capacitor aging claim

[Chuck Guzis]

On 8 Oct 2010 at 7:25, dwight elvey wrote:


>  When I was a kid, I'd distruct old radios and TV's. Every
> paper capacitor I unrolled has some oil in the paper.
> I used to open evering up. I'd unroll transformers, smash
> tubes to see what was on the inside.

That's my recollection, also.  It does make sense.  Haven't seen a 
coated-in-wax capacitor for quite some time.  How are old 40s-50s 
"bathtub" capacitors holding up?

Moving on, I'm seeing capacitors that I never considered to be 
perishable dying, such as polystyrene ones used in AC line filters 
during the 1980s.  I've replaced those with polypropylene units, but 
is there a better substitute (since polystyrene caps haven't been 
made for some time)?

--Chuck