Stripping down

[RandomGlitch]

I've got a bunch of old domestic appliances that I'm ready to throw out now I'm sure I will never use them again (after 5 years of them being in my storage room).

I've got:
Microwave oven
VCR
Playstation 2
Small Cathode Ray TV

Is it worth stripping them down for parts? Is there likely to be anything useful in those for pedal building?

Thanks!!

[jogina111]

the vcr and tv would give you most of the parts you need.. Better sell the others. Theyre worth something...the ps2 is just full of electrolytic caps..

[LucifersTrip]

it's always fun to strip stuff down, regardless....just to see how it was put together....

with most of those modern things, the most I usually get are some "fancy" caps...and I guess some common silicon transistors

...and I did get some excellent 24-26 awg wire from a vcr

[Jdansti]

Great stuff in a VCR:

[PRR]

Be aware that a CRT can hold 20,000 Volt charge for days or months.

If it has NOT!! been plugged-in over two humid summers, it's probably bled-down by now.

The danger-spot is the dusty red lead from a rubber-cup on the side of the CRT down to a doo-dad on the chassis. Ideally this is all insulated, though older insulation is dubious. If you recklessly tear-apart, you may be in for a shock.

The CRT itself is a highly-stressed glass bottle packed full of vacuum. If it cracks, it _can_ shatter and spew sharp glass shards. Yes, that could be fun... when I have tried to deliberately implode CRTs it was difficult and usually just the "hissss" of escaping vacuum. However carelessness can be its own reward, and we don't want you hurt.

[RandomGlitch]

Great stuff in a VCR:

At first I thought "Oh batteries, great" then, well... very funny!!! 

And thanks for the safety tip, will be careful.

[Seljer]

Not really for pedal building but theres a number of uses for the transformer in the microwave oven, if you have the will to rewind it the core is good for a couple of hundred watts. Heres the first video in a series on how to salvage one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRoPHKpCYmg

[timd]

the vcr and tv would give you most of the parts you need.. Better sell the others. Theyre worth something...the ps2 is just full of electrolytic caps..

This is the truth - especially the old TV's. I have found many great poly caps and random IC's. They're also full of transistors. I've had some fun breadboarding fuzzes and tossing some of these random trannies in there...with occasional shocking results as to how good they sound.
Sell the PS2 on Ebay.
But above all else, please heed everyones warnings on the TV's.

[Canucker]

I'd say forget the tv all together....if your in need of things to take a part take a trip around town on trash day. If your not short on time it can be fun to rip things apart on the patio on a sunny day with some tunes going... but if you are short on time and you need a specific part it can actually be pretty fruitless and stressful.