ebait acquisition, output tx

[Phil_S]

I'm hoping I got a deal, but am not holding my breath. The seller says it was installed in a 6L6 amplifier. It is untested. I think it is on the puny side size-wise or the seller has big hands. Also, the mounting tabs are gone. For under $12 shipped, I am hoping it will be worth what I paid for it. If not, I'll write it off to adventurous misdeeds. At least I am sure it is a Stancor from the EIA# and that is why I bid on it.

Does anyone know how to remove the cover? Is it simply a sleeve meant to be pulled back? This one is old!

It won't arrive until next week. Auction pics are attached.

[Blackburn]

Was this just on fleabay? I feel like I just saw it and kind of remember the sharpie saying 6L6.

[Phil_S]

Yes, paid for it this morning. You missed out! It went for the opening bid of 99¢. Actually, I didn't expect to be the winner.

I can't complain except maybe the seller was a bit out of line charging over $11 for shipping. We know this goes in a $5 or $8 flat rate box. Such is how it works on ebait. I am a firm believer that bidders reduce the ceiling to compensate for padded shipping charges. I know I do. Sometimes I won't bid at all if shipping is an obviously over-padded amount.

This is recreation, not serious stuff.

So, any hints on how this thing opens up? I think I need to remove the cover so I can add a couple of mounting tabs.

[Cantplay]

Usually they are potted with tar, or something similar to dampen vibrations.

John

[Blackburn]

Yes, paid for it this morning. You missed out! It went for the opening bid of 99¢. Actually, I didn't expect to be the winner.

I can't complain except maybe the seller was a bit out of line charging over $11 for shipping. We know this goes in a $5 or $8 flat rate box. Such is how it works on ebait. I am a firm believer that bidders reduce the ceiling to compensate for padded shipping charges. I know I do. Sometimes I won't bid at all if shipping is an obviously over-padded amount.

This is recreation, not serious stuff.

So, any hints on how this thing opens up? I think I need to remove the cover so I can add a couple of mounting tabs.

A mallet, maybe?

Man, as nuts as I went a couple days ago buying on there, it still has me coming down off my high. I haven't even looked since I did all that. Just found some incredible deals. It's really amazing what you can get old trannies for on fleabay. I really think they're worth more for scrap iron than they are going for there, and I intend to milk it as well, and have. Many old Baldwin, Wurlitzer, Stancor, etc to choose from for nothing!

[Phil_S]

Usually they are potted with tar, or something similar to dampen vibrations.

Potted? Ewww...that sucks. Maybe a job for the Demel? Just cut away the jacket? I don't think I want to do that. I just need to figure out how to attach a bit of right angle metal so I can mount it. Maybe I can epoxy metal to metal? Or just use some very short self-tapping screws? I'll follow up when I get it and have a close look.

[Phil_S]

Man, as nuts as I went a couple days ago buying...found some incredible deals...

I've got a bit more junquetique amp stuff than I can use at the moment. It's led me to bid very low. This is a fine example. We'll see if it's trash or treasure. I have a feeling this little OT isn't good for more than a pair of EL95's. That's OK, I've got a couple waiting for an amp to be built for them.

[overtone]

A few years back I "won" on a multi-ratio, potted, 18W OT. The thing rattled quite a lot and so I opened it up and it had been potted with tar which had become a brittle loose mess. It does not measure right so I never tried it.
I have never met tar that old before. I wonder if the tar gets that brittle if the thing got too hot at one time, or if that is normal after 40/50 years?

In the long term I am sure that I have wasted good money on s/h iron that is not quite right for anything sensible. I have a wall of the most insane lumps of iron and there always seems to be some draw back, like how on earth do you secure Phil_S's new OT to a chassis?

[Cliff Schecht]

I think I've posted my wall of iron before. It's pretty bad how much iron I have when I haven't really built anything in four months. That's currently being remedied btw .

I like to just stand there and stare at that wall while I dream up amp builds. That's like picking the heart and brain of your next child..

[Phil_S]

It arrived today. It is indeed potted. Judging from the impressions on the side (see above pic where it says 6L6) and pulling the cardboard from the bottom, I think I know where the lams are. The outer case appears to be crimped onto the frame of the tx. Between that and the potting, I am not sure if I could remove the outer cover with a Dremel!

What is the potting material? It is black and shiny and seems to be fairly hard. Can I drill through it or will it crack and crumble? Will it hold a self-tapping screw?

If I can drill through it, I can run a bolt all the way through from one side to another and use that to secure metal mounts. Of course, I worry there could be wire(s) in the way.

The leads are in fair condition. The outer cloth is cracking. The inner insulation (rubber?) appears OK. There is no easy way to re-lead this tx. I will have to cover with heat shrink and leave them alone.

I have to guess at the 0 lead for the secondary. There are 4 secondaries (5 wires). Input voltage to the primary for testing was 31.6VAC. It looks to me like this one is 3K primary to 4, 8 , 15, and 500. Actual results assuming 3K are 4.18, 8.18, 15.21, and 471.68.

I am thinking if I can figure out how to mount it, I got a good one!

[Reeltarded]

Common from early stuff to have (as decribed) tar. Sometimes it's tar and asbestos, which I am not afraid of.

If you see shards it's plain tar. If it breaks off not as clean and looks like sandstone more than obsidian it probably has a filler like tasty, tasty asbestos.

Which I am not afraid of.

[vibratoking]

When I was a kid, the next town over had a rail yard. All the kids used to frequently frolick together on the 'white mountains'. Those white mountains were huge piles of asbestos, which I'm not afraid of either.

[Reeltarded]

My mother has a picture of me holding a huge ball of mercury on my tongue. It was purchased at the drug store. They used to sell it as a toy.

A thermometer broke at a school here about 5 years ago. They closed the school for more than a week and it cost over $200k to clean it inch by inch.

That is what happens if you call the number on the box.

[Blackburn]

What if it drips out and doesn't taste very good?

Especially on a taco.

[Leo_Gnardo]

I've de-potted & re-potted a couple of Ampeg PT's & OT's for B-15. I expect this will be much the same. Potting material is a hi temp "wax" which for all intents & purposes is tar. I use a small hibachi & a handful of self-lighting charcoal briquets. Outdoors of course. On a damp day with no wind, so the smoke goes straight up & not into neighbors (or my) windows. Have a double wall cardboard box nearby & wet the carboard thoroughly. So it won't catch fire. Also have a pair of heavy duty leather work gloves. Start the charcoal & let it burn & settle down a bit as you would for a barbeque. Set the transformer on the grill & watch carefully. After a couple minutes the "tar" will liquefy & start to bubble. At this point, with gloved hands, dump the contents into the wet cardboard box. Try not to spill hot tar into the charcoal or onto yourself. Now you can extinguish the charcoal & start prying shreds of tar from the transformer & leads. The paint on the "can" will be shot, but you can zip that off with a wire wheel & repaint as you wish. Or in your case, discard it with all that tasty dreck you just created.

So far in every case I've done this to replace a bad transformer. In your case you have a presumably good transformer so it may pay to wrap the leads in tape & try to keep them from getting singed in the process. If the transformer is still good after this process, you might try mounting it in any spare bells you have around. I keep a box full because, well you never know when you'll need 'em.

Some people have done this process in an electric toaster oven but I think it's hard to see when the tar has melted, and if it spills onto the electric elements you'll have a stinky fire that's hard to put out. And hard to explain to the fire dep't. Needless to say, you won't be using that toaster-oven to cook food again, no matter what. I suppose you could use a hot plate. I've tried the "double boiler" method but the tar/wax doesn't melt until way past 212F. More like 350-400F.

Good luck, from "the Mad Scientist" Leo G.