[radiohenry]

Not to leave this thread hanging but I am a little reluctant to use the torch I do plumbing with . I need to get brave or find a torch that has a finer tip, not such a big flame. I will get back and let you know how I make out.
                                                               Thanks again,
                                                                        Henry

[GarySP]

They do make micro-tip torches for delicate hobby work. You might try hobby centers near you. I've also seen goose neck butane lighters that had a torch instead of flame. I would be super hesitant to use my plumbing propane torch also! Take care and BE HEALTHY! Gary

[GarySP]

FYI - Harbor Freight has a micro torch for $15. Take care and BE HEALTHY! Gary

[radiohenry]

Gary Thanks for the tip.
I picked one of the Harbor Freight torches yesterday. Hopefully that will do the trick.
Henry

[Greg]

They (torches) work well for removing the innards of electrolytic caps too. They melt the tar much quicker than a heat gun. You just have to be careful not to burn off any of the printing/stickers that might be on the cans.

[radiohenry]

I used the butane torch, heated the shaft and freed the switch up and was able to work it but as it cooled it stiffened back up. I repeated the process a few times with the same results. Now I am waiting overnight to see if the oil helps.
Is it possible that I didn't heat it long enough?

Oh yeah that HF torch is pretty good. Thanks.

[morzh]

You should've disconnect the switch, take it off and then remove the shaft instead of trying to work it.
Then clean the bushing and the shaft.

[GarySP]

What's possibly happening is the lubricant used originally to grease the shaft has 'petrified' and is acting like adhesive instead of lube. When you heat it, it softens enough to allow movement, but locks it back up after cooling. Apply penetrating oil on the shaft while it's still hot. It may take a few tries but it should loosen up. Glad you were happy with the torch! Take care and BE HEALTHY! Gary

[radiohenry]

Mike ,
 Removing the switch as you say certainly would be an option. However everyone seemed to think heat would work before. Maybe I will need to remove it after all.
Since you are now advocating that method can you tell me ; is the shaft one piece all the way to the back of the wafers and is the bushing one piece as well? I have never needed to take one apart and it's good to know ahead of time.
                                               Thanks,
                                                     Henry

[mikethedruid]

What lubricants have you tried on the shaft? I might recommend spraying a little P-B Blaster on the front of the shaft with the radio lying down so gravity will help it flow down into the switch. Then gently try working the shaft until it turns, re-spraying now and then, until it moves normally. Then I would use a 50-50 mixture of Marvel Mystery Oil and 10W20 motor oil for a final application, working that in the same way to keep things lubricated and free. I had to use this method on a Philco Model 66 band switch, and it worked well. No heat. No damage to the switch. That radio still works a treat more than a year later.

[radiohenry]

Mike,
 I have tried PB Blaster, Kroil, and WD-40 before the heat and they did nothing I could see and tried both after heat . I have some movement using a small wrench wrench and just added a lock oil before bed I will add some more WD and check it tomorrow.
                                        Thanks,
                                              Henry

[morzh]

Henry

Though I do have 118, it would take me removing the chassis and look at the switch to answer you, but the main thing is, this is not even important, though I think, yes - the shaft is one piece all the way through the switch.

And it is unimportant, because there is no way in holy h..ll for you to make this move well again without extracting the shaft from the barrel. You do need to fully clean old lubricant. The diluting it with PBBlaster will allow it to move some eventually (maybe?), but is not the full solution: the full solution is 1) remove the shaft altohgether (whether or not you have to remove the switch, is another matter, but I think you may have to), 2) clean the barrel fully of the old lubricant, 3) same for the shaft. 4) apply the new lubricant and re-assemble.

THis is the switch, it is 1 wafer.

   

I cannot see the back of it, so I am not sre if you could maneuver the switch so that it would be able to be pushed out without tremoving the switch and then removing the rotating contact first and only then pushing the shaft out after heating. But it should not be too bad, it's just 1-wafer switch.

[radiohenry]

Mike M,
 I appreciate your help. The switch you pictured is a little different from mine which does have a 2nd piece of wafer material on the back The thing is how do I disassemble the switch? The outside shaft seems to have I don't know a collarwhere it enters the bushing and it does not allow it to be pushed thru to the back. Normally I would expect a c clip between the bushing and the shaft but I don't find one. So I don't see how the shaft can be removed or the bushing removed.
                                                     Thanks,
                                                            Henry

[Radioroslyn]

Henry
I just looked at my 18/118 chassis. There is a steel ring at the front of the shaft where it meets the bushing. At the back of the shaft there's a washer is peened that holds the wafer in place. Don't think you can get the shaft out without taking the wafer with it.
I would clamp a pair of vise grips on the shaft and push it towards the right (CW) little by little rocking it. But I'm a brute. I would assume it's set to the broadcast band. You wouldn't want to push it to the left as you could break the stop or the switch.

GL

[Brad Winder]

Question: is it possible the band switch has been disabled on purpose? We were chatting around the table tonight about WW2, and here in Canada, we required people of German and Japanese origin to have their SW disabled on their radio sets. I have one set, and have had 2 others that have had this done to them. It seems odd that a switch of "modern" (non-pot metal) era would be seized that bad...