[Vintage-Radio] radio washing

[radioman]

this is a long subject...and one some crackpots really go to town with..
(the garden hose guys).

Your biggest friends are:
A. warm water and liquid dishwashing detergent ( crystal white or
generic)
B. used tooth brushes
C. clean rags.. those from the auto parts store are good for rough work
                  soft ones for panels and tubes.

D. q-tips are useful for tight corners.
E. Green Plastic pot scrubbers..these come in mild and rough flavors..be
careful
F. Sponges... for wash and rinse.
G. 8x11 Tupperware Tubs of wash water, and rinse water.
H. screw drivers to push rags into tight corners.
I. Paper towels..
J. Permanent Laundry Marker   read numbers on tubes before you wipe them
clean.. the very act of cleaning them make take off the tube numbers..
which you will replace with the laundry marker.. also when you test
tubes, you will write the results on the tube with the same marker.

K. rubbing alcohol... but this will dull most any kind of paint.. and
ruin many plastics,
and destroy dials and lettering.. so dont go nuts spraying it around.
it will degrease tuning caps , but it will leave behind any dust or
dirt...so it isnt a universal cleaner by any means... just a necessary
evil for really filthy radios.

Sometimes.. you have to spray the underside of a chassis with alky..and
let all the crud drain out.. because it is so dirty.  Dry with mild heat
before applying voltage if you do this.

L. De-Oxit D5... gets applied to all switches, sockets, and contacts..
but that is beyond the scope of your question.

The Pigs Ear Rule:

+ACI-The satisfaction of the ego depends on the outlay of large amounts of
skilled elbow grease, money, or both.+ACI-

If your chassis is galvanized steel, or copper plated steel, and it has
rusted,
the best you can do is to remove the rust, then apply new coatings. This
can involve anything from removing nothing, to some transformers, to
everything on the top and sometimes both sides of the chassis.

There are many good ways to do this.. but none are original, shiny and
new looking. Just perfectly adequate, and worthwhile.

Otherwise, the only option for anal-retentive perfection in the case of
rust.. is to strip every single component, de-rust, polish, and replate
the chassis.

For Aluminum... and those are the ones you are seening that look
perfect...
if there is no crusty  powder corrosion or pitting... the soap and water
routine will yield a new looking chassis, even if covered with motor oil
and 45 years of dirt.

Hint... an over exposed 32 K jpg makes any chassis look perfect +ACE-

Various acids and polishing can be used on corroded or pitted aluminum,
again, after stripping every single component from the radio. Chances of
succesa are poor.

Cleaning :
1. What ever you wash with a mild solution of liquid dish detergent
 and warm water.. you must also rinse.
2. Apply carefully with damp not sloppy wet rags.
3. Wipe up the excess.
4. Dont get water in transformers, coils , switches, or bakelite tube
sockets.

Once shiney, rusted patches can be painted with 93+ACU- zinc cold
galvanizing paint,
or sealed with Tri-Flow lubricant.. which leaves a silicone seal..which
is removeable with soap and water.. and dries nicely to form a good
film.

Larry W6WUH