[Michael Dennis]

I have a model 36-610 tombstone AM & SW radio which I accquired from a thrift store a couple years ago with a chassis that seems to exhibit a kind of white corrosion. Forgive my ignorance, but, as some of you probably remember, (I've been on the forum just about a year now), I've only gotten back into this hobby in the last year, and I didn't know very much back in the day when I was actively interested in antique radios. Can someone explain what this is due to and what is the best way to clean up this apparent corrosion? Is this symptomatic of a more serious issue? At least it's not so bad as a seriously rusted 37-8 chassis I saw some months ago. I am still in the process of clearing away 37 years of accumulated junk in my parent's basement to make some bench room where I hope to be able to begin setting up a workbench by spring. Thanks. And Ron. I hope your power is back on and nothing sustained any damage.

Mike

[Ron Ramirez]

Hi Mike

Power is finally back on here...all seems OK, thankfully!

Can't say that I have ever seen the type of corrosion you describe on a Philco chassis, though.

[49Stude63]

If it were yellowish I would say it is cadmium oxidation, or I always called it cadmium pollen since in GA in the spring you have layers of yellow pollen all over your car. Cadmium is a heavy metal and was used to coat electronic parts so you don't want to ingest it in any way. You can use a dust mask and some rubber gloves and some people will use naval jelly to clean chassis of crud and corrosion. So if you see this just be careful if there are any doubts, since heavy metals are fairly dangerous and were used extensively for electronic parts for rust prevention.

[Michael Dennis]

It doesn't look yellowish and I've not been in close proximity to the chassis. And yep, we get that yellow-green pollen all over our cars here too! Kinda curious as to what may be in play here. I get the notion that I'd be more poison to some unknown substance than vice versa. Thanks for the insight, 49Stude63. When I got this radio a couple years ago it was playing when I plugged her in when I got 'er home, I just haven't fired her up since then. But thanks, guys, for responding to my post.

Mike

[BDM]

You should post a pic, but I've seen what I think you're describing. It usually occurs with a set that's seen plenty of moisture. Usually a nice dirty damp basement full of spiders.....Not sure why I thought of that???

[Michael Dennis]

Yes, I need to get my camera back. It's been on loan. Soon as I do I'll post a pic. The corrosion isn't that bad and in fact I'm pretty lucky. My other radios have, at worst some dust, cobwebs and perchance some spider corpses and cadavers, but then I don't have a really big collection yet, only about 10 or 11, some I've had since the 70's.

[Texasrocker]

Hello Mike! Just about every vintage radio chassis has some corrosion/dirt/debris issues! Some worse than others, but generally speaking, most of the slime is due to humidity to the metal-chassis from the air moisture over the years. Back when I first started restoring vintage radios, I thought this issue was very significant to make sure to remove all the debris & make the chassis look brand new.Not true unless your a "purist", and like shiney chassis to look at when rear panel of radios are removed! In fact, now, about all I do is remove all the tubes, & blow compressed air from my shop air-compressor to blow-off all the dust, debris, & especially in the tuning-condensers plates ( full open). I then wipe-off the chassis with the excess-beer I have spilled on my workbench via a dirty papertowel! Works great too! As long as the orig tube-sockets, & pin connections are all good & clean, the variable-tuning cap, clean, relubed,and rotates freely, ( if not add some WD-40), your in business to start electronic restoration! After restoring several-hundred vintage radios over the yrs, from early TRFs- Superhets, etc, as long as the chassis still holds the tube-sockets, trans, etc, they are worthy of electronic restoration if their "main" orig parts are still present. Its absolutely amazing how a last-nights leftovers beercan with some "backwash" works to clean these type radio chassis! Once you fire-em-up after electronic-restoration, it only takes a few minutes for the beer smell to go away too!I learned this special chassis-cleaning idea from a old WW2 USAF trained tube radio tech!Seems the beer leaves a chassis fully cleaned & non-corrosive after application too! Ever seen the inside of any beercan with rust inside it? It works!!

[Michael Dennis]

Hello Randal,

Hope you're doing well. I'm not usually that much of a purist regarding a pristine chassis. Clean as I can get it without a big inve$tment, fine. Maybe I'll be a little more picky as I get into this hobby more deeply. But after all unless there's a maintenance issue I don't normally look at the chassis anyway. Didn't know about the beer/backwash treatment. I don't normally have any excess beer that's not internally consumed.

[Texasrocker]

( hee hee)!! Im not a purist either! I dont much care what the chassis' look like, and my many customers dont either. All they want is that the Radios work great again! And I most certainly dont rebuld bakelite condenser blocks, its pointless to me. And once you use your beer-backwash to clean the chassis best as possible, you can cut both ends out of the aluminum cans, take scissors, cut down one side of the can, and make your own "tube shields" to fit any Radio, nomatter brand, race, color or creed! BEER, is one of my most used vintage radio restoration items!! As you repair many sets in the future, you will also learn that it is a necessity for "any" workbench!!

[Michael Dennis]

Beer as sort of an all-purpose adjunct to any self-respecting restoration artist? I can definitely hang with that concept! And being a non-ferrous metal, beercan tubeshields are a natural. Hmmm. Natural Ice? I've heard Coke can clean battery terminals but I'm not much of a Coke drinker. It's gratifying to learn that beer has yet another practical use! Gosh, ya can drink it, make batter with it and clean a chassis with it! All good noble purposes indeed. I must say I definitely approve of all its uses!

[Texasrocker]

You bet Mike! I highly doubt you will find any radio-techs here that oppose to use of "beer" in their vintage electronics restorations? Just remember beer doesnt work well for vol-tone cleaning internally etc,other trim-cap controls,bandswitches,etc connections. You can use WD-40 for those, or use the high-dollar electronics cleaners I have tried before avail online & your local pro electronics stores! Deoxit works, but is overrated at $15 per can, BlueShower is GREAT for cleaning metal radio parts too! Its cheaper, about $12 per can! Then for another great "pro" chassis cleaner in a can is called "Big Bath" for about $7.50 per can! It works as well as the other 2 high-dollar electronics cleaners!! Ive tried em all! I still say a simple can of WD-40 equals all the above, and dedication of using a air-compressor with abit of spilled-beer on a paper towel, is all that required, for a good chassis cleanup! Some folks even tape-off the tube sockets, and spray paint the chassis as well! I used to!! Does it make the radio sound any better? No! Can you see the chassis when its back in the cabinet? That depends on your point of view!! Necessary at all for chassis to work properly? NO!!Do you need to re-stuff caps? NO!... but then again, thats up to everyones preference!! My preference is "beer" & getting the radios working properly again for my customers. If they want to clean & repaint their chassis, they can do it! I just get em working again with full-recap & other needed "real" issues. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, & I dont find any radio-chassis that attractive at all. ( hee hee). ...except for some of the all-chrome vintage McIntosh chassis sets! Even then, "beer" works on those chassis clean-ups extremely well!!

[Michael Dennis]

Thanks, Randal, for the advice on vol-tone control cleaners. I guess to many, cleaning a chassis super clean is a bit akin to building a plastic model and then detailing accurately a lot of interior stuff, much of which will never be seen anyway once the model is fully assembled, such as cockpit instrument gauge indicator needles and scales, or 1/72 scale biplane strut brace wiring turnbuckles. From what I've heard, restuffing caps isn't for the faint-hearted. I think I actually have seen what they look like before they're taken apart, I'm sure my '41 and '42 model-year Philcos have them. I've actually read some threads where there are posts by some fellas who said the "tuner cleaners" actually did more temporary harm than otherwise. Dunno, but nice to hear a good cheap alternative like WD 40 works as well. I'm sure I'll learn all this stuff after I've begun my first restoration attempt. I'm in the process of clearing many years of junk out of my parents basement so I can set up a workbench or two. Lately it's been so dang cold in that basement it hasn't exactly been conducive to a lengthy stay, but hey, it'll keep any favorite brew at a nice frosty temp.! Outside temp. is an indicated 9.9 degrees now and it's been like that for much of the winter here so far. I sure hope spring is around the corner, and a short corner at that.

[Arran]

You bet Mike! I highly doubt you will find any radio-techs here that oppose to use of "beer" in their vintage electronics restorations? Just remember beer doesnt work well for vol-tone cleaning internally etc,other trim-cap controls,bandswitches,etc connections. You can use WD-40 for those, or use the high-dollar electronics cleaners I have tried before avail online & your local pro electronics stores! Deoxit works, but is overrated at $15 per can, BlueShower is GREAT for cleaning metal radio parts too! Its cheaper, about $12 per can! Then for another great "pro" chassis cleaner in a can is called "Big Bath" for about $7.50 per can! It works as well as the other 2 high-dollar electronics cleaners!! Ive tried em all! I still say a simple can of WD-40 equals all the above, and dedication of using a air-compressor with abit of spilled-beer on a paper towel, is all that required, for a good chassis cleanup! Some folks even tape-off the tube sockets, and spray paint the chassis as well! I used to!! Does it make the radio sound any better? No! Can you see the chassis when its back in the cabinet? That depends on your point of view!! Necessary at all for chassis to work properly? NO!!Do you need to re-stuff caps? NO!... but then again, thats up to everyones preference!! My preference is "beer" & getting the radios working properly again for my customers. If they want to clean & repaint their chassis, they can do it! I just get em working again with full-recap & other needed "real" issues. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, & I dont find any radio-chassis that attractive at all. ( hee hee). ...except for some of the all-chrome vintage McIntosh chassis sets! Even then, "beer" works on those chassis clean-ups extremely well!!

I learned that you can by the same contact cleaners in spray can form from NAPA and other auto parts stores for far cheaper then Radio Shack and other electronics beautiques, usually around the same price as a can of WD. I won't use WD40 for volume controls, WD40 has oils in it and has caused me troubles with intemittent operation. It's fine for disolving grease or other crud, but then I have found that I have to follow the WD with some alcohol to remove the oil residue.
With regard to cleaning the chassis I have found that a solution of trisodium phosphate and water, about two tablespoons to a gallon of hot water, works really good for claening the filth from a chassis. You remove the tubes, dial and speaker, and apply the solution to the chassis, sometimes I pour it over, work it around with a brush down the sides etc, let it sit for a few minutes, scrub some more with a brush, and then rinse a few times with hot water, let it dry for a few days in a warm area. I have heard of some people using brake cleaner for this, and having good results, but have never tried it.
As for the bakelite block condensers, in the last few Philcos that I overhauled I found that they were also used as tie points for other parts, some almost as terminal strips, so I had no other choice but to rebuild them. I take them out one at a time, desolder the leads on top, heat up the tar on the bottom with a heat gun, and pry the condenser out with a screwdriver. I then took the time to wipe off the drips, still using the heat gun, with a paper towel or rag, varsol works good for wiping off the residue as does laquer thinner. You can then easily slip a new condenser inside, and instal it the same way as the original minus the tar potting. Once you get into rhythm of rebuilding them it's pretty easy and quick.
Best Regards
Arran

[Michael Dennis]

Thanks, Arran

I really appreciate all the advice I'm getting. I'll certainly save all this assembled knowledge and experience. I'll have enough bench space cleared out pretty soon so I can make a start.

I don't think any of my oldies have been repaired or restored in the past. I'm sure the 41-255 and 42-1008 are all original. Probably the 36-610 and 38-93 also. It's probably geting harder to find old radios that haven't had some repair in the past, but in the late 60's, early 70's it wasn'y unusual at all to find 40's vintage sets that never had anything done except have some tubes replaced perhaps. Again, thanks, guys.

Mike

[Texasrocker]

Ive been restoring vol & tone controls for many,many yrs with WD-40.Never ever had any probs from using it.Personally I have found after dis-assembly of controls,( when required), that if any pot has internal intermittent probs after using WD 40, those probs were existing prior to using it. It didnt matter. Ive flushed out the WD-40 after use and still, a bad pot is bad. The prob will be most likely found on orig fractured carbon-trace, or wiper, or both worn-out from age & use. In some cases, these can be repaired internally with rear-window defogger paint sometimes, or carefully taking 2 pots and assembling 1 good with a dremmel tool. Badly rusted controls can sometimes be saved by "injecting" WD 40 with a small-tip medical syringe, where spray can tubes wont fit, even the WD-40 can spray tube itself. Other times, full replacement of controls are needed. Heres the scoop on WD-40 from the website as noted by inventor (chemist) back in 1953 according to his orig lab book.
http://www.wd40.com/faqs/#q1