Does anyone know of a good way to clean the rf coils on a Atwater Kent breadboard? My coils are very dusty and I don't want to just wipe with a damp rag as this may damage/rot the cloth cover on the wires. What about other restoration tips for AK breadboard? I just got a model 10c that is very dirty but complete condition. This will be my most valuable radio and I just don't want to destroy it's value.
Thanks, Tom

Tom: Might try canned air dust remover.
Doug

:Does anyone know of a good way to clean the rf coils on a Atwater Kent breadboard? My coils are very dusty and I don't want to just wipe with a damp rag as this may damage/rot the cloth cover on the wires. What about other restoration tips for AK breadboard? I just got a model 10c that is very dirty but complete condition. This will be my most valuable radio and I just don't want to destroy it's value.
:Thanks, Tom

Tom,
I'd suggest dusting with a soft brush and a low pressure blower. If you are concerned about the color of the wire, it has likely faded over the years and I'd leave it as is - but do store the radio out of direct sunlight to prevent further fading.... I've seen some neat glass / plexiglass dustcover cases people have made to protect their breadboards...

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:Does anyone know of a good way to clean the rf coils on a Atwater Kent breadboard? My coils are very dusty and I don't want to just wipe with a damp rag as this may damage/rot the cloth cover on the wires. What about other restoration tips for AK breadboard? I just got a model 10c that is very dirty but complete condition. This will be my most valuable radio and I just don't want to destroy it's value.
:Thanks, Tom

Thanks, yes that is what I would like to do brighten up th color some. I was thinking about making some type of cover also- the sun light thing is also a good idea I will remember that,
thanks, Tom

:Tom,
:I'd suggest dusting with a soft brush and a low pressure blower. If you are concerned about the color of the wire, it has likely faded over the years and I'd leave it as is - but do store the radio out of direct sunlight to prevent further fading.... I've seen some neat glass / plexiglass dustcover cases people have made to protect their breadboards...
:
:
:_________________
::Does anyone know of a good way to clean the rf coils on a Atwater Kent breadboard? My coils are very dusty and I don't want to just wipe with a damp rag as this may damage/rot the cloth cover on the wires. What about other restoration tips for AK breadboard? I just got a model 10c that is very dirty but complete condition. This will be my most valuable radio and I just don't want to destroy it's value.
::Thanks, Tom

I've never had any AK radios, but what I do to the coils of other radios is gently wash them in soapy water, rinse with cold, and then dry. That usually takes most of the dirt and grime out of the wires. One remarkable face-lift I did was to an Airline 62-425. The wires were all grimy and covered with a white powder. White wires were dark gray. I gently washed everything, and now all wires are bright and almost new looking (not quite, but pretty nice). With some wires that were really grimy, I massaged the soapy water through them.

As far as rot is concerned, rot comes from sunlight, heat, and continual dampness (especially when mold is present). If you wash a wire, you won't rot it. Be careful, though, that you don't remove old delicate insulation, if it has already rotted. If the insulation is already pretty fragile, the most you should do is gently soak it in water. No strain should be put on the insulation. A gentle soak will remove quite a bit of dirt. Gently bringing the item into and out of the water helps work the grime loose.

I've also used mineral spirits to clean some grimy stains. Mineral spirits will remove wax, though, so don't soak wax covered items in mineral spirits. You can experiment by gently wiping. Sometimes a gentle wipe with mineral spirits will take off only a small wax from the top layer, along with the dirt and grime. Don't rub too hard, or you'll go through.

Do not soak transformers with enamel covered wire. The enamel sometimes comes off if it is brittle, and then you have shorts. Instead wipe transformers with a damp cloth soaked either in water or mineral spirits. Start with one to remove water based stains, and then use the other to remove oil based stains.

Allow all washed devices to dry thoroughly before using them.

T.