Field Coil Winder using a Sewing Machine Motor.

[Nick]

Very smart - like the shiny nuts...

[Yorkie]

Thanks Gary and Nick for your kind words.

Re the brass nuts, they're the original ones buffed up, but I replaced the rusty steel screws that held the speaker to the baffle board. Seems a bit cheapskate of Ekco to have used steel screws with brass nuts. (The four steel bolts that hold the pole piece for the field coil are 'captive' in that they were fitted during manufacture before the speaker cone was fitted, so I couldn't remove them and replace with brass). It was a bit tricky centring the pole piece so that the speech coil on the cone moved freely in and out, but with the aid of feeler gauges it seems fine, though I'll only know when (eventually!), I've finished the restoration and it's all 'wired for sound'.

Meanwhile, I'm distracted by having to remove a 22-yr old conifer hedge. 17 down - one to go!

[Nick]

Re the brass nuts, they're the original ones buffed up,

I've been using "Horogrene" from http://www.horogrene.com/ .

This is the stuff clock repairers use to clean up bits - its like magic - no buffing required (non-destructive) and is good for stuff like threads and odd shapes that can't be polished by other means (just a soak & bit of toothbrush work). Not especially cheap, but fantastic results. Non-toxic too...

Don't envy you the Cupressus - evil things. Leave a nasty rash too...

[Yorkie]

Re the brass nuts, they're the original ones buffed up,

I've been using "Horogrene" from http://www.horogrene.com/ .

This is the stuff clock repairers use to clean up bits - its like magic - no buffing required (non-destructive) and is good for stuff like threads and odd shapes that can't be polished by other means (just a soak & bit of toothbrush work). Not especially cheap, but fantastic results. Non-toxic too...

Don't envy you the Cupressus - evil things. Leave a nasty rash too...

Very interesting Nick - not so expensive for the 125 mL kit, or even the 500mL kit come to that, given that you only add 2 - 3 teaspoons (10 - 15 mL) to a Litre of hot water, so it goes a long way. Do you use all three stages - presumably you don't bother with the second stage (lacquer remover)?

The conifers are all down and all the debris has gone to the tip. Just a few trunks left to cut up into logs for our son's wood-burning stove. (For use next year when they've dried out). As luck would have it, a neighbour is having block paving laid so I've been able to get 20 barrow-loads of nice topsoil that's been removed to lay the blocks, so I've been able to use that to fill the holes where the root balls of the trees have been removed.

Wear the old 'uns out first!

[Nick]

Very interesting Nick - not so expensive for the 125 mL kit, or even the 500mL kit come to that, given that you only add 2 - 3 teaspoons (10 - 15 mL) to a Litre of hot water, so it goes a long way. Do you use all three stages - presumably you don't bother with the second stage (lacquer remover)?

I only use the cleaner ("Surface cleaning concentrate") - the first and second stage I do by 5 minutes in the ultrasonic tank using Tikopur R33 at 5% and 50C.

If you don't have a tank, then I guess the first two are needed.

Be careful when burning Cupressus - its highly resinous, even when dry, and burns giving off a lot of tar which doesn't help the chimney (risk of eventual chimney fire - resin is very difficult for the sweep to remove) or your wood-burner etc. It also "spits" whilst burning, sending out dangerous sparks so really shouldn't be used in an unattended open fire, or, according to some, used in an open fire at all...

[Yorkie]

Thanks for the tips Nick.

I do have an ultrasonic cleaner, which I've mentioned in other posts a while back (a proper one - not a joke one!).

Well worth the £100 or so which it cost.

[Nick]

Thanks for the tips Nick.

I do have an ultrasonic cleaner, which I've mentioned in other posts a while back (a proper one - not a joke one!).

Well worth the £100 or so which it cost.

I remember now, apologies

I just invested a few quid in a smallish fine mesh stainless steel basket to go in the tank - this allow me to do screws and other small items properly as the normal mesh is a bit coarse.

I strongly recommend the Tikopur R33 though - wonderful stuff for vintage electronic equipment.

Remember that as it has a Ph of 9.9, you need to rinse with de-ionised water afterwards (this is true for most detergents as they are all pretty alkaline).

[camallison]

I usually recommend this one, with an additional fine mesh basket
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SONICTUNE-2L-P...1155479087
Colin

[Radio Fixer]

"Seems a bit cheapskate of Ekco to have used steel screws with brass nuts."

But at least they used brass nuts. Could have been a lot worse with steel nuts.

Thanks for the tips to Horogrene Nick. But as I'm giving up restoring 'ole radios' after two major ones, in the cupboard, maybe I wont need it . Joining Radios Anonymous

Certain my "joke" ultrasonic cleaner will be good enough to see me through.

Gary

[AlanBeckett]

There's always Test Gear. Now that can be a 'Challenge'.

Alan