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Damn Ampeg caps!

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  • Damn Ampeg caps!

    Hmm, this is like the 3rd old B15 where the dynamite stick caps had the leads come off.

    Working on one and all of the sudden I get a mysterious hum!
    Only to notice the cap wire hanging in the breeze.

    Darn 60+ yr old caps!
    What are, are the leads just jammed under the screw, or whatever the protrusion is. Could probably weld it back.

    Going to change the filters anyway. It's got like 480v on a 450v rated cap.

    Both multi caps test great, not bad for 60+ yrs old!

  • #2
    Originally posted by drewl View Post
    not bad for 60+ yrs old!
    Thatīs what the buxom lady told me.










    Hey!! Donīt be dirty minded!!!! She was complimenting me on how well I could still ride a bicycle !!!!


    As of the caps,you wonīt be able to weld that wire.
    Cap cans are pure aluminum, and that bump you see is a built-in rivet.
    Juan Manuel Fahey

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    • #3
      May we all have such easy-to-diagnose issues!
      --
      I build and repair guitar amps
      http://amps.monkeymatic.com

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      • #4
        Rivets, you say?

        On the neg. side you can just drill out the rivet, put a spade lug with wire attached over new rivet and you're good to go.

        Positive side you'd have to attach rivet or connector wire while to internal cap lead without touching the aluminum end cap somehow.
        I wouldn't trust trying to fix the pos. end.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by drewl View Post
          Rivets, you say?

          On the neg. side you can just drill out the rivet, put a spade lug with wire attached over new rivet and you're good to go.

          Positive side you'd have to attach rivet or connector wire while to internal cap lead without touching the aluminum end cap somehow.
          I wouldn't trust trying to fix the pos. end.
          Well, you canīt actually drill the rivet out and replace it because the can is bursting with all kinds of nasty fluids, rolled up treated aluminum foil, porous paper, the works, the drill tip will destroy and short foils, etc.

          But agree you can still repair it ... just use an adjustable clamp around the case and use it as new negative terminal.

          As of the positive one, in theory you can slightly grind it to expose metal and give it a rough surface, but aluminum soldering flux is based on VERY nasty Fluorhydric acid (which happily dissolves protective "glass" self formed on aluminum surface) ... if even a drop touches your skin it will go through it and burn tissue inside, as far as it can go.
          Fumes may blind you, or carve holes in your lungs ... ugh!!!
          Juan Manuel Fahey

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          • #6
            Originally posted by J M Fahey View Post
            but aluminum soldering flux is based on VERY nasty Fluorhydric acid (which happily dissolves protective "glass" self formed on aluminum surface) ... if even a drop touches your skin it will go through it and burn tissue inside, as far as it can go. Fumes may blind you, or carve holes in your lungs ... ugh!!!
            CUT!!! One more take. We need something more graphic.

            EEeek!
            "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

            "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

            "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
            You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

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            • #7
              Well I didn't drill far enough to encounter nasty fluids, just far enough to remove the rivet and just for experimentation.

              As mentioned, the negative side can be repaired if needed.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Chuck H View Post
                CUT!!! One more take. We need something more graphic.

                EEeek!
                Well, mine is the kidīs level fammily approved description

                For a fuller one go to:
                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid

                which among other niceties states:
                Hydrogen fluoride gas is an acute poison that may immediately and permanently damage lungs and the corneas of the eyes. Aqueous hydrofluoric acid is a contact-poison with the potential for deep, initially painless burns and ensuing tissue death. By interfering with body calcium metabolism, the concentrated acid may also cause systemic toxicity and eventual cardiac arrest and fatality.
                thatīs for starters, then navigate down to the "Health and safety" section, including all the nice wound pictures

                And yet you look at the "uses and applications" area and see itīs (sadly) indispensable for a lot of useful things ... including cleaning car wheels and ... dental work

                It dissolves *everything*, including glass.

                I think Alien movie monster creators were thinking this, when they said the Alien spat "molecular acid" at people,which could easily go through spaceship metal.
                Juan Manuel Fahey

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by J M Fahey View Post
                  thatīs for starters, then navigate down to the "Health and safety" section, including all the nice wound pictures
                  Sunday morning story:

                  Late 70's when I had a 2 year stint in the local semiconductor factory - yes kids we had 'em inside USA borders back then - we employed HF as an etchant for silicon dioxide. Worked really well! Typical safety warnings, and there was an urban legend in circulation about some errant engineer who tried to show off how harmless the stuff is. He dunked his hand in a tub of it, so goes the story. To show how "safe" it really is, and/or, how "tough" he umm.... was. It was brought to my attention that the only "cure" for a hydroflouric burn on the extremities is amputation. Essentially, the acid soaks its way through flesh, then sets to work dissolving bone, whilst releasing hydrogen bubbles causing severe pain. Never did see a one-handed engineer though. Maybe he changed careers and became an economist.

                  We also had fun stuff like aqua regia as well as the usual suspects, plenty of hydrochloric acid, boron trifluoride, phosphine gas, silane gas that sets itself on fire, tanks of high pressure hydrogen, 200,000 volt power supplies, machines that constantly leaked isopropyl alcohol on the floor, acetone, etc etc. Heaps of fun! After 2 years I figured I used up all my good luck charms & got the hell out.
                  This isn't the future I signed up for.

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                  • #10
                    Jeez! And I thought "I" had it bad in the chemical exposure department just being a painting contractor.
                    "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

                    "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

                    "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
                    You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I had a co-op job in school at Sprague Solid State who made IC's.

                      Cool stuff, clean rooms, etc.

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                      • #12
                        Gone are the days when you could walk down to the corner chemist and pickup a bottle of whatever... along with a bottle of morphine because you might need it.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Tony Bones View Post
                          Gone are the days when you could walk down to the corner chemist and pickup a bottle of whatever... along with a bottle of morphine because you might need it.
                          I remember those days persisted into the 60's. My local pharmacy, you could get powdered sulfur. And saltpeter. And charcoal. Heh, heh, heh.... Just don't buy all 3 at once, that might raise suspicion. And it might not.
                          This isn't the future I signed up for.

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                          • #14
                            I worked in a pharmacy where you could get all those off tge shelf... 7 years ago.

                            Justin
                            "Wow it's red! That doesn't look like the standard Marshall red. It's more like hooker lipstick/clown nose/poodle pecker red." - Chuck H. -
                            "Of course that means playing **LOUD** , best but useless solution to modern sissy snowflake players." - J.M. Fahey -
                            "All I ever managed to do with that amp was... kill small rodents within a 50 yard radius of my practice building." - Tone Meister -

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                            • #15
                              If I walk down to the corner now, all I can buy is a bag of really bad weed.

                              j/k I have no idea what that guy on the corner is selling, but if he has any acid I would not count on it being the Fluorhydric variety. Statistically speaking, it seems unlikely.

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