This post is for Stringers benefit. I thought his post may be too far down to be noticed.
I recently obtained a part chassis from the Tony H collection. The power transformer appears ok .Primary winding measures ok . It physically looks good and it meggers ok. Stringer my email is open send me your address if you want this and I will send you what remains of the chassis . It was incomplete before and now even more so I have used the tuning gang from it to rebuild my little general.
RegardsJimb

If any of you know stringer, could you please direct him to this post. He has disappeared off the forum. His email is blocked . I am only trying to help him.
RegardsJim

Thank you Jim for the chassis I salvaged the transformer, both pots, two valves and the graticule.
After a capacitor swap out and couple of resistors I now have a fully working Stromberg Carlson model 5A26.
Your help and generosity is most appreciated.
My Regards Jim Stringer

Great outcome.

Hello Jim.
Great to hear, the case for that radio has become available I think it is in good order. I was given that chassis it already had bits missing I intended to use the choke but it was crook it read 300kohm probably suffering from some form of oxidation I used the tunning gang and some other bits to rebuild a Little General . So I guess two other radios are now working as a result of that chassis . I was up at Tony H's place returning another radio I had repaired for him and he had dug the case out .As I have mentioned on other posts he inherited his late dads house and it is full of stuff and as he progressed a little further he came across that case. He asked me if I knew what it was off.
I did not have the heart to tell him it was from the radio he gave me for parts and was now almost a skeleton. I will make sure he does not throw it out.
Kind Regards Jimb.

Hi Jimb,

I have a 5A26 that the case is broken.

Do you still have access to that case?

Are there any knobs to go with it?

Regards,

Michael.

Hello Michael.
Defiantly no knobs. I should be able to get hold of the case . I won't be seeing Tony again for a few weeks until if ever I finish his Empire State radio which I am slowly going backwards on. The problem will be getting it to you in one piece . I don't suppose you have any relatives in NSW that could pick it up ? I am sure if it could be picked up he would be happy to let you have it. It is a lot harder to send a Bakelite case than bits of an old chassis that would survive the rough handling. Leave it with me, wife going back into hospital on Monday for more surgery so I need a bit of time.
Regards Jimb (Jim)

Hi Jimb,

OK. Don't worry about it.

It sounds like it would be too much of a hassle to get it down here.

After some of the horror stories I have heard about people who have tried to send
bakelite bits about in the mail, I wouldn't risk it.

My 5A26 came as a "bitzer", it was missing a speaker, a 6B6G valve, and the oscillator
coil assembly. It still needs a set of knobs.

It is a nice radio though.

I Got a 5A27 for parts.

The 5A27 looks the same but it has a different valve lineup and it uses a 6SA7, so the oscillator
coil is different.

Regards,
Michael.

If you decide to have a go anyway, this method is known to work reliably:

https://vintage-radio.com.au/default.asp?f=1&th=1194

Not cheap though. Those "aerosol" cans of expanding foam add cost.

I seem to recall once seeing a liquid 2 part mix that works out a lot cheaper.

That foam is really handy & I have had pumps & other stuff wrapped in it. Great for upsetting Rabbits & other vermin like Euro's that like to make, or live in holes. I have a cabinet on a North wall and despite the insulation can get warm, however, things can fall and get behind it & as its bolted down and anchored to the wall that is a problem.

Simple solution: Make up a bag or get a dry cleaning one (or perhaps more) and set in place between the cabinet & wall. Pump an amount of foam into it and it fills the cavity. After that you trim it and the plastic bag stops the foam sticking to the wall & cabinet.

Hello Michael.
If you can wait a while I will see what I can do . It would be good to have the case back in use.The timing is not good for me just now.
Regards Jim.

Hi Jimb,

No worries. Thanks

It has been sitting here for a couple of years now.

Still works OK though, just has extra ventilation above the rectifier and output valve.

I would say that the bakelite cops a bit of heat from these and becomes brittle.

Regards,

Michael.

There are two things that destroy cabinets and lifting it by the top is but one. Many of the plastic cabinets are suffering heat damage above the hotter valves & clearance has a significant part to play in sending the case brittle.

Marc

In addition to Marc's comment, coloured bakelite is even more prone to breakage than brown, burgundy or black because it is a different type. Bakelite made with urea formaldehyde is a lot more brittle than that made of phenol formaldehyde and the latter can also contain fillers such as timber and asbestos wich helps with a degree of flexibility.

The later Bakelite after the 1909 patent for it (polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride) ran out in 1927. The later so called Bakelite was Catalin which was a more pure form of a phenol formaldehyde thermo setting polymer, not containing that use to hide what fillers were used in the original. That lead to the so called coloured Bakelite.