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Fisher X-100 from hell

andy

andy

Super Member
I went to an estate sale last week. It was a hoarder's house that looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The basement was a garage and work shop area. It had clearly been flooded many times, there was soggy trash everywhere, broken glass, rusty metal, mold, and no electricity meant it was totally dark if you got more than a few steps from the door. It's also hot and humid this time of year. It was easily one of the most unpleasant places I've ever been. I can't believe the estate company let people go down there... I decided to take a look, and much to my surprise I found a rather sorry looking Fisher X-100 on the floor. The price was right, so I brought it home.
 

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Rectifier tube looks like a leaker. Those little peanut pentode 6BQ5's can make for some pretty nice sounding amplifiers. That one is definitely worth restoring.
 
I finally managed to remove the knobs, but it wasn't easy. Even after spraying lubricant onto the controls, and letting it sit most of the knobs were stuck. Also, pretty much all of the switches and controls were seized solid. Most of the knobs sustained some damaged during removal, but I was able to repair them. First I tacked the pieces together with super glue, then filled the knobs with JB weld. I set the knobs on top of some strong magnets to draw the epoxy into the voids since JB weld is slightly magnetic. They should be stronger than new. I just need to replace the metal retaining springs which are badly rusted.

I was able to free up the controls and switches using lots of lubricant, and pliers. Initial testing seems to indicate that most/all of the controls and switches may be usable, but that's a future problem. I have done some rust removal with a wire brush, and spray contact leaner on the slide switches. LOTS of dirt and rust came out.

The output transformers ohm out good, and pass a signal from my signal generator. Three tubes have gone to air, and one of the outputs tests weak.
 

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andy said:
I went to an estate sale last week. It was a hoarder's house that looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The basement was a garage and work shop area. It had clearly been flooded many times, there was soggy trash everywhere, broken glass, rusty metal, mold, and no electricity meant it was totally dark if you got more than a few steps from the door. It's also hot and humid this time of year. It was easily one of the most unpleasant places I've ever been. I can't believe the estate company let people go down there... I decided to take a look, and much to my surprise I found a rather sorry looking Fisher X-100 on the floor. The price was right, so I brought it home.
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The first thing I would check is if those transformers are okay (not shorted). I'm not sure if the faceplate can be restored with the lettering intact. May need to silkscreen that after replating it.

Good luck!

:thumbsup:
 
andy said:
The output transformers ohm out good, and pass a signal from my signal generator. Three tubes have gone to air, and one of the outputs tests weak.
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How is the PT?

:idea:

BTW... don't worry about that surface rust on the transformers. Just clean it with an oily rag. Don't sand them!
 
The face plate is solid brass, but the lettering is just printed on, so any aggressive cleaning will remove it. It's not pretty, but not a major concern right now. It would have been nice if it had an engraved face plate like the earlier Fishers.

The power transformer seems fine, but it hasn't seen any real load yet. I've ramped it up on my Variac with just a rectifier installed. Amazingly, the electrolytics seem to have reformed well enough for now without much fuss.
 
I've had some luck with an automotive cleaner wax after a wash in the sink with soapy water to get faceplates with printed lettering looking decent without removing the letters.
 
Mr Boochie said:
Have you ever used them to engrave faceplates? Would you need a computer-generated 3D file for them to work from?

Thanks!
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I've used a trophy shop in Knoxville for some golf trophies we had made. Laser etched more so than engraved. Getting the right type font would be the difficult part.
 
Congrats on your find, though I have to agree with you that the estate sale company was taking quite a risk letting people wander through that basement!
 
Ken Boyd said:
Why did you leave that cool cycle engine there?

:idea:
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basement-jpg.3783960

My WAG. A split case Suzuki T500 two-stroke.
 
There were a lot of motorcycle engines there. The guy was a real collector in his time. He bought the house next door, which was also having an estate sale with no power. While not in great condition, it was habitable. Both houses are in a very expensive part of town. Just the land is worth close to 2 million. I suspect he filled up this small house, and bought the place next door when prices were more reasonable. This car was in the back yard!

And trust me, the pictures don't really convey just how unpleasant this basement was. It was dark, and damp with piles of stuff everywhere. The whole place reeked of mold, and petroleum products. I was in and out as fast as I could. The only other thing I grabbed was a Kenwood KC-6060 audio component oscilloscope, and that wasn't easy.

In other news, I spoke too soon on the health of the power transformer. While I was working on it I noticed a sudden massive increase in current draw. After disconnecting everything the excess draw is still there. One side of the B+ winding now measures about half the resistance it should. It looks like the B+ punched through the insulation between winding layers. I've partially disassembled the transformer, and nothing looks burnt, but everything is very fragile. The insulating paper is falling apart, and the enamel on the windings is brittle, and falls off with even the slightest friction.

I may rig up a temporary power supply so I can see if it's worth trying to replace, or rewind the transformer. I'd like to see if the output transformers are also close to failure before putting a lot more time or money into it. I've never rewound a power transformer, but this one looks doable. There are only three secondaries.
 

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andy said:
In other news, I spoke too soon on the health of the power transformer. While I was working on it I noticed a sudden massive increase in current draw. After disconnecting everything the excess draw is still there. One side of the B+ winding now measures about half the resistance it should. It looks like the B+ punched through the insulation between winding layers. I've partially disassembled the transformer, and nothing looks burnt, but everything is very fragile. The insulating paper is falling apart, and the enamel on the windings is brittle, and falls off with even the slightest friction.
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Too bad. :( The magic in these older units is in those vintage irons. I'd be wary of the OPTs, too. They may test well with an ohmmeter, but there may be a similar internal breakdown. Run a few amps through them, and they may disintegrate.

It's the years of a moisture-laden environment. :(
 
gadget73 said:
may want to stick those in the oven or other low heat source and let them cook a while to drive out any residual moisture. Doesn't want to be too hot, under about 140F should be fine though.
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That's not a bad idea. I might just store it in the 100 degree garage while I work on the power transformer. I might also remove the end covers and spray the windings with insulating varnish.
 
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