If I was to build Lee's 100V DC power supply and use a variac, will need a full wave bridge rectifier. My local Radio Shack has a 25 amp 50V version. Will that suffice for cap forming?
Hi Scott
You should consider using your PL700 for this.
Let old caps fully discharge.
Remove all 4 DC rail fuses
Remove old caps
Install new caps
Connect copper bus bar to both caps observing proper polarity.
Do not connect the plus and minus wiring to the other terminals
Connect one end of a 1000 ohm 2W resistor to each of the open plus and minus cap terminals. This will leave the other end of each resistor unconnected at the moment.
Using a short alligator jumper, connect the B+ lead from the bridge to the open end of the resistor connected to the plus terminal of one cap (usually the upper cap)
Ditto above for the minus terminal resistor.
Bring up to full voltage on your variac.
Using DVM watch the voltage on each resistor drop. Each should drop to around 50mV after several hours, they are formed and not leaky if you get a reading like this.
After forming,
disconnect power and carefully discharge using the same 1K resistors.
Clear?