[mikesloane]

Hmmm. Used dryer sheets - we have plenty of them. I use them for cleaning computer screens (they help to keep the static down). What do you use for support - just a smear of the same kind of clear glue that is recommended for fixing tears? I am going to pursue this because I have everything to gain in the experience and nothing to lose. There are also holes in the grille cloth, so I am guessing that some brat was poking at the speaker area with a pencil or similar. Replacing the speaker cloth is easy enough, fortunately, and on the 285 you can't even see much of the cloth (and I am not real concerned about the "correct police").

As for the chassis, I am going to put a wire wheel on my Dremel (or my dental drill, which goes a little slower for control purposes) and see what is underneath the black areas. Being a model railroader, I have a lot of tools available for doing work in small areas. If there is enough material, I will likely clean it up down to shiny metal and cover it with some galvanizing paint that is used for restoring old galvanized material by the old car nuts (as compared to old tractor nuts and old radio nuts). You can see this and similar paints at the Eastwood website http://www.eastwoodco.com/ or more specifically http://www.eastwood.com/ew-silver-cad-ae...12-oz.html

Again, the cost of experimenting with this will be near zero. Then, if all goes well with the speaker and the chassis, I will start on the rebuilding exercise - replacing the wiring that is damaged (I obtained a couple of milk crates of different color and gauge hookup wired from an estate) and replacing resistors & caps. I am the "measure twice, cut once" type, so I will attack the process as methodically as I can, working from the area closest to the chassis and doing the pieces/wires one by one. Where the mice ate the insulation, I will have to just guess at the colors (unless you guys have a color image of a "good" chassis that I can use for a guide). Since the cabinets won't be refinished for another several months, this isn't something that needs to be rushed, and God knows I have enough other projects to keep me busy. I thought that retirement would give me all the time in the world, but there never seems to be enough time to do all the things I want to do!

I have a feeling that the most difficult task (for me) will be the re-rigging of the two dial cords, but that is mostly a matter of time and patience, not expense or physical effort. I have done that work before on other tuners/radios, but this one looks to be a challenge. I also haven't figured out how to get at the pilot lamps to check out the lamps (which HAS to be done). And I want to see if my Heathkit tube checker has the sockets to test the tubes, as well as the switch settings (I fear not, but you never know).

Thanks again for the helpful ideas,

Mike