# I'm new n need experts lol



## Kruegerdascott (Dec 23, 2021)

So I'm new to this but was hoping someone could help with my question. I have ran across a lot of old organs and am harvesting the capacitors and give a whole lot. Does anyone know if these contain palladium if so what percentage or yield would I get per lb. I want to be sure that I'm not wasting my time I have a few pounds of each type


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## orvi (Dec 24, 2021)

Palladium is mostly only in ceramic types. If you crack one open and see rolled foil, it is most likely worthless in terms of PM recovery, as it would probably be just aluminium foil with some dielectric.
I see there few ceramic ones (disc-shaped ones), but from my experience most of them contain just small ammount of silver. Need to be tested - incinerate few pcs, crush, simmer in nitric acid and test for palladium/silver.
Orange square one in the middle look more promising, but again, i am just guessing. You need to crack it open, and if it is a piece of ceramic, than it could contain some good palladium/platinum. If there is roll of foil, probably straight to the garbage.
I am not familiar with western components, since I deal mostly with USSR/ old European scrap.


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## Elemental (Dec 24, 2021)

I've several posts here in the past that old Hammond Organs used palladium wire and bus bars. A quick search should bring up some of those old posts.


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## Kruegerdascott (Dec 25, 2021)

Yea a lot of them have the foil inside. Kinda hurt my feelings lol. The busbars however yes I have nearly 7 old hammonds I have to gather the parts and figure out where the platinum is on the contacts. I had watched so many videos of people processing the ones that look like the ones I have with the foil inside. The videos I seen however I believe have been USSR types that resemble them. I am absolutely a newby this is my first ever go at trying to figure out these boards and see what is what and hopefully process them correctly thank you for your input it helps even if it wasn't what I was hoping lol
process them correctly


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## Kruegerdascott (Dec 25, 2021)

Elemental said:


> I've several posts here in the past that old Hammond Organs used palladium wire and bus bars. A quick search should bring up some of those old posts.


I'm not sure about the wire for palladium I'll have to look into that. Maybe there's hope for more after all


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## orvi (Dec 25, 2021)

Put a piece of suspected wire (just timy small bit) in few drops of hot nitric. If you will see orange/red/brown colour in the solution after some time, you can start the celebration  most probably palladium. Further test with DMG or stannous to prove palladium. Platinum however will not dissolve. Only after prolonged boiling for many hours, and just a tiny fraction of it. So if it dont dissolve in hot nitric and not tarnish on the surface, and it´s very soft when bent, it is probably platinum. Silver gives you reaction ( if pure=colourless solution, often copper could be present = blueish colour) and testing with tablesalt will prove it. 
I stumbled across Pd coated Cu wire once (not in organ, but in contact traces of some funky scientific equipment). When copper is present mutually with palladium, the colour wont be blue - but more of a green/brownish - depend on Pd content.


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## galenrog (Dec 25, 2021)

The only Hammond organs that used palladium wires on buss bars were those with tonewheels. Scrap Metal Junkie has a very good narrative about this on his website. 

Those same models have some of the best audio amplifiers of that era. Many audiophiles will pay a premium to obtain one in working condition.

Later models have no palladium wires, and have substandard electronics. Some individual components may have PMs, but as a whole, are unimpressive.

Time for more coffee.


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## Findm-Keepm (Dec 25, 2021)

Those CM .05uF disc (center, middle) and 0.022uf tubular (top center) capacitors are in the range for guitar "tone" caps and would likely have value (even in used condition!) if not for the short leads. Use eBay's sold listings for "*tone cap*" _and_ capacitance value before removing them from the organ/unit/amp - gotta preserve all potential value.....
CM=Ceramite, and tubular one is likely an 860 EIA code (Capacitor Corporation, in Colorado)


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## Kruegerdascott (Dec 26, 2021)

galenrog said:


> The only Hammond organs that used palladium wires on buss bars were those with tonewheels. Scrap Metal Junkie has a very good narrative about this on his website.
> 
> Those same models have some of the best audio amplifiers of that era. Many audiophiles will pay a premium to obtain one in working condition.
> 
> ...


I unfortunately didn't save any of the Amos on the first few but all had tonewheels I still have a couple and apms preamps all scattered about. Was sad to find out that the wheels I threw out a couple really really big ones were so luritive.


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