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Philco 41-231 "Little Bullet"
#1

Four or five years ago, I acquired a 41-231 from Rocklandman. It happens to be the very first radio he sold to anyone once he became involved in the antique radio hobby.

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum/ARF/41231.jpg]

This is how it looked after I repaired and refinished the cabinet. I really wish I had taken a "before" shot. But anyway...

Fast forward to this year. Long story short, Rocklandman is getting the radio back from me. The cabinet already having been done four years ago, I turned my attention to the chassis.

Everything is so tightly packed inside the 41-231 and similar chassis, that the only thing you can do is remove everything and start all over. Be sure you take lots of notes as you remove things, or else you will be in big trouble!

Anyway, here's how the chassis looked once all of the old rotten rubber-covered wire had been replaced.

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum..._00003.jpg]

Later, the rebuilt IF transformers went back in, and I began the process of installing new capacitors and resistors.

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum..._00004.jpg]

Properly restoring one of these Philcos is very long and tedious work.

Another problem which complicates things on many 1941 Philcos is the power switch.

On this set, I removed the original power switch and tried to graft a new switch from Lowe's onto the original assembly.

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum..._00002.jpg]

My idea was to tap the steel to use two 4-40 screws to hold the switch in place.

Unfortunately, one of the two new holes stripped as it was being tapped, so I then tried attaching a couple 4-40 nuts at the mounting holes.

[Image: http://www.philcoradio.com/images/phorum..._00001.jpg]

Well, Murphy's Law kicked in as I was running out of time before Kutztown...

The mounting holes in the Lowe's switch are ever so slightly wider apart than the originals, so you have to drill the holes out very carefully.

It didn't work out this time for two reasons: one, the switch housing broke when I attempted to tighten the screws; and two, one of the nuts came unglued from the assembly.

And I wasn't torquing the screws down; I was being gentle with the unit.

Oh well.

I set the chassis aside, delivered the cabinet to Rocklandman at Kutztown last week, with a promise to ship the chassis later.

More to come...

--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN


Messages In This Thread
Philco 41-231 "Little Bullet" - by Ron Ramirez - 05-16-2015, 10:08 AM
RE: Philco 41-231 "Little Bullet" - by morzh - 05-16-2015, 10:34 AM
RE: Philco 41-231 "Little Bullet" - by morzh - 05-16-2015, 10:40 AM
RE: Philco 41-231 "Little Bullet" - by sam - 05-16-2015, 12:59 PM
RE: Philco 41-231 "Little Bullet" - by Jeremy S - 05-16-2015, 01:35 PM



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