I finally got around to taking apart my newly purchased Philco 84 (1936). I saw this on the bottom of the inside of the cabinet (see attached picture).
I had not seen this bottom covering in any of the radios to my recollection. If they were in the radios I own - they had all been torn out years ago. I gather it was to keep the heat of the chassis from overheating the base of the cabinet (?). It didn't seem to been enough to cushion the cabinet.
At first, I thought it was merely a strengthened cardboard of the day in the mid-30's. Then I wondered... is it a sheet of pressed asbestos? Yikes!
I would just like to be sure of what it is... & whether I should remove it... before I go any further. Better safe than sorry. Thanks for being there for me!
So, in all of your vast experiences.... what is it?
Looking back at the photos I have for the 84 I worked on I also had a similar layer in the bottom of mine. I believe it is probably asbestos. In my opinion you are better off just leaving it alone and putting the chassis back in over top of it when you finish restoring the chassis. Trying to take it out will cause it to break up and its the fibers that get in the air that are the problem. I usually lightly spray or coat asbestos sheets I come across with clear lacquer or a clear poly coating just to add a little stability to the sheet if its fraying but unless its falls out of the set on its own I leave it, but that's just me...of course there are a number of opinions out there so read and decide on your own.
It is NOT asbestos, it's more then likely cardboard of a type, similar to fish paper, treated to render it heat resistant. In any even Philco didn't use asbestos in it's models during the 1930s, they either used nothing or a steel cover over the bottom of the chassis. Asbestos is a white or grey color with a rough texture, not smooth.
Regards
Arran
If the foil is indeed all gone, you will want to wrap that piece of cardboard in aluminum foil, and put it back in. The foil was there to help totally shield the inside of the chassis, since this is a regenerative set.
Edit: It is hard to tell for certain, but it appears that the original foil may still be present on your cardboard piece - just very dirty. Gently wipe a small part off with a damp, soft rag. If you then see a metallic surface...gently wipe down the rest and you're good to go. Otherwise...new foil is indicated for the reason described above.
(08-15-2017, 12:03 PM)OldRestorer Wrote: BOb,
How could you...
I was gonna say Asbestos too
Well, I could not actually remember what was there so I was looking at the one photo I had and it sorta looked like asbestos although ScottD's does look smooth like cardboard/foil. Won't be the last time I'm wrong!
I have always been leary of asbestos, better safe than sorry. I have had it in 3 sets, use a mask, mist iwth a little water, remove staples, bag and give to friend who is plumber, he gets rid of asbestos at a Transfer Station aka dump.
Modern caps should let the whole thing run cooler, just leave the bottom of cas plain wood. All sets wre RCA's.
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