Curb & Karma

Audiophlelia improves eyesight, I tell 'ya.

Steaming hot outside, on my way to a family weekend lunch. Just before I exit the highway, I see this old guy with his car on the side of the road. I don't know why, but in a glance he seemed in need of assistance.

True to my profession, I am an a$$hole and never do any good unless I absolutely have to, but I stopped and asked him if all is OK. It turns out he has a flat, a bad back and his cell phone battery died on him. Steaming hot, I kid you not.

So I tell the guy to wait for me in my car in the AC while I change the tire for him. [I]Against all advice I ever gave my wife etc I may add[/I]. The guy does not know how to thank me enough and offers me some money (the equivilant of 10$). I refuse politely, as the guy does not seem to be well off and in his 70's. Did not feel right.

We wave each other bye bye, and I take off. As I get off the highway, maybe 100 feet away from there, I spot something on the curb and pull over. A pile of chap audio crap, and a Kenwood KR-4600 on top of it in 8/10 condition :yes:.

The receiver turns on, but the bulbs are burnt. The dial is stuck by 94 fm and won't get any higher - I don't want to force it. How do I remove the knobs off that receiver?

Wood in perfect condition, small dent on the face. 30 years of dust and some grime.

Did I tell you I needed a receiver?

Ain't Karma great?

Good work loving thy neighbor and congrats on the find.

Some of the more technically astute people will be along shortly.

:thmbsp:

The knobs should pull off, except that the tuner knob might have set screws. Some Kenwoods do, some don't.

Boy you guys are quick - to the shower and back (man, did I smell...uke and already your responses are there...

The knobs just pull off. That's great news.

I'm a happy camper.

If the kenwood was rode hard and put up wet, the knobs might give you some fits. The splines can get tight.
Somebody on AK passed along this procedure and I'll offer it up to you: Get a couple of spoons out of the kitchen drawer. I place a piece of masking tape on the concave side. Use the spoons on opposite sides of the knob to lever them up and off.

If the large knobs have a hole in the side, that means set screw and I've found most of them to be 1.5 mm. Good luck with the cleanup and attaboy' for helping the old guy.

My KR-9400 had a volume pot shaft that someone had somehow jacked up. I had to use a claw hammer with a little piece of wood under it to finally get that knob off. After a bit of bending to the forked splined part of the shaft, it slips on and off properly. If I had tried spoons, they would have quickly bent. Unless the shafts are damaged, I've found that wiggling the knobs back and forth is usually enough to get them loose.

Nice pick up on that Kenwood Receiver you got!

I'm not too wild about any knob removal method that involves putting pressure on the faceplate. For a friction-fit knob, I use a long pipe cleaner of the sort you can find at craft stores; they have a wire core and cloth outer layer, which makes them strong but non-scarring. Slip the pipe cleaner behind the knob, loop it once around the shaft and bring the ends forward, twisting them together. Pull on the loop thus formed to remove the knob.