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Old 1st Dec 2022, 12:13 pm   #1
petervk2mlg
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Default Flood affected radio chassis

I acquired a 1934 console radio today that had been in a flood. I think the radio had been completely submerged and it has been covered by a layer of mud. The owner has perhaps cleaned it up somewhat.
I’m wondering what might be the best approach to take cleaning the chassis. Even the underside has a layer of mud on it.
Could I hose it all off and leave it to dry in the sun?
I attach a couple of photos.
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Old 1st Dec 2022, 12:16 pm   #2
paulsherwin
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

I guess I'd give it a light pressure wash, let it dry naturally and take things from there. The coils and transformers are likely to be in a bit of a state though.
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Old 1st Dec 2022, 12:31 pm   #3
Al (astral highway)
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Quote:
Originally Posted by petervk2mlg View Post
Could I hose it all off and leave it to dry in the sun?
Agree with what Paul says.

To expand from that direction, you will also need to give special attention to the volume pot and tuning capacitor among other components. Otherwise residual silt/ particulate matter (eg in the vanes, or under mechanical pressure under a wiper) will cause significant problems or dysfunction. But I'd advice against any pre-emptive dismantling until you've got the worst off the residues off.

Main thing with the drying is don't try to force it; there'll be a sweet spot of low humidity and optimal temperature but depending on how long it was submerged and other factors, drying out of the cabinet interior, for example, will be relatively slow to avoid damage.

You'll expose rust on some areas in due course, but one thing at a time. If you have the patience, you could have a wonderful outcome and story to go with it.

Someone has obviously done what looks like a reasonably conservative restoration (personal view, obviously) RF caps left intact, some coupling caps replaced, electrolytics replaced, wiring tidied up. So probably was in working order after all that.

Let us know how you get on!
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Old 1st Dec 2022, 12:36 pm   #4
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

You will probably have to do a great deal of dismantling to clean and repair everything. It's going to be an awful lot of work - effectively, a complete rebuild. That's before you even start on the cabinet
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Old 1st Dec 2022, 12:48 pm   #5
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Would all that mud brush off?
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Old 1st Dec 2022, 12:55 pm   #6
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

The speaker cone is liable to be the most damaged. There looks to be another baffle cut out under the one in-situ. Were there originally twin speakers in this?
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Old 1st Dec 2022, 1:38 pm   #7
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Quote:
Originally Posted by HamishBoxer View Post
Would all that mud brush off?
I thought that too. Let it dry out then clean off the worst of the deposits with an old toothbrush. That way the amount of mud washed into the tuning cap etc. will be minimised when the set is later washed with water.
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Old 1st Dec 2022, 6:07 pm   #8
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

It looked to be a state before the flood ,looks like a t/v dropper under the chassis . best of luck with it . Mick.
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Old 2nd Dec 2022, 12:34 am   #9
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Many thanks for all the responses. I think I'll try brushing all the silt/mud away from under the chassis first. If that's not a success, I'll remove the power transformer and the coils and give it a gentle hopsing with a fine spray. The radio had actually been serviced not too long ago according to the owners. That "TV dropper" is actually normal for an Australian radio of that vintage. It's the B+ voltage divider resistor. Typicaly 15-20K with tappings for the various voltage stages in the set. I think once cleaned up the radio will work. The field coil in the speaker is ok as is the speaker transformer. The cone wasn't badly affected either.
Actually, the owners were lucky to have escaped with their lives as the creek that they live next to rose very rapidly in the night. The whole house was inundated and the guy told me that the force of the water would have swept them away.
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Old 2nd Dec 2022, 12:49 am   #10
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

I'd be inclined to go;
  1. a very light and gently spraying with water (using some like a small hand sprayer as used on plants) with some kind of wetting agent mixed in (perhaps 5-10% IPA); avoid anything like washing up liquid, but a few drops of car shampoo might be possible).
  2. Leave for a few minutes and then go back and see if it has loosened the dirt, so you can get bit more flushing action.

When it's just about dry, it would be good to spray some anti-rusting agent on it. Perhaps the finest sprinkling of WD40?

B
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Old 2nd Dec 2022, 1:04 am   #11
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Good thinking Bazz...
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Old 20th Dec 2022, 9:01 am   #12
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

I managed to resurrect the radio. I removed the power transformer, coils and gang from the chassis and gave everything a good clean. On reassembly I was disappointed to hear the power transformer bubbling and smell it overheating after about 5 minutes of use. It had developed a short in one side of the HT secondary. Luckily I was able to find a replacement power transformer in my stock. The important thing was 2.5 volt windings for the valve heaters and a HT secondary of 385 a side.
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Old 20th Dec 2022, 9:10 am   #13
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Here are some pics of the chassis after cleaning
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Old 20th Dec 2022, 1:46 pm   #14
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

That looks as if it worked out pretty well. How did you finally choose to do it?

B
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Old 20th Dec 2022, 8:46 pm   #15
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

I removed all coils and transformer along with coil cans etc and washed the chassis with a garden hose. The silt and mud were very tenacious though and I used a toothbrush and cotton buds to clean any remaining mud off the chassis. WD40 and isopropyl alcohol also helped. The power transformer must have had too much mud and crap inside its windings however. I didn't use any water on it at all and despite being sat in the sun to dry out any residual flood moisture, it succumbed to its injuries.
I soaked the screws, nuts and bolts in white vinegar for 24 hours to remove any rust and then dried them immediately after rinsing with water. I then gave them a light coat of WD40.
Somehow the 59 output valve was DOA. This isn't a particularly easy valve to find now, but I did have a fair one in stock. It's a bit weak with a plate current of 22ma rather than 35ma specified in my data book. However, it gives good volume.
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Old 20th Dec 2022, 10:41 pm   #16
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Well done - that radio was in a terrible state.
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Old 24th Dec 2022, 10:02 pm   #17
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

This is pretty much how my flooded Bush VHF61 chassis looked like before I started working on it and I wasn't going to spend days cleaning it with a toothbrush(waaay more components and compartments than yours). I ended up washing it in a dishwasher(then dried it for a few hours in the oven at about 50/60C) and its still working great, came out better than from factory, only problem with this was that all hunts caps markings(and a lot of resistors) washed up too, not a big issue though.
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Old 24th Dec 2022, 10:46 pm   #18
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Hi
The only solvent for water damage (dirty or whatever) is more water. Use a pressure washer and a little Traffic Film Remover (TFR) Well diluted. Thoroughly rinse with water at 60c and leave to dry in a warm air stream from a 1kw fan heater. The drying process will take time but 6 hours in front of the heater is plenty long enough.
Relubricate tuning cap and inject a little clear Waxoyl into pots give switches a squirt of contact cleaner that is also a lubricant.
I've done countless Radios and TVs this way and never had a problem, remember use hot water in the final rinse, it's important.
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Old 25th Dec 2022, 4:09 pm   #19
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Well done Peter, it just goes to show that patience and determination are the key factor to restoration of sets like this. Keep up the good work, it will be another set saved from the scrap heap.

Ken
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Old 26th Dec 2022, 2:58 pm   #20
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Default Re: Flood affected radio chassis

Just gonna chime in here I've never had any problem with soaking a chassis in fact on certain cases usually DAC90A's I've done it on purpose to shift a couple of inches of nicotine the best thing for that is aerosol foam carpet cleaner leave it and hose it off. On the subject of then drying them out I use a dehumidifier in the conservatory something with a mains dropper is generally an overnighter something with a transformer I give it two days I don't think I'd rely on sunlight and warmth the dehumidifier method and it must be a small room it's in that drags moisture out like no one's business.
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