In case you plan to buy a Variac to reform caps on old valve equipment, an alternate can be had for almost nothing....
A series lamp with the mains input.
Depending on the product and the anticipated load, ( eg Pre & Power amps will draw Hugely different Mains current.. ) start with a Low wattage bulb (incandescent lamp).
Could be a 25 Watt bulb / lamp for a power amp. On switch on, the lamp will take most of the voltage across it. In case of a short circuit ibn the amp, the Lamp will limit the current in the circuit automatically.
Leave the 25 Watt lamp in place for as long as you want to form the caps at a low voltage and then move to a 50 Watt lamp, and later a 100 Watt ( or even multiple 100 Watters in parallel).
As the capacitors form, the lamp will glow Less bright ( could take overnight or longer. ) This is a good visual indicator too.
I live in a country with 240 VAC Mains.
I have also found the series lamp excellent as a Short Circuit Protection... current fold-back, while experimenting.
NOTE: This will work only with an Incandescent lamp and not with CFLs. I am told that incandescents are banned in Australia...
A series lamp with the mains input.
Depending on the product and the anticipated load, ( eg Pre & Power amps will draw Hugely different Mains current.. ) start with a Low wattage bulb (incandescent lamp).
Could be a 25 Watt bulb / lamp for a power amp. On switch on, the lamp will take most of the voltage across it. In case of a short circuit ibn the amp, the Lamp will limit the current in the circuit automatically.
Leave the 25 Watt lamp in place for as long as you want to form the caps at a low voltage and then move to a 50 Watt lamp, and later a 100 Watt ( or even multiple 100 Watters in parallel).
As the capacitors form, the lamp will glow Less bright ( could take overnight or longer. ) This is a good visual indicator too.
I live in a country with 240 VAC Mains.
I have also found the series lamp excellent as a Short Circuit Protection... current fold-back, while experimenting.
NOTE: This will work only with an Incandescent lamp and not with CFLs. I am told that incandescents are banned in Australia...