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Philco 60 restoration - Printable Version

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Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-08-2024

This is a Philco 60, code 121, I bought from, I think, Wilbur in Kutztown May 2024.
I always wanted either 66 or 60 in this cabinet, so for the price that was a very good deal.

So, this is the first look.


Here is the cabinet.  In my opinion, this is what I call "passable". That is, it has signs of long life, but does  not look too bad for it to be stripped and refinished. Good antique look.

   
   
   
   


The speaker is clean, though I have not yet checked it and the transformer electrically.

   



This is the chassis.
Some rust on top. Naval jelly / sanpaper.

   
   

The underside is very clean. Someone repaired it in the past, subbing the axial electrolytics. But the originals are still present, and this means I will restuff them.

   
   

Otherwise it does not seem anyone touched the chassis for any other reason.

I have tested the tubes; all are OK., though a couple was on the weak side (not too bad). The 6A7 pentode is a bit down there, but most time so are many of them. Also the 78 tube. less than 50%, so I had a good one. None of this would stopped the radio from working.
Because I spent time before putting the new battery holders and the batteries into my Zeniths, I decided that would be enough for today.

RE: Philco 60 restoration - RodB - 12-08-2024

Wow Mike, that one is a restorers" dream! Looking forward to see your progress.

RE: Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-08-2024

Yeah. I like early Philcos; tons of space, convenient to work on.

RE: Philco 60 restoration - MrFixr55 - 12-09-2024

Nice and unmolested. A good AA5 type circuit and the Moderne (?) Cabinet? Nice!

RE: Philco 60 restoration - Radioroslyn - 12-09-2024

Here's some additional info on this set: https://www.tuberadioland.com/philco60MB_main.html
It's identical twin is the 66.
Imho if you have the choice the 66 is the better as the sw band is higher in frequency and there
is more to listen to. I think 5.5mc-16mc so it covers several sw broadcast bands that you can here
all day long.

RE: Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-09-2024

Terry

I already have a 66; the lyre face one.
I specifically wanted a 60.
I have a 60, this one
https://philcoradio.com/gallery2/1936b/#Model_60B

I got it from Skip, a few years ago when we all visited him. Have restored it perhaps 8 or so years ago.
https://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread.php?tid=15923&highlight=60

RE: Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-09-2024

   

Checked the resistors.
Funny, all the resistors of the type, where the upper red arrow is pointing, are mostly within 1K from the target, and one of the 70K is within 10%.

However, all the resistors of the type, where the bottom arrow is pointing, are 60% - 100% up in value and need to be reeplaced. I have all values needed, the required wattage is fairly low.


The speaker checks out fine; both the FC and the output xfmr's primary are good.

And, sure enough, the power switch is intermittent and shows from open to 200-300 Ohm. Needs to be cleaned.

RE: Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-15-2024

So, today it's been some resistors change plus the tone control rebuild.

This is how the tone ctl looked before.

   
   

This is being rebuilt.
   

I also decided to take the shaft out because I was not able to clean the inner contact surface well, and I think the making was intermittent.

   

After having been reassembled,

This is when the switch is open

   

And this is when made.

   


This is put back in the chassis.
   

RE: Philco 60 restoration - radiorich - 12-16-2024

Morzh,
Wow very nice did you use hot glue ? I was also working on my Philco today too my 38-10 I started cleaning the tuner I started by taking the tuning shaft off and cleaned it in my ultrasonic cleaner .
Your work looks really good.

Sincerely Richard

RE: Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-16-2024

Rich

Yes, I use hot glue. Used to use colorless; then decided brown looked better.
I remember Ron said a t some point there was no problem potting over film caps, but I still protect them with a fishpaper cap on tom and a couple of small pieces on the sides. This will not prevent the hot glue from getting to the cap 100%, but it will be small amount, while the layer on top and around will be sufficient to fix everything in place and pot it.

RE: Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-16-2024

Not to self: link to the 60 evolution article

https://philcoradio.com/library/index.php/shop-talk/model-notes/evolution-of-philco-model-60/

So, I found out mine is at least Run 4 as, while rebuilding the big tin capacitor can, I found 5 capacitors, and the first 3 runs have 4.

The can, cut off from the wires is this:
   

Taken apart:
   


Caps inserted:
   
   

Then they are potted around where the wires go through the front wall and the can assembled.
   


I did not mark the wires as the caps have different values, and the two, that are the same, are interchangeable.
The values are in uF:
0.1
0.1
0.047.
0.22
1

(I subbed 1uF for 0.5uF, as this won't hurt anything, part of the power filter, and if anything, will improve filtering).

RE: Philco 60 restoration - dconant - 12-17-2024

I recently finished restoring a 66 in the very same cabinet. Very nice sounding radio. Funny how just about every radio of that age has badly failing rubber wire on the tone switch. I wound up refinishing the cabinet of my radio.

RE: Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-17-2024

Yes, I do not know why but all radios I have restored, with this type tone control, had rubber wires going to it. The first was the 18.
Maybe it would create better seal when tarred? Don't know...

RE: Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-17-2024

Was about to install the can back, but one of the screws would not tighten. It developed some mushed therad. Would noty come out and would not tighten.
I tried bunch of tricks: pushing from the top while unscrewing, pulling with pliers and unscrewing, prying with a flat screwdriver while unscrewing, even tried the cat's claw nail pulling tool....nope.
Eventually I took my Dremel, cut off the tail, then cut off the head, then used a punch and it came out after an hour of flipping the bird at me.
A spare Philco screw went in just fine.
Will reconnect tomorrow.
Then the electrolytics.

   
   

RE: Philco 60 restoration - morzh - 12-24-2024

Yesterday I rebuilt the electrolytic caps, and installed it today.
Had to go to Lowes and by a plastic 1" pipe to help hold the caps together when glued. It is 7' long and will probably last me 'till the rest of my life, as it takes under an inch for it to be used in this application.


Cut and opened the caps, cleaned out the guts and the plastic mesh, and soaked in vinegar.
   

For the center contact I use thick Romex copper wire.
To make it sit well in the center, I put 4 layers of two different adhesive heat shrinkable tubing.
   
   

Then I pot it from inside with hot glue, to immobilize.
   

Put the negative wire with a foil pad, and glue in the 1" pipe insert.
   

Then solder in the caps. This one is the 8uF replacement, so I use 2x 22uF high ripple Panasonics, that gives me 11uF, quite acceptable.
   

Then glue the halves together.
   

Both caps finished. For the second cap I use one 22uF cap; I have a lot, and the second cap can be of a larger value, as this is at the filter's output.
   
   

Installed, top and bottom.
   
   
   

And soldered to.
   







Now, when soldering the second cap and tracing wires, I realized the trimmer layout (the positive of the second cap goes to one of the trimmers, that connects to B+) is not one of those found here in the "60 EVolution" article.
https://philcoradio.com/library/index.php/shop-talk/model-notes/evolution-of-philco-model-60/

This is again the bottom view, the trimmers are shown.
   


And this is the back, with the traced trimmer numbers.
I think I have Run 6, with a 26A trimmer and 5 caps in the capacitive block.
However the layout of the trimmers is not the same shown on the pictures in the article.
   


Now, I will quickly check the coils, shorts at the power and will attempt the power up. (important step: while soldering the second cap's plus to the trimmer I realized it was shorted to GND. The investigation showed, it was touching the protective cap).