[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