[klondike98]

Started the initial look at this Gilfillan 43-A . The cabinet will need a refinish/re-veneer owing to a big crack on the front where the veneer bends and the black edges need refinish as well.
   
   
   

The wood under the front veneer will also need a little glue and clamp as its warped a bit and come away from the bottom corner a little.

   

More later.....

The grill cloth is glued directly to the inside of the cabinet. I'll try to get it off in one piece but if I can't I do have an old crosley grill cloth that is similar and might clean up to look even closer. If that doesn' work I've got some newer repro cloth that is similar.

   

There was a video of the set playing on the ad for its sale but I'm really surprised it was working since the grid cap was loosly sitting on top.

   

The electrolytic can on top contained two 4 uF 450WV caps that have had two 8 uF electrolytics tacked in under the chassis. I'll have to look more closely to see whether they left the old ones connected or not.

   

[Paul Philco322]

Looks like a project, good luck. Paul

[Joe Rossi]

Bob, A bit crusty but always liked the Gilfillan dials. Do you think the handle is original?  Joe

[Arran]

I know one thing, that handle obviously convinced someone to try picking up the set by using it rather then picking it up by the base, and that likely led to the top coming off and cracking the veneer. This happens a lot with sets like the G.E S-22 series sets from the early 30s, except those are so heavy that the handle usually snaps off before the top comes off.
Bob;
When you get around to replacing the veneer see if you can find some book matched veneer, it looks like that was what they used to get that mirror image effect around the speaker grille. It was likely French walnut, probably stump walnut or butt walnut, hard to tell with the bad finish, but look under French walnut veneer on fleabay, I bought some off a guy that sells leftovers from trimming private aircraft and boats.
Regards
Arran

[klondike98]

Thx for the veneer advice Arran, that’s helpful. The handle is original I believe. There is an old Gilfillan ad on the Radio Museum site that pic the 43A and it looks like the handle in my set. A project for sure!

[klondike98]

You are right Arran. Taking a close look I see the veneer is two book matched pieces.

[Arran]

Bob;
This set is a bit of a wreck, so you may have to take some artistic license with the grain of the replacement veneer, basically you will need some figured walnut that's close. If I am not mistaken that grill cloth looks like that used in the Philco 70 and 90 sets, so if you can't salvage it, or use that scrap it's not a total loss. It's quite a pretty cabinet for such a low tube count set, the circuit is pretty close to one of those Plant A specials, but with a power transformer rather then a ballast.
Regards
Arran

[klondike98]

Yep it is a bit of a wreck but that’s what I enjoy, bringing them back from the dead. I like the look of the cabinet and dial and hopefully can make it a good looking radio again. eBay does have some veneer that might work out but I also have a Rockler Woodworking and Hardware near by that should be fun to browse through.

Yes I had a similar take on the grill cloth and do have some reproduction Philco cloth that should work well.

[klondike98]

Just starting the initial look at the chassis and first round of cleaning. Lots of dust, dead spiders, and grime but not too much rust. Not too exciting but the tube shield on the 58 did come nice and clean with some Krud Kutter, cotton balls and a paper towel; better than I expected.

       

I don't think the rest of the chassis will clean up as well unless in do the full clean like Peter (RadioSvit) does, including the garden hose treatment! See his video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty6H4sj3D3M . The hose comes at 7:30 but the initial cleaning is worth watching also. I'm not sure I'm up for that!

The grid cap on the 57 tube was repairable. There was still enough wire on the top of the tube to get the cleaned up cap soldered to it. The old adhesive came out with some scraping and JB Weld glued it in place. Tested OK on my Jackson 648. The 2A5 tube tested bad but just so it may yet have a bit of life in it.

[Arran]

Bob;
I caught onto the idea of washing chassis years ago after running out of mineral spirits/varsol but had a box of Trisodium Phosphate kicking around. It didn't take rust off, but it sure cleaned up the aluminum parts of every chassis I tried it on, i also noticed that I never had an problems with loctal tube sockets after doing it. I never used a hose, just hot water, a plastic pail, and a toothbrush, first pair had a mix of TSP and hot water, the next two pail had hot water to rinse it. I like to do this on hot summer days, then put the chassis aside to dry for a week or more. Some on the ARF called me crazy for doing it, water and electricity don't mix, right? Or they assumed the TSP was too corrosive, as though rodent waste is not. Now I see people taking tuning caps out and cleaning them in ultrasonic cleaners.
I will have to look up this "Crud Cutter" product, is it like Spray 9, or Simple Green?
Regards
Arran

[klondike98]

Arran, here's the link to Amazon in Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Krud-Kutter-Concen...182&sr=8-3

I just happened to try it because I had it from a wood restoration project (based on use by a guy I watch on youTube for wood restoration techniques, Thomas Johnson.) According to the MSDS it does have potassium hydroxide and sodium meta silicate in it (among other things), both of which are very alkaline so you need to wash it off.

[Arran]

Thanks Bob, I will have a look in the Home Depot and see if they carry it, they have a very extensive section full of cleaning products, including the two I mentioned. I happened to like using TSP because it's cheap, not as cheap as it used to be, but in dry crystal form, a little goes a long way. You used to be able to buy it in a milk carton sized box but now it only seems to come in small bags.
Regards
Arran

[klondike98]

Just a little work under the chassis tonight, mostly just following wires and identifying where everything is relative to the schematic. The old electrolytic capacitors C7, C8 were completely clipped out of the circuit when the replacement electolytics were put in. I'll add in the schematic at the bottom of this post. The can came off the chassis easily by unscrewing two machine screws. I have two 4.7uF film caps that should fit nicely in the can assuming I can get the top unsoldered and the guts out of the can. Not quite sure how I'll mount things in the can yet. Three leads come out of the can, the + for both caps tied together, the - of one for ground, and the - of the other to the transformer center tap.

   

In the category of finding something that is different or unusual inside the radio, the finger print of someone who was in the set in the past is clearly visible on the cap can. Probably either from the factory on assembly or the repair tech who put the new electrolytics in.

   

...and here's the schematic;

   

[morzh]

It'd be interesting to ID the fingerprints

But, unless the guy had a record, the prints won't be in the system.

[MrFixr55]

Bob, interesting radio! It was common to see 4 tube TRF sets with RF, biased "power" detector, AF and rectifier, but these were some of the first really cheap series string sets from 1933 /1934 the deep throes of the depression (examples being the Emerson 25 and RCA R-17M Lunchbox). with 3 6V tubes such as 39 RF amp, 36 Detector, 38 AF and amazingly, a 37 (6V version of the 27) triode wired grid to plate and used as a rectifier.

This is similar but they spent the bux on a power transformer, 80 and a 2A5 (2.5V version of a 42 or 6F6.

I have to try the TSP on the aluminum. Several Pholks here have cleaned tuning caps in aqueous solutions of some detergent / chemical in an ultrasonic cleaner. At least one person used a dishwasher. I agree that water is not good for electronics when said electronics are powered but I also wonder how many electronic components are washed in water during manufacture. The trick is total dryness (and total washing off of any ionic chemicals) prior to powerup.

My copies of the NRI radio course (which I can't find) had a lesson on repairing radios damaged by floods, which had the statement "To clean mud and debris from a chassis, wash with a jet of water from a garden hose. Since the radio is already damaged, you are not going to damage it any more than it is." They also had an example of a drying oven built out of wood, some vents and several light bulbs as heaters. Therefore, IMHO, washing a radio chassis is not as crazy as it sounds. Washing a speaker (without expecting to recone it) may be a different story.