Ferguson 3629 "Personal" restore

[AidanLunn]

Tomorrow, I will be gluing the black trim just behind the main front panel, that is coming unstuck. unfortunately, I can't decide what material it actually is.

Does anyone on here know.

Also, as I'm an idiot at anything involving woodwork, would PVA glue be perfectly adequate for gluing it back to the cabinet? The bit I am talking about is peeling off.

[Doz]

PVA is great stuff.... and if it doesn't work, or you get it wrong, it's not too difficult to remove!

[Lloyd]

It looks like a type of Rexine, and I used PVA wood glue to stick it back down on mine. Last time I looked it was still stuck down

Again, you are best off removing the front panel to get to it.

Regards,
Lloyd.

[AidanLunn]

Delay to gluing the black trim, this will be done either today or tomorrow

Does anyone know of a good source for replacement feet for this set? I'm extremely reluctant to make my own.

[Doz]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4x-Round-Cabinet-Instrument-Case-Foot-Circular-Rubber-Feet-Bumpers-Black-RF08-/131441738514?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1e9a89c312 ?

[AidanLunn]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4x-Round-Cabinet-Instrument-Case-Foot-Circular-Rubber-Feet-Bumpers-Black-RF08-/131441738514?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1e9a89c312 ?

Thanks Doz, but they're not the right kind. The dimensions are slightly different, but more importantly, they are screw-in with no shaft. Mine are push-in, with shaft approx. 1cm in diameter, base 2cm at widest point.

[Refugee]

The way I would go is to first obtain some feet the right size with single screw fixing. Hard nylon feet will be best as they need to be that little bit more rigid than rubber types and will not need large washers as the rubber types would have to have fitted if they are not to fall off.
Then obtain some wall plugs the same diameter as the holes and trim them making a careful note of how they expand as the screw goes in. This will allow them to be shortened so that the ends do not foul the chassis when ever it is fitted or removed.

[AidanLunn]

Just reporting back to state that the PVA glue has glued the black trim very nicely and perfect fit feet have been fitted.

[AidanLunn]

A few months ago, this set developed a fault on 625 only - excessive width. I actually remember the moment this began happening - a slight cracking was heard from within the set and an unpleasant smell (though no actual smoke). Once I'd quickly figured out it was coming from the TV (by looking at the screen), I switched off pretty sharpish!

When I took the back off, I found C98 had split open, so was replaced! Also, at that same time, after 30 minutes from switch-on, a hum bar and a lack of gain on UHF would develop, so replacing both valves in the UHF tuner has sorted this!

The episode of Doctor Who is episode eight of "The Invasion", transmitted on Saturday 21st December 1968 at 5:15 on BBC-1. Like all BBC1 programmes made after January 1968, it was made in 625 and then converted down to 405 on transmission.

[Tazman1966]

Working well there What does C98 do?

[AidanLunn]

Working well there What does C98 do?

It's one of the line output tuning capacitors isn't it? I do know it determines the width on 625, which looking at its' position in the circuit diagram, makes complete sense.

EDIT: The width of the picture had increased on 625 only, that was the symptom on the screen. 405 was fine.

[Focusdiode]

C98 is switched it to circuit on 625-lines only. The equivalent 405-line ones are C97 0.3uF and C99 300pF. You may recall I had something similar happen on the 960 portable. Turned out to be the lopt! The set still works well with a 1400 lopt and modified 1580 EHT tray.

Back to your Personal set. That's an excellent restoration. Well done.
Cheers
Brian

[Lloyd]

Nice work on the Fergy, Aidan

I really should get back to mine, I have problems with frame linearity going off on one after the set warms up, and also some hum bars on the picture, might be smoothers, but I haven't looked into it too far yet!

Regards,
Lloyd.

[Focusdiode]

Just over a year later another of these sets turns up. Steve very kindly collected it for me, hope to bring it home soon.
He sent some photos, it's in remarkably good condition. Has a valve UHF tuner as I hoped and piggy back flywheel sync panel.
Looking forward to getting it home and restoring it to working order. I'll start a thread on it shortly.

Cheers
Brian

[Katie Bush]

Missing brights from the knobs?

Here's a possible solution.. If you can lay your hands on any suitably thin aluminium sheet (any colour or texture will do), you can cut and trim to shape and size to match the missing bright(s).. Next, acquire and assortment of chocolate bars and/or other products which have a thin aluminium foil.. Obviously, look for the ones that most closely match the colour of the missing bright - I might suggest in this case, a wrapper from a bar of "Caramac".. It's a nice golden colour.

Keep the foil as flat and wrinkle free as possible, then spread a thin film of PVA on the reverse side, i.e. the side that isn't going to be on show.. Now, press the aluminium piece(s) you made earlier firmly on to the glued surface of the foil.

Turn the whole thing over and smooth down the foil on to the work piece.. Make sure to get rid of any air bubbles and creases from the foil, and leave to dry.

Once dried, the foil can be cut to shape around the edges of the new bright - a good sharp pair of sewing scissors re ideal for this.. Work slowly and carefully to obtain the best possible neat and tidy finish.

Texturing the surface is not easy, but if all that is required is a matte finish, lay the newly made bright(s), face up, on a hard flat surface.. Next, lay a piece of fine emery paper, abrasive side down, on top of the bright, and gently roll it down with almost any cylindrical object you have to hand - a coffee mug will do.

Just slowly and gently roll the mug (etc) back and forth, checking frequently to see how the golden coloured surface is progressing - it's better to under do, than over do this step.

Once you're satisfied with the result, burnish ever so lightly with a cotton cloth to give a very slight brightness to the newly made bright.

It shouldn't take too long to make new brights this way, but it is well worth make a few practice pieces to begin with, and get a feel for how it goes.

Obviously, the new brights will never exactly match the missing ones, but will be much neater than a plastic knob with a blob of dead and dried glue on show.

Though I no longer have any equipment with home made brights, I used this approach to freshen up a tired looking Rigonda "Party Time" record player, about 1980, and an HMV portable record player that had lost a couple of brights, at about the same time.. I've also refinished several radio knobs this way (transistor portables) and a "Linear" amplifier I once owned, about forty years ago.

Marion

[PYE625]

I'm starting to like these little sets now....reading the above restore has got my interest

[Focusdiode]

Really useful information Katie. Many thanks.
Cheers

Brian

[Focusdiode]

HMV 2633 continues to work well! A variant of the 900/950 designated a 960 with the bizarre 2-stage warm up feature. Working well with a 1400 Lopt and modified 1580 EHT tray!

Here it is running on 405-lines. Interesting to note the intensity of the line whistle is much reduced with the 1400 LOPT fitted.


Brian

[Focusdiode]

In my set C93 was found to be split. The yellow capacitors appear to be more reliable than the all blue types.
The 625 scan correction capacitor C98 is also of the blue variety and will be replaced later today now I have some 100nf 1kv capacitors on me.

Brian

[PYE625]

I have some 100nf 1kv capacitors on me.

Brian

Get them off before they bite !!!

[PYE625]

PS....there is another set right now on ebay for £65