Honest Restoration reviews
Posts: 7
Threads: 2
Joined: Nov 2014
City: Baltimore MD
Hey all, I am in need of a full restoration of my model 87 chassis. I thought i had a guy for the job but turns out i don't. I don't want to do it myself. I see a lot on the philco repair bench for people in the radio business offering services. I want to the raw reviews of whos the best/ problems or issues you have had. in other words who do you trust shipping a 80 year old family heirloom to for restoration? Thanks gang
Posts: 5,072
Threads: 269
Joined: Nov 2012
City: Bandon
State, Province, Country: OR
Welcome to the Phorum!!
Can't help with any personal reviews as I have not used any but others will chime in I'm sure. To be clear, you are looking for electronic chassis restoration only, not cabinet restoration?
Posts: 7
Threads: 2
Joined: Nov 2014
City: Baltimore MD
(03-12-2015, 01:15 PM)klondike98 Wrote: Welcome to the Phorum!!
Can't help with any personal reviews as I have not used any but others will chime in I'm sure. To be clear, you are looking for electronic chassis restoration only, not cabinet restoration?
yes sir electronic restoration
Posts: 15,691
Threads: 551
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson, NJ
Are you looking for
- faithful to factory looks restoration of underchassis, with restuffed caps, molded dogbone resistors etc, or mid-way, or simply for it to work with new parts installed and not hidden?
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 7
Threads: 2
Joined: Nov 2014
City: Baltimore MD
(03-12-2015, 01:53 PM)morzh Wrote: Are you looking for
- faithful to factory looks restoration of underchassis, with restuffed caps, molded dogbone resistors etc, or mid-way, or simply for it to work with new parts installed and not hidden?
Not sure what you mean new parts installed new hidden.
Posts: 7
Threads: 2
Joined: Nov 2014
City: Baltimore MD
Restoration to me means make it like new how ever the expert goes about it is why there the expert. I know no radio technical terms. Just make it like it was new fully functioning and operational taking no shortcuts
Posts: 7,283
Threads: 268
Joined: Dec 2009
City: Roslyn Pa
I'd do it. I'm very familiar with the 87. But I'm a bum.
Have to much projects going on.
Sorry OM.
Terry
Posts: 15,691
Threads: 551
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson, NJ
Explaining:
New parts look very different from old ones.
For some people it does not matter, they care only about functionality, the parts are under chassis, so no one sees them.
Some folks want old parts, like capacitors, restuffed with new parts. And using cloth covered wire. This way it looks more authentic.
A few people like it authentic looking under chassis all the way, that is if a resistor gets replaced (you cannot restuff od resistors with new, unlike capacitors) a new resistor is molded over with epoxies, or gets otherwise inserted into something, and then painted to the oiginal specs to look exactly like the old one did.
Then chassis itself may need or need not to get cleaned in such a way that it looks factory fresh.
This last one performed by very few folks.
Russ is one of them, he does museum quality restorations. I am sure this should cost quite a bit more than functional restoration. Which is good enough for many, after all the radio will operate to original secifications.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 7
Threads: 2
Joined: Nov 2014
City: Baltimore MD
Thank you for the explanation. In my situation I'm going for new parts and objective based solely on functionality.
Posts: 13,776
Threads: 580
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Ferdinand
State, Province, Country: Indiana
The home page of Russ' website states that he is no longer taking in radios for restoration. He is one of the best, his restorations look outstanding from the photos I have seen.
I might mention that the better radio restoration people stay booked up for a year or two in advance. If this is something you need done yesterday, it simply isn't going to happen. With some patience and searching, though, you should be able to find someone.
Some are listed here:
http://www.philcoradio.com/resourceb.htm#s
--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
Posts: 5,072
Threads: 269
Joined: Nov 2012
City: Bandon
State, Province, Country: OR
In addition to the resource list Ron mentioned there is a Mid-Atlantic Antique Radio Club that has a couple listings of folks that do repairs. Since you are just looking for restoring functionality rather than a museum type restoration I suspect they would be competent if listed on the MAARC site and they would be in the Maryland area.
Posts: 86
Threads: 15
Joined: Sep 2012
City: Paducah, KY
I am booked for a few months yet.
Posts: 4,107
Threads: 310
Joined: Nov 2013
City: Kings Park NY
I am not booked up.... but I suck at electronic work, lol
Kirk
Times I have been electrocuted in 2021
As of 1/01/2021
AC: 4 DC: 1
Last year: 6
Posts: 15,691
Threads: 551
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Jackson, NJ
If you were local to NJ or within driving distance I could try to help but shipping those chassis' is a bear.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
Posts: 1,114
Threads: 14
Joined: Feb 2013
City: Irvington, NY
Brockrak, whoever you decide to use to restore your radio, make sure they use polyester or polypropylene film capacitors for the power supply filters.
Many so called restorers will try to use tiny modern electrolyic capacitors for the original low capacitance paper filter caps. Todays 1 and 2 microfarad electrolytics caps were not designed to withstand the high ripple currents they would be subjected to in this service and will fail in a short time. Film caps on the other hand are designed for such conditions and will last almost indefinitely.
In fact, in discussing restoration of your 87 with prospective restorers, mention the original paper filter caps and what they plan to replace them with. If they say electrolytic caps and do not understand the potential problems, look elsewhere!
Users browsing this thread:
|
Recent Posts
|
Jackson 715 not working
|
Mrfixr55, its working now. I cleaned the switches and sockets with spray cleaner. Thanks for helping on this one.daveone23 — 06:26 PM |
Jackson 715 not working
|
Now that you posted the schematic, I don't know why that Sprague electrolytic cap is across the meter, as it is not indi...MrFixr55 — 05:51 PM |
HiFi (Chifi) tube amp build - but my own design.
|
What may be lacking in the PP Tube amps may be the 2nd harmonics, which some, especially RCA back in the day called &quo...MrFixr55 — 05:32 PM |
Jackson 715 not working
|
Usually in an emission tester, the tube under test is measured as if it were a diode. So, some testers connect all the g...RodB — 04:17 PM |
Restoring Philco 37-604C
|
Yep. F5 is green, D5 is Red.
Red is Bad.
Green is Clean.morzh — 01:30 PM |
Jackson 715 not working
|
I did start to do that but I stalled out because I could not figure out how the grid and plate get voltage. In this diag...daveone23 — 11:52 AM |
Restoring Philco 37-604C
|
(Insert Homer Simpson "DOPF" Here.)
When all fails, look at the can. Took the Ron Ramirez advice, red Caig D...MrFixr55 — 09:23 AM |
Philco 91 Speaker Replacement
|
From your text I am not sure if you intend to use the existing speaker with a resistor instead of the field coil.
It wo...morzh — 08:44 AM |
Philco 91 Speaker Replacement
|
My field coil is bad. I am still hoping to find an original, but if I can't I will go with a fitting Philco speaker, 125...dconant — 08:34 AM |
Philco 91 Speaker Replacement
|
As Rod said, it is OK to use a fitting speaker, and then look for an original one.
If you buy a Hammond 125 output tr...morzh — 08:15 AM |
Who's Online
|
There are currently no members online. |
|
|