[Radioroslyn]

>no sure if it needed a polarized one or not.

Nah. Typically you might use one if the set didn't use a power transformer. In a transformer-less set one side of the ac line is connected to the chassis, either directly or thru a cap. In this situation you want to have the neutral side on the line connected to "chassis". This helps with preventing a shock hazard. Having a polarize plug assures that the neutral is where it should be as long as the cord and outlet are wired properly.
On a set W/a power transformer at the primary most will have a pair of caps forming a capacitive divider (in your set #85) connected to the chassis that provides a rf gnd thru the neutral side of the line for the chassis. When you connect an earth ground to the chassis you'll notice some sparking while making this connection. This is from a small amount of ac leakage thru the cap that is connected to the hot side of the line. This is normal the voltage is low as is the current. It doesn't matter which way is't plugged in there is always a cap connecting the neutual side to the chassis to provide a ground and the hot side to help filter rf noise.  


>seems to have 5 position instead of 4. Not sure whats up with that.

The lowest position engages the push button tuning so it normally has 5 positions. Hope you sleep better tonight not having think about that the heck is up w/that stupid bs!

> Started working on Tube tv's after I got out of the service.

Oh good the next time I have a question abt my 6SN7's or 6BG6's I'll look you up!!  [Image: http://philcoradio.com/phorum/images/smi...on_lol.gif]

GL

[nortonz]

<Oh good the next time I have a question abt my 6SN7's or 6BG6's I'll look you up!!

Haven't worked on a tube set in 35 years, not sure I would be much help! The last 25 years have been all solid state, then HD TV's LCD, LED, Plasma's

[nortonz]

I took some pictures of the chassis.

[attachment=16551]

I have a question, on the caps in the next picture shows a bar at one end of the cap, does that mean its polarized? I know in the newer sets it does mean the bar is the positive side.

[attachment=16552]

[Radioroslyn]

I thought I put a link to my 41-300X but I forgot so here it is.
http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=17076

[Arran]

No, the bar on paper caps indicates which end is connected to the outer foil on the inside of the capacitor. There used to be a theory that by connecting the outer foil  to a point electrically closer to ground, that it would be useful for shielding in something like a coupling cap. You may have noticed that modern non polarized caps do not have this marking on them, and the reason being is that they decided that it just did not matter. I don't think that they really paid much attention even when sets like this 41-295 were built as I have found them connected with the line pointed every which way, and yet these sets all mostly worked fin when they were new. On the other hand it's nice to have a set that has all of the original paper caps still in it, as you can melt out the guts and restuff them to keep the set looking more original underneath, as opposed to having bright yellow film caps everywhere.
Regards
Arran

[Radioroslyn]

> as opposed to having bright yellow film caps everywhere.
On the '300 I didn't restuff but I too really don't care for the bright yellows so a quick wrap of electrical tape covers it well.
[Image: http://philcoradio.com/phorum/attachment.php?aid=13894]

[nortonz]

Thanks Arran, that helps a lot. Not sure that the color of the cap makes much of a difference when the radio is installed in the cabinet, no one will see it anyway till it's time to recap it.

[mikethedruid]

I suppose it is a matter of taste, YOU know they are there, and YOU have seen them, so it bothers your aesthetic sense; but, personally, I don't care about the yellow condensers under the chassis. Nobody is going to ever see them once the chassis is installed, and if someone ever works on the radio in the future, they will easily be able to see the work you have done. I just leave the new, yellow condensers as they are, don't try to stuff them into the old paper covers, or hide the fact they are new. It seems a matter of honesty to me. Having worked on old radios for over half a century now, I would much rather know what has been done by a previous repairman, than be misled by someone re-stuffing the old paper tubes and making the condensers look "original."

[Arran]

I don't view restuffing as a form of dishonesty at all, more a matter of preserving the esthetic integrity of an all original, unmolested chassis. For it to be dishonest would imply that I would be cheating someone, but I only do this with sets I intend to keep, and if if I were to sell it at some point I would disclose that I had restuffed the paper capacitors or the filter cans, besides it takes more effort to do this then to just shotgun it with the bright yellow jobs, though it really is not that hard to do. I'm not sure that I would bother doing this with a 1941 Philco, maybe if the set was in excellent original condition all around, but if it was a set that had seen the service shop multiple times, and had rust on the chassis, then I probably wouldn't. One thing that I have been looking into is acquiring some small diameter cardboard tubing, it's easier to stuff a new tube then it is to clean out an old one and restuff it.
Regards
Arran

[nortonz]

interesting discussion on re-stuffing, or not, melting the inside seems like a lot of work, couldn't you just cut it open from end to end, clean out the center, then rap the out side around to new cap, you would have the same effect. one negative point would be if I bought a old radio, pulled the chassis out, and saw all the old caps, I might just order all new cap,before discovering they had been re-stuffed. Just my 2 cents worth. My caps should be here first of the week, I'll decide then If I want to re-stuff or not. The chassis cleaned up pretty good. Still have a few problems with the cabinet so will put the chassis aside for now. at least till the new caps show up.
Michael

[Arran]

Melting them out is actually easier then you might think, I place about four or more caps at a time, on an aluminum foil lined tray in an old toaster oven, I think set at around 200-250 degrees. I leave the caps  on the tray until the wax plugs start melting, remove each one at a time, then pull the guts out with a pair of pliers whilst holding the body with a rag, then I put each cardboard tube back in the oven on end to let the rest of the wax melt out. You can then go over each one with a heat gun and paper towel to wipe the rest of the wax residue off, and you have a nice, clean, capacitor tube ready for restuffing.
  To restuff I usually wrap the new film capacitor with a strip of thin corrugated cardboard, maybe 1/8'' longer at each end then the body of the new cap. I then stuff the new cap, with the cardboard wrapped around it, about mid way inside the old cardboard tube, then I fill each end with hot melt glue. It helps to hold the whole assembly on end after you fill each end with glue so the glue has a chance to harden before flipping the cap over and fill the other end.
   With regard to slicing the tube open and prying it apart to get the guts out, or crushing the wax in the ends, I'm not sure that it would work without damaging the tube, at least not without heating the tube with a heat gun. You could try it on one you don't have any plans to restuff as an experiment. The caps RCA used to use from the mid 1930s till the early 1940s are really easy to get apart without heat, you can push the capacitor right out of the tube using a dowel or a mechanic's socket, by placing the capacitor on top, grabbing the body, and pushing downward against a bench top or hard surface, the ends on those cap tubes are rolled over cardboard disks.
Regards
Arran

[nortonz]

That's a nice explanation on how to re-stuff, may have to try that thank you. arran.
Michael

[nortonz]

Has anyone thought about melting some wax, mix in soon brown coloring, put a strip on one end then dip the yellow caps in the wax. That would calm down the yellow caps don't you think.
Michael

[nortonz]

Well my caps can in today, so I guess I need to decide if I'm going to try re-stuffing the old caps, or just replacing the old ones. Got the flocking a few days ago, so I have that to do too. I still have to figure out what to do with the top of the cabinet. it didn't turn out right.
Michael