Posts: 237
Threads: 24
Joined: Dec 2007
City: Gladwin, MI
If you have attempted to align your favorite Philco chassis, you will quickly realize that they weren't kidding in the alignment instructions when they said to use the Philco Fibre Wrench to adjust the trimmers. Anyway, I finally decided to do something about that the other day. I made a homebrew version. I grabbed one the many ball point pens in the jar (you know, the jar of pencils and pens, half of which don't work,
). I removed the ball point cartridge and cut the end off at a point where the body was wide enough to make the wrench. I double-nutted a 6-32 by one inch screw and clamped it in the vise. Using the heat gun, I slowly warmed the plastic on the end of the pen until it was soft enough to fit over the two nuts on the 6-32 screw. Presto! A new Philco Fibre Wrench (well, OK plastic). But it works well nonetheless and the price is right - nothing.
Homebrew Fibre Wrench
[Image:
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...Wrench.jpg]
Ed
Posts: 1,703
Threads: 55
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Evanston, IL
Cool. Along while back, I was lucky to get a Philco original, along with the other orig Philco fiber screwdriver tip align tool and service hex set:
[Image:
http://www.philcorepairbench.com/images/...ools01.jpg]
[Image:
http://www.philcorepairbench.com/images/...ools02.jpg]
[Image:
http://www.philcorepairbench.com/images/tools02.jpg]
Posts: 393
Threads: 40
Joined: Sep 2007
City: St Clair Shores, MI, USA
Good post Ed. I did something similar. I used a hard plastic tube I had. Installed 1/4" nuts, and heated it as you did. Works very well. I have a fiber screw-driver. I fully agree, not having these non-metallic tools is a handicap to performing a proper alignment. On most radios.
-Brian
If you collect or are interested in antique telephones, please visit Classic Rotary Phones
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php
Posts: 237
Threads: 24
Joined: Dec 2007
City: Gladwin, MI
That was a lucky find, Chuck. For the fibre screwdriver, I just use one of these Spectrol tweakers.
[Image:
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...ectrol.jpg]
Ed
Posts: 4,615
Threads: 51
Joined: Sep 2008
City: Sandwick, BC, CA
I have a proper one now but the last time I needed one I wrapped electrical tape around the end of a 1/4'' nut driver. But the old pen idea sounds much better.
Happy Christmas
Happy New Year
Arran
Posts: 59
Threads: 2
Joined: Oct 2008
Years ago I purchased one from AES. It is a fairly decent one. Just a tip, and this is what I do: I use a nutdriver to break the "set" of the adjustment before using the fiber/plastic tool on it.
Posts: 237
Threads: 24
Joined: Dec 2007
City: Gladwin, MI
Arran - I have used a nutdriver with tape wrapped around it too, but I found that it was detuning the circuit. The fibre (plastic) wrench was much better.
Jim - I have done the same thing, if the adjustment nut is tight, I will use the nutdriver first to break the 'set'. Sometimes, I will even use a drop of oil on the screw shaft, if they are really tight.
Ed
Posts: 909
Threads: 117
Joined: Jun 2007
ummm.. is that also known as:, ... "busting a nut"? ... if so, I never needed a special wrench for that at all! Now exact "alignment" is a different matter altogether! My Wife says my alignment-tools are still workin just fine!! Ive aligned her radio several times!! Selectivity & sensitivity were GREAT!! Everything was fine till I mentioned the vintage IF cans were smaller than usual! Pls excuse my sense of humor!, your alignment inventions are GREATindeed
!!
Posts: 1,442
Threads: 88
Joined: May 2008
City: Omak
State, Province, Country: WA
Hello etech ,
Well I think you did fine job making that tool also I know what you mean about the jar of pens at home I have a can in the shop that must have 12 or more pens I guess I'll weed out the bad ones but I have some laying around from closed business when I was kid like the store my mother worked at that I helped her bag items fond memories I guess.
Sincerfely Rich
