05-25-2018, 11:04 PM
I began by making new speaker cables. Here's one of the new tweeter cables, next to one of the old ones for comparison.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_011.jpg]
I also made a new woofer cable, using a 1939-40 or so Philco speaker connector to which I added a fifth terminal (it only had four while the 38-690 has five terminals; the plug is made in such a way that a fifth terminal may be easily added, however).
Then, I turned my attention to one of the power transformers. If you noticed in a couple of the images above, the retainer ring had come off and the socket was basically just dangling in air.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_012.jpg]
Those old rectifier wires were badly dried out from age and heat...as I knew they would be.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_013.jpg]
So...I proceeded to shrink wrap the four wires, running double thicknesses of tubing up inside the paper wrapping as far as I could.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_014.jpg]
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_015.jpg]
Since I had the upper bell off anyway in order to work on the wires, I sanded down and repainted the bell, and the tube socket retaining ring, with Rustoleum Flat Black paint.
Next, the bell was reattached to the transformer (once the paint dried, of course).
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_016.jpg]
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_017.jpg]
Unfortunately, something was wrong with the socket itself.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_018.jpg]
As you can see above, it was broken! This was just a carbon track waiting to happen (definitely not a good thing). Fortunately, a trip to the junk pile yielded another, good socket from a 1937 Philco power transformer.
It was difficult to get the "ears" bent just enough to hold the socket and retaining ring in place, as some of the metal used to form the "ears" was gone. But I persevered...and finally succeeded.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_019.jpg]
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_011.jpg]
I also made a new woofer cable, using a 1939-40 or so Philco speaker connector to which I added a fifth terminal (it only had four while the 38-690 has five terminals; the plug is made in such a way that a fifth terminal may be easily added, however).
Then, I turned my attention to one of the power transformers. If you noticed in a couple of the images above, the retainer ring had come off and the socket was basically just dangling in air.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_012.jpg]
Those old rectifier wires were badly dried out from age and heat...as I knew they would be.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_013.jpg]
So...I proceeded to shrink wrap the four wires, running double thicknesses of tubing up inside the paper wrapping as far as I could.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_014.jpg]
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_015.jpg]
Since I had the upper bell off anyway in order to work on the wires, I sanded down and repainted the bell, and the tube socket retaining ring, with Rustoleum Flat Black paint.
Next, the bell was reattached to the transformer (once the paint dried, of course).
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_016.jpg]
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_017.jpg]
Unfortunately, something was wrong with the socket itself.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_018.jpg]
As you can see above, it was broken! This was just a carbon track waiting to happen (definitely not a good thing). Fortunately, a trip to the junk pile yielded another, good socket from a 1937 Philco power transformer.
It was difficult to get the "ears" bent just enough to hold the socket and retaining ring in place, as some of the metal used to form the "ears" was gone. But I persevered...and finally succeeded.
[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum...90_019.jpg]
--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN