The waxes used in caps and transformers are microcrystalline waxes of various (and in the day proprietry) compositions and with higher melting point than bee's wax. But they still melt below 100C so I have recovered them from capacitors and transformers by melting them out in the oven set just below 100C and filtering through a coffee filter. If heated above 100C there could be a risk of boiling water and doing some damage especially to fine wires from a little steam explosion- it hasn't happened but chose not to risk it.

Sealing with urethane sounds really final - no repairs thereafter - so you would need to know for sure that the item is actually working properly before taking the plunge. In some cases like TV horizontal output transformers where they are unobtainium I suppose that you have no choice.

The last open coil I did was a swine, which was published. It had two breaks making three coils and caused by a rodent. I melted the wax off & the breaks were close to the surface. I managed to prise wires up & splice. When proven working, it was recoated with the Urethane mar.

That's awesome info guys thanks!

I have things working so well for the minute that I'm almost scared to remove the chassis and tinker again just yet! There's a bit of soldering to do to remove the output transformers...but at this age it seems risky to leave them without recoating for too long so I think I'll try the prepsol / turps / lacquer as it seems a reasonably straight forward method. I have a spare working output and might have another old chassis I have organised to buy on the weekend so - maybe - end up with another working one too so I can redo both and then just open up the Kriesler with ready to go changeovers.

Incidentally does anyone bother redoing the mains transformer or are they a lot more reliable?

The one I'm getting on the weekend has a AT6 mkii Garrard in it which hopefully is savable as I have only been using the AT6 and it struggles tracking with anything less than 3 grams....the mkii with the anti skate and the low friction insert on the trip rod can apparently do 2 grams so will be interesting to see. Hopefully stumble on a slightly later model Garrard that will fit one day like a AT60 but all these old items are disappearing fast these days.....used to be at every garage sale now they are quite hard to find.


Cheers!

With power transformers it rather depends on the construction & what went wrong. The external wires can be replaced but an internal fail is usually something I do not have the facility's to deal with & there's usually one in the scrap sets, to sub it with.

I have a Philips 132L, as pointed out many times, Its is one of several Philips ones using that type of transformer; The windings have a habit of slipping out the sides. Rather bizarre really.

I was advised by a motor rewinder to tease them back in (no oily fingers) and then use Araldite to hold them & bind them in place. So far so good, no issues.