There is absolutely nothing wrong with copper and it's likely preferable to silver but it happened that I do have those silver transformers that retail more than a car, silver cables which retail somewhat less...and silver coiled drivers aren't actually in the stratosphere and now what? Should I sell all that junk and buy 6 cents capacitors because "bragging in local bar" about it ain't worth all the trouble ? I will most probably do it because usually I can hardly afford a burger in a corner joint but first I need to try it and make up my mind if it's a ******** or if there is any merit in that silver path 🙂
I've known some platers, they were madder than painters, which is saying something.
Capacitors are easy to make, even if by mistake. High quality caps are not easy. You'd have much more luck making your own inductors. But why not try? All you can lose is a little time and money. After all, this IS DIY. Give it a try, you already know it won't be easy to get high level results, but you'll have tried and will have learned something. It's just caps, you aren't launching satellites.
Capacitors are easy to make, even if by mistake. High quality caps are not easy. You'd have much more luck making your own inductors. But why not try? All you can lose is a little time and money. After all, this IS DIY. Give it a try, you already know it won't be easy to get high level results, but you'll have tried and will have learned something. It's just caps, you aren't launching satellites.
Why bother about silver or any metal with very low resistivity at room temperature?! There is an "easy" way, operate your electronics at cryogenic temperatures, and ordinary metal conductors become superconductors which exhibit no resistivity at all. Even white noise due to the thermodynamic movement of electrons is eliminated. You will also be blessed by the prospect of amplifying very low signals without degrading their signal to noise ratio.
There's a reason why silver foil caps are not commonly available, besides the high price, and that is called silver migration. It would be especially bad in a high voltage setting. In a crossover setting where music currents can be high, a loosely wound cap would sing audibly with the music. It's a trick to get the foil & dielectric tensioning right in a winding machine and hand winding would yield a poorly performing result. Save yourself the trouble and buy caps from a competent capacitor mfr. and use your DIY talents on, say, the crossover design, or maybe some other item in the setup.
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Oh ,I opened one many moons ago and that one is ruined but the are still 3 of them left.
Attachments
Cool. Is the foil bonded to the paper enough that if you were to hang it with a weight on the bottom end it would pull both flat together?
Actually, the dielectric seems to be a fine mylar foil with everything dipped in a light oil and although I can separate the foil it is bonded pretty well. Since I took that one apart long time ago and the oil dried up a little even in the plastic bag and now it's somewhat difficult to unroll it I'm sure the caps which are intact won't have that problem. I'm slightly confused now regarding construction of those capacitors. The advantage of the new AN silver caps over the old ones made by Jensen for AN supposed to be a mylar foil use over the paper used in the old caps but it seems old caps have mylar foil as well. I will add that earlier series of Audio Note copper foil caps in copper tube had a significant failure rate. They fixed the issue reportedly. I think the caps became bigger.
When you say mylar foil, do you mean that the mylar has a silver film deposited on it ? or is it a simple mylar only film and a separate silver only foil?
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so in the photo , what's the sequence of layers in the section that is lying flat on the table? (for example, paper , silver, mylar, silver)
No , there is no paper in those capacitors . mylar , silver foil and oil . There are two layers of mylar between the silver foil. I forgot how the receptacles were attached to the foil but I think it was just a piece of silver wire leaning against the foil. Two of those 0.22/630V caps still test OK .
Well, I don't understand what that rough edge is but I do believe you can make a capacitor with the silver , even if you need to find some new mylar, polypropylene, teflon or whatever. A bath or two or three of dish soap in warm water will probably take care of the oil.
If you decide you don't want to try it and in a year or so find yourself about to throw the shorted ones out, send them to me instead. I'll gladly cover the few dollars postage : )
G'luck !
If you decide you don't want to try it and in a year or so find yourself about to throw the shorted ones out, send them to me instead. I'll gladly cover the few dollars postage : )
G'luck !
The rough edge illusion is oversized mylar foil contaminated with old brownish oil residue.
I will remember to send them to you when the time comes 🙂 but maybe will make a silver ribbon interconnects instead...
Cheers! L
I will remember to send them to you when the time comes 🙂 but maybe will make a silver ribbon interconnects instead...
Cheers! L
I am seeing a chance of boredom this winter.
Maybe a supply cap for the 845 amplifier.
Wax paper? Aluminum foil, coffee can, paraffin wax.
I need to find a better coffee can. All I have is a Kirkland brand can. Need to find decent coffee with a can.