What do you do with tubes that test bad? I have mine dumped in a box On my workbench. I'm thinking about making Christmas ornaments out of them. I think a tree would look nice with a few 50c5's and 12av6's!

Generally, I discard defective tubes with the button bases, like 7-9 and compactron bases. As for "dud" tubes with a glued base I make absolutely sure they are duds by testing with the correct filament voltage measured at the pins. I will re-solder multi-pin bases and occasionally an octal base if I am in doubt that it is a dud.

Chas

Re: What to do with bad tubes

Target practice?

First thing to confirm is it it really "bad"...does it work acceptably in the radio and can you tell the differnece between it and one that is new and tests good?
If it works acceptably, use it.
Bad to me means no filament, a short or element open that affects performance or causes hum or it is so weak you can't get enough volume or it is noisey. Excess grid emission affects some apps.
Too many tubes are discarded because a tube tester indicates "bad" but it works OK. How it works in the equipment is the best test.
Hank

Agree, if the filament is good there's hope, even if repurposed as a current drain, or a diode in case of a short between elements. Beauty is, a good one or compatible would still do OK. Tube bases are really cool, like octals which can mate with sockets to make nice cathode current measurements or conversions to whatever tubes you have on hand, as in reversable. I've seen some really strange ones in my time.

Then there are collectors who don't care if they are duds, they just want to have one of everything? If you have specimens of less known, less produced, or ill received/notorius types, fly them up on Ebay and hold a ridiculous reserve. Should tell you something.

I don't think Norm Leal has thrown out a bad tube in his lifetime. Any tube with a
bakelite base will supply a nice base for a plug in coil. Remove and save the old
base, especially for four, five and seven pin tubes!

Pete

Pete

You are right about older tubes during the past several years. Bakelite bases can be used for nice plugs. Check prices for a 4 pin or octal plug.

Never found a use for 7 and 9 pin duds.

I save all the old Septal base tubes (4,5,6,&7 pin large base) for use as connectors or space fillers. I don't remember how many extension cables I have made from the old bases, and some of the large/small pins fit speaker and antenna conn. sockets.
I have even used the pins to make a custom made male 4 pin conn. for an old field coil speaker.

For the most part I toss the rest, but will save odd ones ( 832, etc) for making display tubes or bookends out of.

The mercury vapor ones go to the local Hazo- House for safe disposal.

(Curt & I used to discuss making targets out of them, and at what distance you could hit a 6AL5.)

Septal??? http://www.septal.com

.

Chess Set....
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=182821&hilit=chess

Mike

Actually, I have... for 9 pins and AC sets! Cut the glass off carefully with a Dremel-type cut-off disk (use safety glasses and gloves.) Snip off the electrodes and solder in two 1N4007 diodes (to the right pins) and you have an EZ80/81 solid state plug-in substitute. Saves heater power - good for under-rated PT's (like in my Trio AM/FM tuner.) Of course, not for series heater sets! Ensure equipment can tolerate the instant-on, higher B+.
Cheers,
Roger

I do the same as Roger and save some 7 & 9 pin and loctal bases all of which need to be cut with a Dremel Tool and filed smooth and level. I epoxy the 7 pin base to a stripped and drilled tube base to make 1L6 subs using the 1LA6 and I keep the 9 pin for 50A1 subs. I also keep a selection of 4 pin through octal bases to make any other subs I need. I have made subs for at least a dozen tubes at one time or another. WD-11, 45, 6U5, 1L6, 6X5, etc.. They don't take up that much space and they are there when I need them. You also need to keep various sockets, miniature on up.