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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Fake Copper Wire

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CaptainBoing

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Joined: 07/09/2016
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2075
Posted: 11:45am 15 Nov 2024
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  palcal said  The majority of my components have plated steel pigtails and because I live near the ocean they corrode. I have to keep them all in sealed plastic bags in my parts drawers and still they corrode over time. I also dabble in vintage radio and have sets 80 years old and the components with plated copper pigtails are still OK, no corrosion.


I agree and years ago I noticed how clipping the leads of resistors/capacitors/trannies etc. often the cuttings would stick to the side-cutters.

Steel has been used on component leads for decades.

h
 
CaptainBoing

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Joined: 07/09/2016
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 2075
Posted: 11:59am 15 Nov 2024
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  Mixtel90 said  ... Here in the UK our 1p and 2p coins have all been copper plated steel since 1992...


and cheaper than "penny washers". I always consider drilling "brown money" when I need a big washer... there are some M8 bolts and 12p worth of tuppenies holding the drum in the tumble dryer from when I repaired it after the rivets holding the spindle pulled through the sheet steel.  

My wife recently stiched together a Xmas tree playmat and the decorations on the tree were intended to be held on with velcro... that was a bit ugly so I suggested using washers stiched into the tree and then Nd magnets stitched into the back of the decorations (you can't see either, they are under the fabric). Great... except the chinesium M8 washers I got from the shed have almost no attraction. In the end we went through a pile of pennies and sorted out enough steel ones to use instead. Job done.
Edited 2024-11-15 22:08 by CaptainBoing
 
SimpleSafeName

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Joined: 28/07/2019
Location: United States
Posts: 319
Posted: 12:08pm 15 Nov 2024
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  CaptainBoing said  I agree and years ago I noticed how clipping the leads of resistors/capacitors/trannies etc. often the cuttings would stick to the side-cutters.

Steel has been used on component leads for decades.

h


Yup.

The way that I see it is now the steel is intentionally hidden rather than a necessary part of the conductor. For instance, the old house wire from the "earlier" twenties was nickel-plated copper to make soldering the joints together easier.

And nobody likes to be deceived.
 
lizby
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Joined: 17/05/2016
Location: United States
Posts: 3150
Posted: 06:29pm 15 Nov 2024
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My clip-on leads are magnetic. Also, a "power only" .2M USB C cable which came with I don't know what. Other USB-C and -micro cables are fine (or are at least not magnetic). I would never have thought to test them for magnetism.
PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed
 
Marcel27

Regular Member

Joined: 13/08/2024
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 53
Posted: 08:13am 16 Nov 2024
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I stopped buying cheap "Banggood" stuff from China, 10 years ago. I love to pay a few € more for quality stuff. It gives me more safety, pleasure and less stress.

The electronic "copper" stuff that I own with a strong China smell is not magnetic, a relief.

I bought a Volume/Selector chip for repair a Yamaha device. It worked for 1 month and after that it kept the machine dead silent.


Edited 2024-11-16 18:28 by Marcel27
If you use AI, you lose your mind.
 
grumpyoldgeek
Newbie

Joined: 30/07/2018
Location: United States
Posts: 31
Posted: 01:46am 17 Nov 2024
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Back around 1978, I applied for a technician's job at a place that made cyclotrons.  At the interview the production manager tossed me a little plastic bag full of components.  Through-hole resistors, capacitors, diodes.  Through-hole because 1978.  He asked me to tell him everything I could about each of the components.  I identified everything by function, value, precision and voltage rating as best I could.  I paused and for some reason told him that the leads of the disk capacitor were probably made of tinned steel and not copper.  His mouth dropped open.  He said that they used that part to build a magnetometer and it took them a month to find the component with ferrous metal in it that was screwing up readings.

I didn't take the job, but the interview and tour of the plant were fun.
 
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