

>In general though, repair is a world apart from any kind of production.

And production is a world apart from non production hobby building.

>>140745
well, this is /diy/, so instead of posting how you get your components post the projects you have done

And with projects I mean stuff you have done with your own design, not download schematic from the internet and assemble with junk parts, specially since you want to do everything from scratch

>>140744

>You (was it you?)

No, but I stand by the point scavenged parts are useful. I typically don't I indiscriminately strip entire boards at a time, but I do get a lot of useable parts from them. (can't count how many old vcrs have provided parts for robotics projects, my automatic gardening water system is made almost entirely out of parts from an old vcr.)

>By serious I mean something that has to work because others are relying on you to make it work

And in these situations I use good parts but not necessarily new parts. It depends on the situation and what I'm working on.
>So at this point desoldering stuff off boards is a liesure activity?

I can b e. Like popping bubble rap or walking or any other mindless activity. Sometimes you need to do nothing to think of doing something. I have a lot of ideas while doing mindless things, and if I'm going to do that why not get something useful out of it?

Also, and this point may be lost, but there is a certain aesthetic to junk i just enjoy. It's like being a hunter-gather it's tribal, it's gathering things from your surroundings and adapting them to your wants/needs but instead of ancient peoples gather stuff from forest lands, the modern landscape is littered with technology.

>>140749

As i said previously I don't have all of my stuff on this computer but scroll up i posted a couple of things.

>>140752
an LED blinker?

that's a project?

>>140745

>context does. And it should have been pretty obvious what the context was.

There was no context besides "it's a good idea to do this". I was posting my explanation for why it's not a good idea for my own situation, and I expanded to include other areas of what could be considered diy.


>arduino is not a good platform for rank newbs.

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. I've gotten people started with these that have moved on to pics and other things at this point. I dont think the particular platform is as important as the person's drive to learn stuff. It's probably better than basic stamps though.


>Never had significant set back due to scrap components.

What's insignificant for you could be significant for others.


>scrap components are often of as good a quality or BETTER than new components.

No doubt this is true, especially since corporate profit margins have risen since then. Cheaper components are the answer in a lot of cases. But, and again this is from my own perspective, anything you do that is depended on by others would just make you look like a fool if stuff didn't work because you cheaped out and scavenged. Yes, they are probably better made components than the ones being used now. That was 20 years ago though.


>It's standard practice at appliance repair shops to reuse old parts, and many car shops refurbished old parts.

I'm not going to pretend to know everything about how a repair shop works. Is it reaching to say that it's doing your customers a disservice to use junk parts without telling them?


>And production is a world apart from non production hobby building.

This thread is not specifically about either one, so how is this relevant? I comment on my own situation. If that's not compatible with yours, why bother starting and argument?

>>140762
>>140762

where did i post an LED blinker?

>>140765
there >>133112

>>140751

>old vcr parts are pretty good

Agreed. those motors are good stuff, and there are good parts in them. Resistors though? I'm just not seeing it.


>And in these situations I use good parts but not necessarily new parts. It depends on the situation and what I'm working on.

Fair enough, I would rather just have solid, predictably working components on hand though. I don't like that guess work. "shit, is this cap the problem??"


> I have a lot of ideas while doing mindless things

No quarrel with this, and it explains being a 4chan poster, I guess.


>But there is a certain aesthetic to junk i just enjoy.

I can dig that too. The job I learned all this stuff at was run by a guy who would set up cam timing based motion control camera rigs, using mostly plywood, motors from world war 2 (no joke), and computers from the 1980s. It was great. I felt bad about replacing some of his stuff with micro controllers, but he headaches saved in not having to calibrate stuff made it worth it.

>>140764

>it's not a good idea for my own situation

But you should have been understood that most people would not try to do production with scrap components. That's like someone say "legos are great to build with" and then you proceed to explain to them why it would be stupid to build a haul of a space ship from them. Sure they didn't specify but you should know what they meant.

>uess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

It might be a good tool to teach programming( but so is python, and it's quicker to get started and less infrastructure) but not digital electronics.


>It's probably better than basic stamps though.

agreed.

>Is it reaching to say that it's doing your customers a disservice to use junk parts without telling them?

Depends with some parts they're so reliable it doesn't matter. (for example replacing a crt in a tv chances are if it's broke it was broken by force and even a used one will last a life time if not broken by another accident(no I'm not running around fixing old crts, but I have)) if my mechanic did it without telling me and giving me the option for a discount I'd be pissed, but not the fridge repair guy. I've never lied to someone about a repair neither explicitly or by omission.

>why bother starting and argument?


welcome to 4chan.

>>140766

not me mate.

>>140771

>Sure they didn't specify but you should know what they meant.

Both of US know what was meant, but i mean this is /diy/ on 4chan. Even in this very thread there was a guy asking about arduinos. You think he knows?
It's for this reason that I think having posts with a wide variance of perspective is valuable, and probably has a lot to do with why forums were invented in the first place.

I also enjoy ranting and calling people meth heads, but that's a different matter. If you have buckets and all kinds of huge boxes full of salvaged random discrete components though, I think some life changes might be a good thing.

>It might be a good tool to teach programming( but so is python, and it's quicker to get started and less infrastructure) but not digital electronics.

Again man, if someone's motivated they will do fine, whatever they start with.

>welcome to 4chan.

fair enough

>>140774


>Again man, if someone's motivated they will do fine, whatever they start with.

Yes, but if we're discussing efficiency then I'd say that the Arduino is to much abstracted to be a good digital electronic tool. I'm not knocking anyone who uses them, they are good TOOLS for the hobbyist that wants to do rather than learn, but I just can see extracting a lot of knowledge from them.

Then again I started with a parallel port and a bootleg copy of vb 4

hey bro show us more things you made and ignore the whining about salvaging being stupid an what not

Those of you that say buying the part is not true to the DIY spirit, I call bullshit. Personally, buying the parts is inexpensive and it saves time, headaches. Parts can have tolerances, etc. Next thing, you are troubleshooting issues relating to some stupid part that you pulled off a POS board because you were too cheap to buy a new one.

One more thing... If you are going to follow your own DIY philosophy then why don't you just fab the parts out of silicon yourself? Create the silicon ingots out of sand while you are at it. Oh, you can't/won't? I guess that makes you a hypocrite. Morons.

>>140814
lol....uncreative butthurt buyfag.

>>140821

Same could be said about you, salvagefag...

>>140814

sand is for posers man, not true diy. Any REAL diyer would find a more difficult way to refine silica.

Sand is noob.

>>140782

It is abstracted but you have to make tradeoffs when you are making something to crossover to the artist community. Artists don't tend to be the most technically minded.

Doesn't mean they have no place in diy electronics though. I welcome them. The new blood is good, especially if it shakes things up and pisses the old school crowd off a bit.

Artists and noobs have not knowing much about electronics in common. In my experience arduino is a good square one.

>>140649
>go to transfer station
>find shipping container filled with old electronics
>bring printer paper boxes filled with scrap PCBs
>dump in bin
>fill box with whatever you can
Where I am, they don't care as long as you aren't diving in the main trash area.

>>140839

that true an that what I said, it's an ok tool but not a great learning aid now if you could teach people to build themselves. I mean it is open source after all, but i see these things going for 30-40 a pop.

>>140695
Essentially, I learned from what I wanted to make. If you want to make a metal detector you google, "metal detector circuit diagram" and there it is. For all the symbols you need to know you google, "circuit symbol chart". Literally, 30-45 minutes I have a working metal detector made from 100% salvaged parts. Then I go on to the next project and google search. As I learn a project I also start to learn what does what and eventually I can make my own circuits from scratch.

>>140696
These are all awesome, fyi.

Here's what I recently finished from salvaged parts. Wind turbine battery charger. The entire thing except the battery, hot glue, and two clips are salvaged. I made it so I could use any turbine or low power generator. It's made from soda bottles, old CDs, computer parts metal, and PCB components. It cost the price of 2 glue sticks, 1 battery, and 2 clips to make.

>>140704
You only test things you are about to use. No one goes through and tests everything. Also, 99.999% of the stuff works for me. Perhaps you need to perfect your desoldering skills.

>>140711
buyfag troll #457356

>>140722
> I'll be actually working on a project.

No, you'll be spending your time being ass pained on 4chan threads.

>list of accomplishments, no pics.

lol New to 4chan I see.

>>140726
No you're not because you don't know anything about circuitry and are merely lying to troll.

>>140871
Jelly, jelly all the way, man.

Salvagers gonna salvage!

This was one of my CRT monitors. It died today after 14 years of service (I've had 3 LCDs die in the past 5 years, lol). I still have a few other CRTs that are still working and the same age.

Anyway, I gutted it. Look at all those goodies! It think the flyback may be fried, but I'll know when I go to test it. I can rewire it for my needs anyway so it doesn't actually matter. The edge of the PCB seems pretty clear all around so I'm not going to have any trouble mounting this in the vice.

ITT: poor fags with respiratory problems

>>142645
Did you make a joule thief? Cool. What is powering it?

>>142653
Don't breath the smoke. Vent it out.

I want to salvage parts from some ps2 PCBs, but I suck at dessoldering. Most of the time I need to add new solder to the old one so the mix will enter in fusion, and then use a desoldering pump or a thin (1mm) braid... even after that, there's still a bit of solder holding the components so I need to "force" a little using pliers. It's not satisfying at all :(

Any tips?

Pic unrelated, it's my arcade cabinet monitor PCB.

>>142658
Use "solder wick". you can make some from fine uninsulated copper wire. Just braid it really quick and you have solder wick. Put it between the soldering iron and the solder. It wicks the melted solder away like water.

>>142657

needed some emergency lights when the power goes out so made a bunch of these from old psu/vcr/computer circuit boards to put around the house. batteries are ones that won't power anything else ("dead" batteries).

>>142712
>batteries are ones that won't power anything else ("dead" batteries).

Yeah, I noticed the dead ones that are too low for anything else work great for the joule thief circuit to light an LED. You can take those small motors out of CD/DVD-ROMs and other electronics and turn them into a little generator, like hand crank for instance and light an LED if you use a bridge rectifier and joule thief together. You can also charge the AA battery too.

>>142707
>>142645
What are you using for the toroidal in the middle? I have several that are off random cords from various things. They wind the cord through them maybe 1-3 times and that's it. I'm thinking those may work too?

>>142657
I love the smell of soldering smoke

>>142772
Its like dogs and antifreeze, they just cant get enough.Tthen they are dead.

>>142772
It's bad enough, but its even worse if you are using lead/tin solder or the PCB you are working on uses it and you can be sure it will. Ingesting and inhaling lead is the worse thing you can do. Even handling lead bearing solder you need to wash your hands after. Lead poisoning is no joke. This is especially true if you have children or children will later be present in the work area.

>>142760
took wires off and rewound with different number of turns. there's 2 coils. first one is only 20 turns. the other one is 60 turns and overlap each other.

>>142780
Good to know. What coil is the primary for the battery side?

>>142793
there's really no pri/sec winding. there's a feedback winding (the 20 turn) and the induction winding (60 turn) that generates the voltage spike when the transistor switches on and off. the led is from a string of christmas led lights that had a few leds go out.

>>142820
Well, I refer to the power input coil as the primary and any other coils that get inducted from that secondary.

When you say feedback you mean the non-powered one and when you say induction you mean the one hooked to the battery or incoming power? You are ramping up the voltage and lowering the amperage correct?

Bump

>>143199
its not a inverter configuration. the voltage "increase" is from the voltage spike when the magnetic field collapses when the transistor turns off. the switching to fairly fast sio you can't see the blinking of the led. the feedback winding is needed to turn the transistor on and off. in an inverter circuit this is done with a oscillator circuit. if i add a third winding and use that as an output, it would make the circuit into an invert type circuit.

typical joule thief circuit

bump

>>144069
>>144078
I forgot to say thanks for these posts.

Bump, post more salvaging tips

to you gentlemen who suggest buying everything, how would you suggesst getting something that is not mass produced. like the generator in

>>141053

I made an alternator for these energy scavenging projects entirely out of scrap i had collected over the years. works well too, makes ~1v/60rpm and takes fuckall energy to spin with no load.
Even wound the stator myself from TV degauss coil wire. Hard drive magnets on the rotors. Video head from VCR for bearings.