Regarding the diluted Simple Green and soaking wiring: Any concerns of contaminants or cleaner getting trapped in the wire (i.e. think longevity - years or decades later?)

I've seen a fair number of people use this method, but have been always hesitant and still clean wires by hand. Do you warm the wiring to try to evaporate and residual water (sorry if missed it if mentioned)?

Oops about Simple Green - missed you mentioned it was orange based. Wouldn't have thought about the difference tho - good comment.

I actually looked up Simple Green and it is indeed corrosive and they mentioned guidelines on proper usage (mostly cleaning time and rinsing). Orange cleaners, if they use the proper ingredients, are not corrosive. From one random seller's (EcoLink- Vortex) web site "This blend of natural ingredients is a 100% organic formulation representing a completely new approach in one step degreasing. It is non-corrosive and contains no petroleum distillates, halogenated solvents or alkalis." But it also sounds like some citrus based cleaners, if they go the cheap route, might still be corrosive. Depends on what part of the orange or additives they use. Of course I should add - I don't work for or sell Vortex. Just interesting reading!

Excellent answers. May have to rethink my laborious wire cleaning strategy and look closer at my cleaners!

Another seller even mentions 'non corrosive" on the label. Hmmm.

Capture (resized).PNG

What did you use to clean and blacken the outside of the core?

I'm still a noob at this, and one thing I've purposely done is to not take everything off at once. Just too many little do-dads that I'd forget where they went. Hundreds and hundreds of photos of everything, and possible every angle helps a lot. But I only tackle small sections at a time despite taking forever. More often than not, I almost cringe when I see one for sale that been 'stripped and cleaned' - worries me that they didn't put things back correctly.

How do you keep everything sorted out? Have you just done so many it's second nature? Got any of the factory assembly manuals (not a repair manual, but the build instructions for the worker bees)?

Sorry for all the questions!

HEP,

This thread has been very intriguing to see the progress and attention to the detail. Now a sidebar question...maybe a new thread or add at the end of this one when finished that gives us a quick history about how you got to this level of detail? Obviously, it had to start at one point of just fixing a broken pin. But did the level of detail ramp up quickly or did it simply progress gradually? Did you learn to solder, understand any electronics, methods of cleaning, painting, etc. and was it self taught? Did you have some to help guide you on the way? By no means want you to spend a night typing a long story, but something brief would be rather interesting.

Perfect! Great reading the 'behind the scenes stories."

This sort of sums up a H.E.P. restore...before and after:
1 (resized).PNG2 (resized).PNG

Mitering the cabinet edges...why do after the decal install and not before?

TOTAN: How about after he's received the restored pin?