[Nathan Slingerland]

OK! Time to fix the trimmer capacitor post with the part from the 90 chassis:

[Image: http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w374...equh95.jpg]

[Image: http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w374...t705vo.jpg]

(yeah... got a little too close with that torch - I scorched the phenolic a bit).  

I then reassembled the tuning capacitor:

[Image: http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w374...mdwdqv.jpg]

[Image: http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w374...hbmxxi.jpg]

I then mounted it back on the chassis and reconnected it:

[Image: http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w374...dpobhh.jpg]

In the above photo the chassis has had some Boeshield applied to it where I stripped off the rust with naval jelly. I waited a bit and removed the excess.

Here it is all back together again:

[Image: http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w374...dvwz6w.jpg]

[Image: http://i1072.photobucket.com/albums/w374...qktuwx.jpg]

I know at least a couple of you will be disappointed (or think I'm crazy) that I didn't end up restuffing the mershon caps. I did investigate it a bit further. The top came off of one of them easy (by hand) but the other was stuck tight. It's just my own weird quirk, but I'd feel bad to cut them or grind the bottom off in order to restuff them. That's just me - I applaud those who take the time to restuff them and are able to not make a mess of them doing so!

Anyway, the one final thing I did was to replace the power cord - it felt just a little too crunchy for peace of mind.

Alignment was super-simple. Just set the RF generator to 1400kHz, hook up to the antenna terminal and tune to it. Then adjust 3rd, 2nd and 1st RF adjustments in that order.

It's now getting good reception on the strong stations and receives a number of moderate strength ones as well. It's may not be the fanciest Philco in my collection but it still sounds good!

I'll post a few final pics once I've got the cabinet glued back together and cleaned up.

[morzh]

Nate,

Great job, no disappointments. Short of stripping the chassis and re-plating it which, to me, is not necessarily a justified effort unless one does a museum restoration (and even then....) - I think you did as good as anyone could.

[Ron Ramirez]

Great job!

I'm not disappointed, nor do I think you're crazy. I tried to open a Mershon once by attempting to remove the top, a few years back, and ended up badly damaging it. I then threw it away. I have not tried again since then.

I believe that Russ (Phlogiston) grinds enough of the copper away at the bottom to be able to remove the bakelte threaded end, restuffs, then replaces the threaded end, bending the remaining copper over just enough that the repair is usually not detectable when the Mershon is in place on the chassis. I have not yet attempted that method, either.

I had never heard of Boeshield T-9 until you mentioned it. Interesting stuff...

[klondike98]

Looking great Nathan!

[TV MAN]

Good Job Nate! I have never restuffed a Mershon either, but have others. But, who, besides you, and maybe some of us    are going to look under that chassis - and we know your secrets  Everyone else will turn the knobs and stand in amazement when that radio comes to life and plays like new!

[Nathan Slingerland]

Thanks all for the kind words of support!

I first learned of Boeshield T-9 (and Evaporust) from one of Brad Andersen's posts: http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread...8#pid52748

[Ron Ramirez]

You mean Bob Andersen.

Thanks for the link - I must have missed that reference.

[Nathan Slingerland]

Ha ha. Yes! Sorry Bob!