COSMETICS

In this section you will find hints about cleaning the old radio. This part of the refurbishment or restoration of your old radio is the most dangerous to you bank account. Just one mistake can cause you many hours of work and cost you many dollars for replacement parts. If you want to try a new technique, first try it on a radio that is not valuable.

CLEANING PLASTIC

It seems there is a radio case made out of just about every plastic ever invented. For plastics like polystyrene, nylon, and other thermoplastics the best cleaner I have found is TOUGH ACT. This is a very powerful cleaner and will remove all the dirt very quickly. It will also remove paint spots on the plastic with little or no rubbing. This is a good feature. The least amount of rubbing you do, the fewer new scratches you will add to the surface. Use only paper towels. If you use cloth, you MUST BE SURE there is no grit or dirt in the towel.

DO NOT leave the cleaner on the plastic for very long! Because it is strong, you should rinse as soon as you clean the case. Clean only a portion of the case at a time. Applying the cleaner to the entire case at once may mean you will leave it on the case long enough to cause damage. Rinse, then rinse again, the rinse once more. Use warm water to make the wash and rinse more effective.

After you rinse, apply ARMOR ALL or other protectorant of this type. This gives the plastic a good luster. After this has soaked in, dry the case very well. Again, use only paper towels.

Bakelite cases will respond well with the same treatment as outline above, but the following WARNING. You must act quickly, the cleaner will damage the plastic. I have cleaned bakelite cases in this manner successfully.

Another product you can use instead of ARMOR ALL is COUNTER MAGIC. This spray on polish is great for plastic kitchen cabinets as well as plastic radios. Just follow the directions on the can.  This is the best stuff I have ever used on plastics.

TAKING THE ODOR OUT

Most odor problems are caused by mold, fungus, and/or mildew in the wood cabinet. This is generally due to the wood being exposed to water. Cleaning the case with a mild soap and water solution will remove most odors. However, you must rinse the cabinet very well and dry it quickly. If the wood absorbs the water more "stuff" will grow causing a bad odor. A small hair dryer will help dry the cabinet quickly.

Another method is to use ODOR GRABBER. This is a scented product that you put in the cabinet and then seal the cabinet in a plastic bag with the ODOR GRABBER until the odor is gone.

REFINISHING SHELLAC

Denatured alcohol is a good solvent or shellac. Get old hoses with runs from your wife or girl friend and form each into a tight ball. The solvent is then applied to the ball.

It is possible to either remove all the finish or just clean up the blemishes by rubbing the ball wetted with the alcohol.

This method takes PRACTICE. However, it is a good way to polish out small blemishes in an otherwise good finish.

CORRODED BRASS

Badly corroded brass can be returned to new condition IF the brass part is made of solid brass and not brass plate. The cover closures on Zenith Transoceanic are solid brass. I use the wire wheel for a DREMIL power tool. Be careful not to apply to much pressure, let the speed of the wheel do the work. By the way, do not forget to use both eye protection and breathing protection. After the brass part is smooth, polish to a luster with BRASSO. Then spray the part with a clear protective coating.

TSP FOR CLEANING

TSP is tri-sodium phosphate. This is a good cleaning agent and can be found at many stores.

CLEANING VINYL LINE CORDS

Old vinyl power cords will get hard and brittle. If the cord of your old radio is not brittle to the point there are cracks that expose the wires, you can make it look better. Use any cleaner to get the vinyl clean. Then soak the entire cord in COUNTER TOP MAGIC for a five to ten minutes. Wipe off the excess with a damp paper towel. As you wipe the cord, work the wire gently to help the chemical work into the vinyl. Wait several hours and soak the cord again for a five to ten minutes. After you dry the cord it should be shinny and clean and flexible again.

CLEANING CLOTH COVERED CASES 

The case for many radios and test equipment are cloth covered wood. You can clean these cases using the same method as in hint C1. Do not use paper towels. The paper will catch on the rough surface of the cloth and leave a residue.

The problem is the wood case can absorb water. You must take steps to dry the uncovered section of the case. After you wipe the inside and outside dry with a dry cloth, use a small hair dryer to gently dry both the cover and the wood inside.

Before the cover is completely dry, patch any tears to the cloth cover. Use a good glue that will dry clear and is water soluble. ELMERS will hold the cloth to the wood and you can not see it.

CLEANING THE CHASSIS

Buy an assortment of paint brushes to remove the dust from both the top and underside of the chassis. This will cause the minimum amount of damage. The soft brushes will also do a good job of cleaning the plates of the tuning capacitor. Next you can use a damp cloth to wipe the surfaces clean. BE CAREFUL not to wipe off the numbers on the tubes or any other parts.

The DREMIL tool, with the wire wheel, is very good at cleaning the metal chassis and metal IF cans. Do not use much pressure, just let the speed of the wheel polish the metal. Wear both eye and respiratory protection. You don not want the material you are removing from the radio in your body!

Steel Wool  (size 0000) works really well cleaning metal parts.

With either the steel wool or the DREMIL tool make sure not small metal pieces get in the wrong places, like between the plates of the tuning capacitor.

To remove melted wax use a plastic scraper. Then any residual wax can be removed by using a small amount of solvent on a cloth.

There are sprays that can be used to clean really dirty areas. BE CAREFUL because some of these can damage plastic parts, especially plastic dial windows.

Use a good quality silicon oil to lubricate the rotating joints and the sliding surfaces of the tuning indicator and dial cord mechanism. The same oil will also make the rubber parts look new. Try to use as little oil as possible and wipe up any spills or drips.