[DeckApe]

I am by no means tempted to just replace the power cord and try to turn the radio on. As I look at the back of the radio, I assume from y'alls posts that the chassis is the actual guts of the radio that the tubes plug into? Anyway, as I look at the back, the power cord's rubber is totally a loss. I'm not even sure that I can just simply replace the insulation. But there are other wires. The ones that go to the speaker are covered with cloth and appear to be in decent shape. Then all the way to the left, as you look at the back, there is a plate with "1, 2, 3, 4" and a little further over there is the antenna/ground. The wires that go to 1, 2, 3, and ground, I think, are cloth and appear to me to be OK. 4 and Antenna (really its ANT on the plate, but I made the leap) are badly decayed.

So all that info is to say, OK, I know I am replacing the power cord, and I guess the 4 and ANT wires. But then what? Start with the tubes? Do I blanket-ly replace them all, as if I was changing the batteries in my house's smoke detector, or should I ferret out which ones are good and which ones are bad?

I wouldn't blanket replace them. As Ron pointed out in another thread, most if not all of your tubes are probably good. I am just embarking on my own restoration project of a 40-190 (the 40-180's big sister; identical chassis with one extra tube) and the only bad tube I had was my #84 rectifier. (I also bought a 40-180 chassis for a practice run, spare tuner, etc. and darned if the #84 wasn't bad on that one too!) My set had fallen victim to a "tube stuffer"--someone who just stuck any old tube in to make it look good--so I have two of the incorrect tubes. (And besides... there's only a limited number of the old tubes out there. Why make the supply that much more limted by chucking out good tubes?)

And how do I ID these wax paper capacitors of which I was cautioned? Oh, and you might as well add the resistors to that question.

If you can read schematic diagrams, may I recommend Chuck Schwark's schematic service? A great package deal. It includes a spiff diagram with everything neatly labeled, right out of the Philco service manual.

Oh, and the buttons on the front... what was that stuff? I don't think I have an intact button on the face at all. (reddish material) Is the pushbutton material the same as whatever appears to be snugged around the metal chassis?

They're Tenite plastic, and they did NOT age well. My buttons had turned a rather nasty brown and had almost shriveled up. The replacements are easily found--I bought mine at renovatedradios.com... part #PBPh40W, and you'll want the port wine color. The replacements are beautiful. You'll probably want a full set of 8. They also have reproduction knobs, corner chassis mounts (part #PHS-COR), screws and crew sleeves for securing the completed chassis... There are other places to hunt for parts, too; this is just the first place I found on a quick search.

Happy Phoolin'!
Brandon