Calling VINTAGE TX (Rolf)! (My restoration project!)

[cjacek]

WOW! Thanks again Rolf! Will do as you suggest!

A few last question:

(1) What makes "Wide Range" different to "Low Noise" ? Does it mean that one can record better dynamic "range" and the other has "low noise" ? Please explain.

(2) With what can I "polish" the silver face and the wooden housing of the 270D ?

(3) With all the brushes and advice you've given me, what would a "general purpose" cleaner be, that I can put onto the brushes first, that I can use safely on just about any metal part, plastic, rubber etc ....

and lastly .....

(4) Can I pay you via PayPal and how much would the washers be for the pinch roller (none are there and the roller moves in and out) ? Also, how much for the counter belt (I will measure) ? Lastly, do you have that long screw (one of two) that goes through the base of the wooden cabinet and into the metal casing of the recorder ? How much for all of these, Rolf ?

That's all ..

Daniel

 

[steamshooter]

I can answer the polish questions if you don't mind me jumping in. For the metal brightwork (chrome, polished aluminum, ect) I have had fantastic results with Never Dull by Eagle One. It's a wadding type polish. It will NOT scratch!!

Wood depends on condition. You might get by with a good furniture oil just to replenish the moisture that's gone. Or you might need to go as far as fine "OOOO" steel wool and oil.
Here's a recipie given to my dad from an antique dealer: Equal parts of turpentine, white vinegar, and boiled linseed oil.It has to say boiled. Shake well open the windows and watch your wood come alive!

Hope that helps
Brad

 

[cjacek]

I can answer the polish questions if you don't mind me jumping in. For the metal brightwork (chrome, polished aluminum, ect) I have had fantastic results with Never Dull by Eagle One. It's a wadding type polish. It will NOT scratch!!

Wood depends on condition. You might get by with a good furniture oil just to replenish the moisture that's gone. Or you might need to go as far as fine "OOOO" steel wool and oil.
Here's a recipie given to my dad from an antique dealer: Equal parts of turpentine, white vinegar, and boiled linseed oil.It has to say boiled. Shake well open the windows and watch your wood come alive!

Hope that helps
Brad

Yes, thanks Brad! I'm glad you jumped in!

Daniel

 

[Vintage TX]

Sorry for long wait Daniel, have been very busy here, A/C went out and that is not good in Texas.
About cleaning the faceplate, be careful with the black lettering...I use Brasso for the aluminum, suggest you take the face off when doing this, and no Brasso on any plastic parts.

Cabinet on the Akai is laminated vinyl, so regular Windex takes the dirt off.


Cleaning the PC-board, did you buy those brushes and cleaner from the website ?
I never found a safe cleaner for cleaning everything Daniel.. rubber, plastic, metal, pc-boards are all different.
If you tell me what part you working on, I can suggest something.

Wide-range setting combined with High grade tape makes better recording.
Suggest Quantegy 406 or 407.
If you by any chance find Maxell UD 35 used, those are also sweet.
Low Noise setting is for normal tape, like Ampex 631 or similar.
On lower speed (3-3/4) I suggest higher grade tape and wide-range setting.
Higher speed (7-1/2) you can use "normal " tape with Low Noise Daniel.
Rule= higher speed less hiss and better quality but tape and setting is important.

About the parts, send me a PM, and I send the washers and belt + screw for the shipping cost Daniel.
Have all of those in stock here.

Again sorry for long wait.

 

[cjacek]

Sorry for long wait Daniel, have been very busy here, A/C went out and that is not good in Texas.
About cleaning the faceplate, be careful with the black lettering...I use Brasso for the aluminum, suggest you take the face off when doing this, and no Brasso on any plastic parts.

Cabinet on the Akai is laminated vinyl, so regular Windex takes the dirt off.

Thanks Rolf! Yeah, I took the face plate off and used something called "Autosol", a metal polish that is used for all sorts of metals, chrome etc ... It came out pretty nice but has some smudges that I need to get out first ...

On the cabinet though, I used "Pledge" ... Smells like "the woods" now!

Cleaning the PC-board, did you buy those brushes and cleaner from the website ?
I never found a safe cleaner for cleaning everything Daniel.. rubber, plastic, metal, pc-boards are all different.
If you tell me what part you working on, I can suggest something.

Yes, I bought the brushes that you suggested but only got to use the horse ones for hard to reach areas ... The hog brush was too tough and I thought it too risky to attempt to use it on pc boards. I took the amp out and used a normal duster and that got most of the dust out. Luckily, there was no grease, just dust perhaps from the inside of the wood cover .... I also tried to take out other pc boards but it was impossible and so I just did what I could with the duster and again ... most dust came off and I left some as was .... Me thinks a little dust on these boards is not gonna hurt .... I didn't buy the "super wash" 'cause I thought it might do more damage than help. Amazingly I bought this big, long brush used for food stuff, made from real wood and natural hair and it was perfect for dusting wherever was neccessary ... [/QUOTE]

Wide-range setting combined with High grade tape makes better recording.
Suggest Quantegy 406 or 407.
If you by any chance find Maxell UD 35 used, those are also sweet.
Low Noise setting is for normal tape, like Ampex 631 or similar.
On lower speed (3-3/4) I suggest higher grade tape and wide-range setting.
Higher speed (7-1/2) you can use "normal " tape with Low Noise Daniel.
Rule= higher speed less hiss and better quality but tape and setting is important.

Alright, thanks! Unfortunately my supplier is out of the 406/407 so for now I'm stuck with the 456 which is not bad at all!

About the parts, send me a PM, and I send the washers and belt + screw for the shipping cost Daniel.
Have all of those in stock here.

Ahh! Thanks! Alright, I'll send you a pm about those parts and I can pay you via PayPal ..... Will do that as soon as I post many of the picts from my "restoration" .....

Again sorry for long wait.

Not a problem Rolf!

 

[cjacek]

Here come the many picts from the "restoration project" ... The Akai may not look new inside and out but it looks significantly better than when I received it. I think the biggest problem was the whole tape path and heads ... the previous owner never did clean 'em .. The discoloration UNDERneath the heads is puzzling though ...... $1000 to the first person who tells me what it is!

Many picts to follow!

Daniel

 

[cjacek]

Head pict came out quite well don't you think ?

 

[cjacek]

Another one .......

 

[cjacek]

Ahh, the infamous discoloration .... sorry about the bad pict ... it's hard to get it in focus ..

 

[cjacek]

I think this is the clearest pict I've ever made this close ... you can see the discoloration better than with a naked eye .... what is that ?????

 

[cjacek]

My work table ....

 

[cjacek]

More picts .....

 

[cjacek]

Yet ... more .....

 

[cjacek]

Testing the Akai and seeing it at work ...

 

[cjacek]

My work bench from another angle ....

 

[cjacek]

Pretty clean but complex in there ... looks like a brain!

 

[cjacek]

Putting it together .... nice and minty cabinet .....

 

[cjacek]

Well, here they are ..... clean but that "discoloration" is getting on my nerves!

 

[cjacek]

The pinch roller was cleaned with Rubber Renue from MG Chemicals. The pre and post "treatment" pinch roller is quite a dramatic difference ... Before it was brown from oxide that even scrubbing with dish detergent for 15 mins didn't fix completely ... With rubber renue, the roller is virtually new!

 

[cjacek]

Couldn't get the brown stuff from the left roller completely ... but it looks much better than before ...