A little surgery... - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Nanozeugma · 24th Oct 2018, 3:01 pm

Take one heat gun, a large screwdriver and some Anglo-Saxon language...
Ever wondered what comes out when you take a deceased 1938 Hunts dry electrolytic condenser box apart (there are (were) three electrolytics in there).....?
Thought not.
Well, just for you anyway...

Now we can put some nice new caps in the recycled box

24th Oct 2018, 3:08 pm

Yes, I think that needs new insides, looks like someone has taken a heat gun to it.

New caps could be film type rather than electrolytics, last for ever and car body filler can be used to make it cuboid again.

G6Tanuki · 24th Oct 2018, 3:18 pm

What came out looks more like one of my dog's bowel-movements than anything even vaguely capacitive.

I'm sure you can arrange some nice modern 105C low-ESR electrolytics (think Panasonic or Rubycon) on a bit of perfboard and shove it discreetly back inside the cardboard so nobody will notice.

Nanozeugma · 24th Oct 2018, 6:04 pm

Mission accomplished.

CambridgeWorks · 24th Oct 2018, 6:22 pm

I hope you signed and dated it inside for future generations to discover your "time capsule" from 2018!
Nice job.
Rob

Nanozeugma · 25th Oct 2018, 1:43 pm

Hi Rob,
I confess I didn't think of autographing it.
As for "nice job"... you're too kind

I was determined I would take my time over de-constructing the box as I'd watched
someone on the tube of U do it and make an awful mess due, I suspect, to being in
too much of a hurry.

crackle · 25th Oct 2018, 3:04 pm

Nice job, what did you use to seal it with.
Put a date on the outside at least, to save the next owner automatically cropping it out.

MIke

Nanozeugma · 25th Oct 2018, 11:07 pm

Hi Mike, thanks for your kind comment.
To "seal" the cardboard case shut again, I merely re-used some of the recovered wax,
that was all that was holding it together in it's original form.
I was anxious to get the case open non destructively and played a heat gun (bought for paint stripping years ago) gently on one end 'till the wax melted and gently teased one end flap open, then did the same with the other end. Once inside, some more heat and a screwdriver between the contents and the case in several places and the contents slid out. Once I'd wiped out the remainder of the wax, I could see how the box was constructed. There's a strip of some more rigid material stapled to the base of the box to give it rigidity - and this is used to mount it to the chassis.
I doubt anyone would ever be fooled that it was original, the new pvc covered cabling rather gives the game away.

Mike. Watterson · 26th Oct 2018, 9:03 am

Some PVC cabling from 1940s can look like new. The discovery of it was Victorian, but a version suitable for wiring didn't exist till late 1920s. It was rarely used for wiring because cotton, paper and rubber were cheaper.

Nanozeugma · 26th Oct 2018, 12:05 pm

Some of the comments have been thought provoking enough to induce me to do a bit of research into PVC. The date(s) where it found commercial level application as a covering for wiring in domestic receivers is a bit vague.
What I can say with conviction (as I have both in my collection) is that the Murphy A146CM of 1950 used rubber insulated cabling, whereas the Murphy A188C of 1951 used PVC.

N.B. I shall defer to popular opinion and put a small label on the refurbished electrolytic container

Mike. Watterson · 28th Oct 2018, 4:02 pm

I had one late 1940s Vidor obviously unrestored with a mix of rubber and PVC. I'd spot resoldered connections.
It was introduced in WWII for wiring though inherently far more expensive because it could be made in UK and rubber had to be imported.

24th Oct 2018, 3:01 pm	#1
Nanozeugma Heptode Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: London, UK. Bury, Lancashire quite regularly :) Posts: 611	A little surgery... Take one heat gun, a large screwdriver and some Anglo-Saxon language... Ever wondered what comes out when you take a deceased 1938 Hunts dry electrolytic condenser box apart (there are (were) three electrolytics in there).....? Thought not. Well, just for you anyway... Now we can put some nice new caps in the recycled box Attached Thumbnails __________________ Thermionic Emission, warms the cockles of your tubes.

24th Oct 2018, 3:08 pm	#2
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Re: A little surgery... Yes, I think that needs new insides, looks like someone has taken a heat gun to it. New caps could be film type rather than electrolytics, last for ever and car body filler can be used to make it cuboid again.

24th Oct 2018, 3:18 pm	#3
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,998	Re: A little surgery... What came out looks more like one of my dog's bowel-movements than anything even vaguely capacitive. I'm sure you can arrange some nice modern 105C low-ESR electrolytics (think Panasonic or Rubycon) on a bit of perfboard and shove it discreetly back inside the cardboard so nobody will notice.

24th Oct 2018, 6:04 pm	#4
Nanozeugma Heptode Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: London, UK. Bury, Lancashire quite regularly :) Posts: 611	Re: A little surgery... Mission accomplished. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Thermionic Emission, warms the cockles of your tubes.

24th Oct 2018, 6:22 pm	#5
CambridgeWorks Nonode Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Spalding, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 2,858	Re: A little surgery... I hope you signed and dated it inside for future generations to discover your "time capsule" from 2018! Nice job. Rob __________________ Apprehension creeping like a tube train up your spine - Cymbaline. Film More soundtrack - Pink Floyd

25th Oct 2018, 1:43 pm	#6
Nanozeugma Heptode Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: London, UK. Bury, Lancashire quite regularly :) Posts: 611	Re: A little surgery... Hi Rob, I confess I didn't think of autographing it. As for "nice job"... you're too kind I was determined I would take my time over de-constructing the box as I'd watched someone on the tube of U do it and make an awful mess due, I suspect, to being in too much of a hurry. __________________ Thermionic Emission, warms the cockles of your tubes.

25th Oct 2018, 3:04 pm	#7
crackle Rest in Peace Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Basildon, Essex, UK. Posts: 4,100	Re: A little surgery... Nice job, what did you use to seal it with. Put a date on the outside at least, to save the next owner automatically cropping it out. MIke

25th Oct 2018, 11:07 pm	#8
Nanozeugma Heptode Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: London, UK. Bury, Lancashire quite regularly :) Posts: 611	Re: A little surgery... Hi Mike, thanks for your kind comment. To "seal" the cardboard case shut again, I merely re-used some of the recovered wax, that was all that was holding it together in it's original form. I was anxious to get the case open non destructively and played a heat gun (bought for paint stripping years ago) gently on one end 'till the wax melted and gently teased one end flap open, then did the same with the other end. Once inside, some more heat and a screwdriver between the contents and the case in several places and the contents slid out. Once I'd wiped out the remainder of the wax, I could see how the box was constructed. There's a strip of some more rigid material stapled to the base of the box to give it rigidity - and this is used to mount it to the chassis. I doubt anyone would ever be fooled that it was original, the new pvc covered cabling rather gives the game away. __________________ Thermionic Emission, warms the cockles of your tubes.

26th Oct 2018, 9:03 am	#9
Mike. Watterson Heptode Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Limerick, Ireland. Posts: 901	Re: A little surgery... Some PVC cabling from 1940s can look like new. The discovery of it was Victorian, but a version suitable for wiring didn't exist till late 1920s. It was rarely used for wiring because cotton, paper and rubber were cheaper.

26th Oct 2018, 12:05 pm	#10
Nanozeugma Heptode Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: London, UK. Bury, Lancashire quite regularly :) Posts: 611	Re: A little surgery... Some of the comments have been thought provoking enough to induce me to do a bit of research into PVC. The date(s) where it found commercial level application as a covering for wiring in domestic receivers is a bit vague. What I can say with conviction (as I have both in my collection) is that the Murphy A146CM of 1950 used rubber insulated cabling, whereas the Murphy A188C of 1951 used PVC. N.B. I shall defer to popular opinion and put a small label on the refurbished electrolytic container __________________ Thermionic Emission, warms the cockles of your tubes.

28th Oct 2018, 4:02 pm	#11
Mike. Watterson Heptode Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Limerick, Ireland. Posts: 901	Re: A little surgery... I had one late 1940s Vidor obviously unrestored with a mix of rubber and PVC. I'd spot resoldered connections. It was introduced in WWII for wiring though inherently far more expensive because it could be made in UK and rubber had to be imported.