[streetmechanic]

I'm not sure where this fits in the Phorum- it's sort of a "restoration philosophy" question. The 42-1003 is a simple series-string radio with the addition of a Beam-Of Light record player, an addition that's a little weird by modern standards, but in a fun way. Here's the question: the under-chassis wiring job (untouched since 1942) is surprisingly poor. Sloppy solder joints and rubber-covered wire snugged tight against terminals it should be insulated from (meaning only the tiniest fraction-of-an-inch of crumbly rubber now separates B+ from where it shouldn't be).  Wires to tube socket terminals are securely (and I mean SECURELY) threaded through and wound around- apparently nobody was supposed to replace any parts- ever.  So... do I  do a hogged-up repair job (for example tacking new parts to stubs of existing wires) and put up with my own poor workmanship OR do I (for example) drill out rivets, throw away the original tube sockets, and "do it right"?
  With a little perspective I see this is an interesting insight into what was probably a stressful time at Tioga and C Streets as we were sliding into WWII and experienced help was getting scarce, but I also want this set to end up as something to be proud of, or at least content with. What do you guys do?
-Dave

[morzh]

I am not sure I understood all of it, but these period radios used rubber wiring, and most or all of it usually gets discarded and replaced.
If you feel de-soldering a wire or a part threatens a terminal or socket integrity, you simply cut it and wrap around it when adding new parts/wires.
A need to change sockets does arise from time to time, but I maybe had to do it once.

[Chas]

De-soldering is as much of a process as is soldering. There are numerous tools, aids, that help. Flush cutting nippers are useful in biting off the the leads in terminals rather than attempting to bend the wire and possibly breaking a terminal. A plunger operated vacuum extractor helps a lot as well as de-soldering braid and forked hand tools. Adding new solder is very helpful before extraction as lowers the melt point of the joint. Following up with a scrub of isopropyl alcohol to remove excess rosin.

Much of the available replacement wire is PVC covered. Some brands have a tendency to shrink away from the terminal when soldered or worse, if a severe right angle bend is made in the wire, the conducted heat often causes the PVC to split and splay open. Many restorers are using textile braid covered PVC replica wire, the braid keeps the PVC intact during soldering.

GL

Chas

[Arran]

This sounds like an odd duck for a Philco, most of the tube socket terminals in 1940s era Philcos have no holes to thread wires through, just sort of a spade end to wrap the wires around, something I never cared for I might add. In any event I use a solder sucker, an assortment of flat bladed jewelers screwdrivers, and small diagonal cutters to remove wires or leads, I usually cut the lead on an old cap just to make the rest of it easier to remove. One sign of a quick and dirty electrical restoration is where someone either just tack soldered new components in, or "J" hooked them in, leaving the 70-80 year old solder joints alone. Not everyone agrees with me on this but even if you have to "J" hook something the old lead should be sanded, to remove dirt or oxidation, and the old terminals touched up with fresh solder. One exception I would make to this is is with a late 1940s Canadian Electrohome made set, the sockets in those are garbage, any manipulation of the tube socket terminals will cause them to snap off. 
Regards
Arran

[MrFixr55]

+1 on Arran's comments. Some people deal with rotten rubber wire by unsoldering one end and sliding heat shrink tubing or "Spaghetti" on the bare conductor. This will halve the amount of connections that you need to take apart.

In dealing with caps, J Hooking is usually accepted, especially if "stuffing" paper caps, as the joint might be able to be made under the paper shell of the stuffed cap. This is especially true of mid 30s RCA radios as the paper tubes are much longer than the cap that is internal (a rare easy job).

Another consideration is if the socket can withstand the required "surgery" of cutting into and desoldering wiring.

The bottom line is to do this the way that you want to. Unless this was an expensive and highly collectable model, the underside of the radio is not going to be inspected by a museum curator. any method of connections and proper insulation is acceptable. However, if the museum curator is you and you want this to be an accurate total restoration, go for it!

As to why the tight wrapping and crimping of wire connections onto sockets, etc., back in the 1930s, and later (as noted in Heathkit manuals) it was always stressed that a strong mechanical connection was necessary; that the solder was not to be the mechanical connection, just the "mortar" for the joint. That concept went away with PC Boards and those who serviced TVs that were built on PC Boards have dealt with more cold solder joints on PC Boards as opposed to the traditional construction (mid 60s - mid 70s Zeniths notwithstanding).

[morzh]

>>back in the 1930s, and later (as noted in Heathkit manuals) it was always stressed that a strong mechanical connection was necessary; that the solder was not to be the mechanical connection, just the "mortar" for the join

All the way into 50s and even 60s, Soviet radios were made using the free-hanging parts, same as the US, with one major difference: the connections were not soldered but welded.
I did not know this, until one day, as a kid, I was trying to desolder something, and all my iron did was removing the patina and showing shiny brass-looking surface.
Only later did I found what it was.
It sure was strong mechanical connection. Without any solder.

[jtiner]

I've always avoided j-hook connections and leaving old leads in place unless it's a really unreachable or very delicate area/component. Having said that, it's a neatness/order thing for me and I know some people prefer to use j-hooks. If you do any amount of electronics work on a recurring basis, one thing I recommend is making the investment in a good de-soldering tool like the Hakko vacuum gun if you don't already have one. I used a spring loaded tool and braid exclusively for 30 years and finally dropped the $300 or so for the Hakko and realize I should have purchased one years ago. Good luck with your 42-1003, and keep us posted.

[Ron Ramirez]

Jtiner - Which Hakko tool did you purchase?

[jtiner]

Ron - I purchased the Hakko FR-301 gun. It was something like $320 I think, and was much less expensive than a full de-soldering station setup. I realize it doesn't replace a nice station, but it's portable and doesn't take up bench space and does what I need it to do. At some point I may purchase a larger tip for bigger solder blobs, but the supplied medium tip works for most situations. You do have to empty the solder chamber and clean the target often, but that's expected. And the filter needs to be replaced occasionally, but several replacements are supplied with the gun.

[Ron Ramirez]

Thanks.

[streetmechanic]

I guess I'm a Philco snob- I've worked only on things like the 112, 116, even a 690, and though these things were a lot of work I could be happy with the restorations I did. This 42-1003 (which, incidentally, now plays well- who'd a thunk?) defies craftsman-like repair. J-hooks and tack-solder joints are now everywhere, but what can you do when, for example, one lug on a terminal strip is home to eight (yes...EIGHT) wires! Add another terminal strip? Sounds good, except we're talking about a small and very crowded chassis. Maybe I'll just have to be happy with the fact that the set now works, the worst rubber-covered wires are replaced, and the workmanship is slightly better than when it left the Philco factory.
   For me, the most rewarding part of playing with old electrical and mechanical gadgets is the time-travel aspect- answering the question "What was it like to be there?" This experience is a reminder that for most people before World War II, 690's and 116's were not what "Radio" meant.
-Dave

[radiorich]

Dave,
Far as J-hooks we have all been there and lots of these radios were not designed well far as being able to replace the parts .
Far as rubber wire I all my diffrent brands from that same period need theior wire replaced and it can be a pain .

Sincerely Richard