Working on radio chassis.

[AndrewLincs]

I wonder how people work on radio chassis when they are out of the set? It seems to me that wither various valves, caps, tuning components and transformers they are not designed to sit upside down.

I worked on my fenman chassis with it on my lap, not ideal.

I did wonder about a jig of some sort?

Regards

Andrew

[Jamie-Skinner]

Every chassis I work on comes out the cabinet, mainly for access but also you won't damage the cabinet.I certainly wouldn't want to get that soldering iron too near Bakelite!

[AndrewLincs]

I agree, but the question was how do people deal with an awkward upside down chassis.

Regards

Andrew

[Yorkie]

Personally, unless it's a very quick repair, I always make a cradle from scrap timber in which I mount the chassis upside down so that ther valves are protected and the chassis can be on the bench, where I can work on it, and if need be, view it through my magnifying 'anglepoise' style lamp.

I've attached a pic of a Stella 105U mounted is a cradle that took no more than half an hour to make, but needed several hours of work to restore, with nine caps needed replacement. I've seen people balancing chassis upside down on bits of wood, with the valves still in, which is inviting problems. First task - remove the valves - last task when the set is restored and as far as can be, is tested - put them back in, but I know that this is sometimes overlooked, and apart from risking damage to the valves, the vale pins act as a heat shunt if you're soldering/ unsoldering to tags on the valve base. (The observant will notice in the pic that the valves are still in the radio - they didn't stay in - that was just while I tested the continuity of the heater chain).

Just my thoughts.

David.

[AndrewLincs]

Splendid, thanks for that, it is just what I had in mind, I did wonder if there was some sort of universal cradle, but I guess with such a wide variety of chassis that would be unlikely.

Having trouble viewing your picture on my phone, will have to fire up the main pc to view it at a decent size, but looks just the ticket.

Regards

Andrew

[Yorkie]

There used to be universal adjustable chassis cradles years ago which the trade used, but as I said earlier, a few scraps of timber, MDF or whatever can be quickly knocked up with a few screws or nails and glue. I don't chuck them away in case I do another set of the same type.

I'm not sure that many restorers bother with this, but as I'm into woodworking, it's just my natural inclination to make a cradle/jig/stand, or whatever people may want to call it.

David

[glowinganode]

Fixture?
Rob.

[DODGERN]

I did wonder if there was some sort of universal cradle, but I guess with such a wide variety of chassis that would be unlikely.

I reckon you could make a wonderful universal jig with Meccano, Andrew, if it was still around. I don't think Lego would be so stable so perhaps, it's best to keep with David's excellent wooden supports.

Roger.

[Yorkie]

Fixture?
Rob.

The are always holes on chassis to which brackets can be screwed as required. If you look at the example I posted above, you'll see two brackets which secured the chassis into the cabinet. I just popped a couple of screws through the holes already in the brackets and screwed then to the inside of the stand.

Think how awkward it is to work on the ubiquitous DAC90A perched upside down to replace all the caps, and any other repair work, with the risk of damaging such items as the aerial coil. A stand on which to fix the upturned chassis makes life so much easier, but I doubt that many bother to do that - just have it 'wibbly wobbly' perched on whatever happens to be to hand.

Although we're 'amateurs' it doesn't mean we need to be unprofessional, just that we do it as a hobby - not as a means of earning a living, so we don't have the same time pressures.

I guess it depends on what workshop facilties and materials we have. I know of someone locally who lives with his elderly parents, and who has to use his bed as a workbench, kneeling on the floor to work on radios perched on a sheet of hardboard on the bed, with a few tools in a box under his bed. Hardly conducive to fancy embelishments in working practices.

David.