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RT-909 Head Base Restoration

C

ccarracing

New Member
Greetings! Anyone know of a source that could perform finish restoration on a Head Base for a Pioneer RT-909? Just completing all of the mechanical portion rebuild, per thread by pustelniakr and readying the Head assy to go for relapping. Head Base finish is bubbling and will inevitably begin to flake off. Would like to get this restored or find a replacement before sending for relapping and alignment. Thanks in advance for any help on this! Craig
 
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If you get some responses to this i'd like to see them as well. I've seen this problem many a time with those head bases and i have no idea why. Push comes to shove i know a fellow on here who might be able to help you, but he is out of the country.
 
Does anyone know if this is aluminum? I can annodize aluminum. I'm sure it wouldn't match the original, but it would have to look as good as a flaked off finish. Would still have to come up with something to silkscreen the lettering.....looks like no joy with this...........:tears:
 
I think it is aluminium and I have a deck awaiting attention with similar troubles. I've tried searching "repair pitted aluminium" or "fill pitted aluminium" (the latter based on the hopes that a filler could be applied and then the whole thing re-anodised) and all I got back were sites about boats and their aluminium fittings with most of them saying that, once it starts, only way out is to replace. Might be possible on a boat but not a boat-anchor, I mean, tape deck. So, hopefully someone has an answer -- I'm in the same, um, boat...
 
I can't see how it was originally annodized, with the in-line type pattern in the finish( I don't know if that makes sense, but if you have one, you know what I mean........I think). It's almost like a treatment adhered....applique, for lack of a better description. I cannot imagine any annodizing which would look original, but then not original, but clean, shiny and not flaking = better? Each will have an opinion on this one for sure. If I had a really trashed one, I could experiment with annodizing finishes, but I'm not going there on my one and only.
 
Hello,

Maybe you guys don't know the thread I opended time ago regarding my hugest project over now 3 years to re-build the RT-909 black.
Here is the link to the thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=170102

Regarding the original head-base, there are two different models Pioneer used in the manufacturing life time of the RT-909.
The one is darker an this is the model where these bubbles appear. This head-base is not pure aluminium so it can't be anodized. That's why also Pioneer don't anodized it but coated it with something looking like aluminium finnish (is an chromium coating over copper). This coating is now after 25 years comming off. Same problem occurs also with the reel-tables, having similar coating and build that bubbles after many years.
As I understood in the past from several coating specialized companies, the problem is caused because the chromium coating was done directly over copper. It should be nickel over copper and then chromium over nickel, otherwise copper and chromium interacts each other in time and such problems like bubbles becomes visible.
There is no chance to repair this.
The other model of head-base is brighter and is aluminium. But is of an poor aluminium consistency. This don't have any bubble problems but also this can't be reanodized.

The head-base was one of the very strange parts in the RT-909. It is visible that the head-base (regardless which of the both models), had very inconsistent finnishing and it looks from deck to deck different in shine and brushing degree.

For my RT-909 black project I had no possibility to reanodize the original head-base to get an good surface. The only solution was an exact rebuild from the original. I manufactured this in the company where Burmester (very known high-end brand in Europe) also produce front panels and cases. The guys in that factory are very high skilled in such jobs (not easy for everyone: 7mm thick aluminium!!) The rebuild is exactly like the original or better. However the lettering is of far better quality as the original is and sure in the 100% same font like the original.
I manufactured black head bases as well as silver ones.
But guys these are expensive parts !
I manufactured this looking for the best quality only but not for the best price.

Also have some original head base plates as spare parts if someone need these. Not so expensive as the rebuilded ones, but they are cosmetically for sure not perfect. Some minor scratches here and there.

Here some pictures of the rebuilds:
BLACK
dscf0148m2.jpg

dscf0149m2.jpg


SILVER
dscf0152m2.jpg

dscf0153m2.jpg

dscf0154m2.jpg


BACK SIDE
dscf0156m2.jpg


Vlad
 
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