Waltham STM-25 face plate removal - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Bruce Lee230 · 3rd Apr 2019, 6:10 pm

Hi

Just joined as I can't find a thread to solve my problem. Been given a Stm-25 in fairly good condition. Have removed the platter (the soldering iron method worked great to loosen it), cleaned and regreased and the mechanism works fine. I have ordered a stylus but both speaker ports work with the radio.
Now the problem, the buttons for the Balance and Tone have gone but al least the sliders can be used. However there is nothing left of the volume switch so to get to it I need to remove the face plate. I removed the three screws underneath and began to lever the plate away from the bottom but the top doesn't want to move and feels as though something is going to break.
Has anyone taken one off and how is held on?
Any help would be most appreciated.

Glen

Nickthedentist · 3rd Apr 2019, 7:38 pm

Hi Glen and welcome.

Some pics to help people understand how it's put together here: https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/waltha...mpaktanla.html

Hope that helps someone help you...

ekjdm14 · 3rd Apr 2019, 8:24 pm

Welcome. Afraid I can't tell from the photos how the front is held on other than the screws below, but I would suggest that it might be easier to remove the chassis from the unit in order to repair/replace the volume control. Removing the turntable & looking in from the top will likely give you a better view as to how things are affixed.

Certainly don't force it any more since my experience of music centres of this era is that they come apart easily the right way and things break any other way. The front may in fact be held to the top by screws only accessible once the chassis/PCB is removed.

Cobaltblue · 3rd Apr 2019, 8:47 pm

Might be worth dropping Paul Stenning an Email he recently scanned some Waltham Service Manuals and this one might have been amongst them.

These were surprisingly good, great value for money.

Cheers

Mike T

Cobaltblue · 4th Apr 2019, 10:30 am

Hi Glen had a chance to look sorry bum steer to STM25 but I do have STM15, 20,40 and 50

The dismantling instructions seem to be different on all of them

Unfortunately I don't know which is the nearest in appearance.

As an example mechanical layout of the STM15 attached.

Cheers

Mike T

Bruce Lee230 · 4th Apr 2019, 5:35 pm

Hi

Thanks for the replies guys. Looks like I'll have to do more dismantling to get to the top of the faceplate. The diagram appears to have no tabs at the top so might be glued to the unit!
I'll get back with the progress (or not!)

Cheers

Bruce Lee230 · 13th Apr 2019, 2:32 pm

Hi

Whilst attempting to remove the faceplate without dismantling the interior I noticed a piece of metal which was preventing the volume slider from sliding and turns out this was the metal tab switch that had broken off and lodged in the gap. Lucky and after ten minutes I eventually got it out.

First pic shows the slider, second has the metal glued in place; doesn't slide as smooth as the others but at least I can control the volume. Third is my Waltham STM-25 with working BSR deck.

So I've only forked out £7.50 on a stylus and £1.75 on DIN 2-pin speaker plugs.
First record played was Summer Holiday by our Cliff. From a big family so didn't holiday much; we swapped the 'all' for 'not'!

Cheers

Glen

Edward Huggins · 13th Apr 2019, 7:15 pm

I notice the OP has not fully screwed down the deck plate screws which can give rise to acoustic feedback.

Bruce Lee230 · 16th Apr 2019, 10:38 pm

I'd screwed out the screws to secure the deck when I had the player on its side so I'll screw them down properly now.
The volume switch needs a little tweaking to get the left hand speaker working which isn't bad considering the damage it had.
I've posted a photo of the STM-25 in a Argos catalogue found on the net from 1978, a bargain at just under £70 which 40 years ago was a years wages!

'LIVEWIRE?' · 17th Apr 2019, 8:45 am

Surely £70 was a week's wages 40 years ago! Still a bargain at that price, though.

3rd Apr 2019, 6:10 pm	#1
Bruce Lee230 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 4	Waltham STM-25 face plate removal Hi Just joined as I can't find a thread to solve my problem. Been given a Stm-25 in fairly good condition. Have removed the platter (the soldering iron method worked great to loosen it), cleaned and regreased and the mechanism works fine. I have ordered a stylus but both speaker ports work with the radio. Now the problem, the buttons for the Balance and Tone have gone but al least the sliders can be used. However there is nothing left of the volume switch so to get to it I need to remove the face plate. I removed the three screws underneath and began to lever the plate away from the bottom but the top doesn't want to move and feels as though something is going to break. Has anyone taken one off and how is held on? Any help would be most appreciated. Glen

3rd Apr 2019, 7:38 pm	#2
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,846	Re: Waltham Stm-25 face plate removal Hi Glen and welcome. Some pics to help people understand how it's put together here: https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/waltha...mpaktanla.html Hope that helps someone help you...

3rd Apr 2019, 8:24 pm	#3
ekjdm14 Banned Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Congleton, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 609	Re: Waltham STM-25 face plate removal Welcome. Afraid I can't tell from the photos how the front is held on other than the screws below, but I would suggest that it might be easier to remove the chassis from the unit in order to repair/replace the volume control. Removing the turntable & looking in from the top will likely give you a better view as to how things are affixed. Certainly don't force it any more since my experience of music centres of this era is that they come apart easily the right way and things break any other way. The front may in fact be held to the top by screws only accessible once the chassis/PCB is removed.

3rd Apr 2019, 8:47 pm	#4
Cobaltblue Moderator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Exeter, Devon and Poole, Dorset UK. Posts: 6,865	Re: Waltham STM-25 face plate removal Might be worth dropping Paul Stenning an Email he recently scanned some Waltham Service Manuals and this one might have been amongst them. These were surprisingly good, great value for money. Cheers Mike T __________________ Invisible airwaves crackle with life or at least they used to Mike T BVWS member. www.cossor.co.uk

4th Apr 2019, 10:30 am	#5
Cobaltblue Moderator Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Exeter, Devon and Poole, Dorset UK. Posts: 6,865	Re: Waltham STM-25 face plate removal Hi Glen had a chance to look sorry bum steer to STM25 but I do have STM15, 20,40 and 50 The dismantling instructions seem to be different on all of them Unfortunately I don't know which is the nearest in appearance. As an example mechanical layout of the STM15 attached. Cheers Mike T Attached Thumbnails __________________ Invisible airwaves crackle with life or at least they used to Mike T BVWS member. www.cossor.co.uk

4th Apr 2019, 5:35 pm	#6
Bruce Lee230 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 4	Re: Waltham STM-25 face plate removal Hi Thanks for the replies guys. Looks like I'll have to do more dismantling to get to the top of the faceplate. The diagram appears to have no tabs at the top so might be glued to the unit! I'll get back with the progress (or not!) Cheers

13th Apr 2019, 2:32 pm	#7
Bruce Lee230 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 4	Re: Waltham STM-25 face plate removal Hi Whilst attempting to remove the faceplate without dismantling the interior I noticed a piece of metal which was preventing the volume slider from sliding and turns out this was the metal tab switch that had broken off and lodged in the gap. Lucky and after ten minutes I eventually got it out. First pic shows the slider, second has the metal glued in place; doesn't slide as smooth as the others but at least I can control the volume. Third is my Waltham STM-25 with working BSR deck. So I've only forked out £7.50 on a stylus and £1.75 on DIN 2-pin speaker plugs. First record played was Summer Holiday by our Cliff. From a big family so didn't holiday much; we swapped the 'all' for 'not'! Cheers Glen Attached Thumbnails

13th Apr 2019, 7:15 pm	#8
Edward Huggins Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 8,327	Re: Waltham STM-25 face plate removal I notice the OP has not fully screwed down the deck plate screws which can give rise to acoustic feedback. __________________ Edward.

16th Apr 2019, 10:38 pm	#9
Bruce Lee230 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 4	Re: Waltham STM-25 face plate removal I'd screwed out the screws to secure the deck when I had the player on its side so I'll screw them down properly now. The volume switch needs a little tweaking to get the left hand speaker working which isn't bad considering the damage it had. I've posted a photo of the STM-25 in a Argos catalogue found on the net from 1978, a bargain at just under £70 which 40 years ago was a years wages! Attached Thumbnails

17th Apr 2019, 8:45 am	#10
'LIVEWIRE?' Rest in Peace Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: N.W. Oxfordshire(Chipping Norton) Posts: 7,306	Re: Waltham STM-25 face plate removal Surely £70 was a week's wages 40 years ago! Still a bargain at that price, though.