Sears Silvertone Restoration

8/15/2010 8:39:11 PMEdd

Sir Lou . . . . .

You are usually knee deep into ole' telly-bisions . . and make queries so related.

But with you now getting into this radio, and with your numerous references to its conditions, seems like I never saw where you had given that radios model number for any referencing to it.

Therefore, I remain . . . working . . . blind, deaf and dumb . . . and heavy on that DUMB.

My guesstimations ?:

With your needing of a "curvy" old 6E5, and not knowing your model of set.

I could then suspect that the top curvature of that tube is the important aspect in either having a mounting ring resting on it, and then pulling DOWN on that area, or else, that curved area is being PRESSED INTO and against a mounting.

Illustrations:

My initial guestimation would be in my top right illustration below, that shows that ring then having . . . probably . . . three peripheral springs that are clipped into it and then their other ends end up being fixed to a static mounting such that they then can pull down and "guy wire" tethering the tube downwards for a solid mounting.

A variant on that would be the ring/mount being physically connected to the front panel / or/ bezel and then having another ring / clamp, back towards the base of the tube.

In that fashion the springs are strung between the two, such that the tube is then being pulled TOWARDS the panel and a rigid mounting is then established in that fashion.

Now in either case , that slope of the top of the envelope would be coming into play.

If this was my problem to solve mechanically . . . and yes, ALL of my 6E5's are straight sided . . hows about merely taking a block of 3/4 in plywood or at least the same thickness dimension in common wood.

(Frankly . . . in order to get even more clamping area, I wouldn't be beyond using a 2X4 with it providing a 3 1/2 in square and its full 1 1/2 in of extra thickness providing for an increased clamping area.

Now, as for cutting that block to shape . . .Choose your weapon, be it from a simple coping saw on up to a scroll saw and then up to the band saw or even a router table.

I probably would go with a 1/8 in front to back, thin blade in a saber / jig saw.

The rubber linings being incorporated inside of the two halves slightly negates the need of a preeeeee-cise round circle for the center hole, that is needed to clamp around the 6E5.

That rubber can be from an inner tube . . . hard to find except at a truck stop . . . or you could commandeer Lil' Duddley Do-rites old bicycle inner tube. (However,that latter option might require double or triple thicknesses, using Pliobond or rubber cement for cemented layers together.)

OR at a full service hardware store, located within the plumbers section, I always see the offering of about an 1/8 inch thickness of an ~ 6 to 8 inch red rubber square. Also, a thicker version of the same in ~ (3/16 in ?) is also being stocked.

After the center hole is made, the board is cut down the center and then confirming its precise fitting to a slightly larger diameter than the 6E5 tube, to thereby create a proper sizing to clamp around the tube, using the flexure of the rubber inserts, and the tensioning provided by your selected clamping elements, chosen to compress the two halves.

There are three options for the tensional clamping of the two halves together, one procedure makes use of two long bolts to hold the units together, or if it is hard to find that bolt length, consider 2-3 bolts with intemediate connecting threaded spacer(s) for them to screw into.

Or there is always the threaded lengths of redi-bolt. Or you could make your own lengths using " brazing " rod stock and threading only the very ends. (Also wire coathanger or solid "clothes line" wire stock . . . also workee.)
Another option . . . is the use of two long deck screws, with gimlet entry points offset 180 degrees on the two different sides of the board halves to do the clamping function.

If the front eye tubes shadow escutchion is being mounting by rosette screws with nuts holding it from the rear, one might use the two small metal pieces shown in BLUE to extend outwardly from each mounting screw and then permit the tieing in of the Item 2 rods which would mount the eye tube support board.

The use of a clamping / mounting board should solve the interfacing to a straight side 6E5 tube problem. Then there is merely the aspect of the solid mounting of that clamping board.

There is even the possibility of the block being mounted to the chassis below it, if the board was made as a rectangle at the chassis mounting end.

Or, metal brackets from the chassis could be brought up for mounting to the block.

A this time, I just don't know the mounting support mechanics of the 6E5 as it was , when using the "curvy" 6E6.

* * * * *

A variant / refinement for option three . . . . for one having the additional tool capabilities:

The last option was to link a tensioning springs end loops together to then encircle the board with the spring resting within a groove around the unit.
That spring OR even 2 -3 daisy chained together, can be selected from the 40 metal boxes with 996 different spring sizes that one also finds at a well stocked hardware store.

On that last option, you could even make the wood clamping blocks outer periphery into a circle for better sliding of the springs links in adjusting into a clamping action.

Otherwise, grooves at the corners of the squares help, as the distribution of 4 distinct groups of links for each of the 4 sides is hard to achieve when having sharp corners..

I can almost cut a perfect circle to a drawn line on a blank, just by using a saber /jig saw.

Now, if a PERFECT circle is required, I can do that on a table saw, I just go about 1/8 inch outside of the penciled circle markup and initially have a 1/8 in drill hole in the center of the circle that I had referenced in the initial drawing of the outside circumference of the circle to.

Then the top of the table saw has a 1X6 placed on top that is slightly greater in lengh than the F-to-back dimension of the table top depth .
Then a 1/8 in drill hole is made in the ~ center of the 6 in dimension AND the overall F to B depth dimension. The 1x6 is then having the 1/8 in drill bit inserted with pointed side up, the circle blank has its central 1/8 in hole dropped down over the drill bit. The blank then will spin, then the top of the 2x6 is clamped down with a C clamp , positioned such that the circle blank is almost touching the raised saw blade.

Then the the saw is started up and the bottom of the 2x6 is ever so slightly levered in towards, until just touching the circle blank and then after hearing that slight contact noise, the disc is ever so slowly turned until a complete revolution is made.

Then, the slight levering inwards of the free end of the 2X6 board then makes it possible for a second half kerf cut around the circle by doing a second rotation of the circle blank.

Each spin is taking off about a 1/3 of a kerf width, so by the final time, one should be aligning onto the pencil marked circle, and its completion should result in a perfect circle with absolute minimal roughness of cut.

Now . . . that groove around the periphery of the edge of the circle blank.

To get the groove I would set the vertical fence such that a cut on the edge side of that circle blank would be almost centered, then the blade height is set for 1/2 or slightly greater than the springs diameter, for the establishing the depth of the groove tht the spring will be resting down within..

Then the saw is started and the blank is rested with one side against the vertical fence and slowly rotated in a complete circle, to eventually end up with a groove being made all around that circle blanks outer periphery.

That would only be ~1/8 in wide, so one then resets the vertical fence approximately a half kerf width outwards from the blade.

Then the circle blank is run thru slowly again, but after this groove is made, rotate the circle blank 180 degrees against the fence and you will then be slightly widening the groove of the OTHER side of the blank, just as you had done on the prior run.

This should then have resulted in the 3 passes in making a slightly greater than 1/4 in groove on the edge of the blank. That is now solving the making the recessed groove for the spring to rest down within.

The only need now , should you not fijd the clamping action to be firm enough, is the possibly of having to progressively cut out some links from one end, then reform an end link and couple ends to be able to test for just thefinal right degree of 6E5 tube clamping action.

Finally . . a perfect clamping around the tube.

73's de Edd

+ + + + + MECHANICAL INFO + + + + +

:Lou, here are some.
:Regards,
:Vinny A.
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:http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=6E5+eye+tube&_sacat=See-All-Categories
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