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Update on my Marantz 10B restoration....

66.27.113.22
Posted on May 1, 2011 at 19:26:11
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003



Hi Fellas!
Have been working little by little on my 10B restoration after successfully powering her up back in March.

Progress so far has been made in the wafer switches. I found a NOS "Mode" switch on eBay and I was able to transfer the wafers from the "Display" and "Muting" controls to new mechanical assemblies.

The "power" switch had to be recreated to mimic the original. I found a close sub but the wafer had to be replaced to obtain the two poles required.

The dial glass miraculously cleaned up quite nicely with no missing lettering!

I obtained a new front panel reproduction that looks great.

I found suitable replacements for the four smaller knobs but the tuning knob is unobtainum. I will reuse the tarnished original tuning knob for now.

Looking much better now!

I still need to replace some bad potentiometers, all three opto-couplers and re-stuff the filter cans with modern miniature electrolytics

Stay tuned...

 

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Fantastic!, posted on May 2, 2011 at 04:09:42
tesla
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: San Diego County, California
Joined: October 25, 2000
 Good to hear, but must be frustrating and satisfying at the same time. Keep us posted.


Gene
Proudly serving content-free posts since 1984.

 

RE: Update on my Marantz 10B restoration...., posted on May 2, 2011 at 06:53:33
Dman
Audiophile

Posts: 7211
Location: Kansas
Joined: January 28, 2001
 That looks sweet!!!

BTW, my FM-3 has been making sweet sounds as well. haven't/can't bring myself to take it out of the system to properly align it yet (can't get anything below 91 or thereabouts)...

Like I said, your 10b looks sweet! Glad you have a good home for it!!!



Dman
Analog Junkie

 

RE: Update on my Marantz 10B restoration...., posted on May 2, 2011 at 17:30:29
Marantzguy
Industry Professional

Posts: 2848
Location: Berkeley, CA
Joined: June 21, 2002
 Hi, Crooner!

Nice! Back from the grave, as it were!

My advice for the tuning knob is to mount it on a stub of a potentiometer control shaft in a drill press, spin it and sand off the finish until it is clean and then think about having it re-anodized (clear) or if it looks decent after the procedure I mentioned, then spray it several times with clear "high solids" lacquer and leave it alone.

Richard Links
Berkeley, CA

 

RE: Update on my Marantz 10B restoration...., posted on May 3, 2011 at 18:17:04
onemug
Audiophile

Posts: 1276
Location: So. California
Joined: April 19, 2003
 Looking good. I remember the "before" picture.

I think I can speak for all us 10b owners/users and say thanks for saving it. You do great work.

BTW, My 8b has worked perfectly ever since you helped me with it awhile back. Happen to be listening to the 7c/8b right now as I type. Thanks.

 

RE: Fantastic!, posted on May 3, 2011 at 19:48:36
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003
 Hi Gene!
Yeah, it is. Lots of satisfactions but also frustration when I see all that rust underneath on parts that are unique and pretty much impossible to replace like the tuning flywheel...

I have just ordered more parts for the unit including some nifty LED based type 47 bulbs so I will post more pics of my progress very soon!

 

Thanks for the kind comments!, posted on May 3, 2011 at 19:51:23
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003
 You are fortunate to able to align the FM3 yourself as Dynaco made provisions for it. No such thing for the 10B however... I sure hope the discriminator and MPX are aligned sufficiently well on my unit. The IF is permanently aligned so that's no problem. Fingers crossed!

 

excellent advice there Rich!!!, posted on May 3, 2011 at 19:54:06
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003



I did try to polish it off with ultra fine 0000 steel wool the other day. Some of the crud came off. But some tarnishing remains.

Take a look at this closeup pic so you can see the condition of the tuning knob.

Regards,

 

Thanks! I am glad your 7C and 8B are working great..., posted on May 3, 2011 at 20:00:14
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003
 I have mine in storage as I moved to a smaller place and also been quite busy after the birth of my son.

I will probably set them up in the future with LS3/5As or something like that.

 

Before PIC, posted on May 3, 2011 at 20:26:04
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003



From the eBay auction...

 

After pic (so far!), posted on May 3, 2011 at 20:27:39
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003



Note the paint flaked even more on the power trannie. I will refinish it with semi gloss enamel.

 

RE: Thanks for the kind comments!, posted on May 4, 2011 at 05:30:21
stellavox
Audiophile

Posts: 413
Joined: June 23, 2004
 Crooner, the IF's can be aligned. Screw holes on the side plate can be removed to get to the input adjustments, which can be "touched up" when a tube is changed.

Charles

 

Yeah, I know..., posted on May 4, 2011 at 05:38:25
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003
 Sid Smith and Saul Marantz said the last IF filter can be adjusted (for flattest passband response) when a tube is changed. I don't know if I want to try it myself though!

 

artistry in action!, posted on May 5, 2011 at 04:56:00
1973shovel
Audiophile

Posts: 10117
Location: Greenville SC
Joined: February 25, 2007
 I hope that you'll be able to restore the function as nicely as you have the form!

Good luck with that legend. Saul is looking over your shoulder, with a smile.

 

Is the tuning knob anodized or just aluminum? , posted on May 5, 2011 at 17:28:16
Rod M
Web Geek

Posts: 16242
Location: So. California
Joined: March 1, 1999
Contributor
  Since: March 1, 1999
 Fabulustre and a soft buffering wheel is amazing stuff. It'll cut aluminum, silver and even nickel and leave the metal with a mirror finish. If you're careful, if might be all you need.

Just use a Dremel with a soft cotton wheel. Stick the tool running into the stick of Fabulustre to coat it and then gingerly buff the part.

-Rod

 

tuning knob is anodized machined aluminum, posted on May 5, 2011 at 18:43:19
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003
 However, I believe the anodization has been compromised due to exposure to humidity. It has a small chip that is showing green copper oxide corrosion.

Great suggestion re Fabulustre. Will check it out!

Thanks!

 

Thank you sir!, posted on May 5, 2011 at 18:52:35
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003
 I believe I will get the unit to work reasonably well once the optocouplers have been installed. The power supply rebuild will ensure unit will operate reliably for another 40 years. Just got a bunch of parts from Mouser today. Hurray!

I am re-posting the YouTube video from the unit in operation back in march. I only re-flowed the solder joints. The fact that it worked so well before restoration gave me the motivation I needed to continue working on the unit.

 

RE: Update on my Marantz 10B restoration...., posted on May 8, 2011 at 15:26:58
strijw426
Audiophile

Posts: 185
Location: North Texas
Joined: May 4, 2011
 The Marantz 10B is looking great! These are so deserving of repair and reconditioning. If worst comes to worst, you could find a machinist who will do small jobs and have him turn down a piece of round aluminum stock of the right size and then have it polished to the right finish and anodized. If you don't mind the slight reduction in size the buffing compound and method mentioned earlier sounds like the easiest way. Pitting of aluminum and pot metal knobs and faceplates are common to older equpment that has not been kept in the best of storage conditions.

Joe

 

RE: Update on my Marantz 10B restoration...., posted on May 8, 2011 at 15:34:37
Lee of Omaha
Dealer

Posts: 1800
Location: Omaha NE
Joined: September 8, 2006
 You are doing a truly amazing job! My hat, if'n I wore one, would be off to you. From scrap, a horrible fate for a 10B, back to life. Amazing!

 

More Progress Today: New Front Panel and Knobs Installed - New Optocouplers, posted on May 8, 2011 at 19:00:47
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003



Installed a couple of new pots for the horizontal and vertical centering. Amazingly they are still available new from Honeywell. Exact replacements! The originals are Clarostat and Honeywell bought them a while back. Perfect fit!

Double checked all the wiring of the switches.

Installed the new front panel and knobs. Put 1847 LED lamps for dial illumination (they make them for pinball machines).

Installed new optocouplers.

I still need to fire the unit up to verify that all switches work correctly.

Next would be rebuilding the power supply.

Thanks again for your comments and words of encouragement!

 

Picture of Innards after Restoration..., posted on May 8, 2011 at 19:04:04
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003



This thing was totally rusted when I got it. Virtually all solder joints were rusted and bad. Had to re-flow them all.

Still need some cosmetic retouches but its looking really nice now.

 

Picture of new Optocouplers..., posted on May 8, 2011 at 19:07:53
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003



.

 

Thank you very much Sir!, posted on May 8, 2011 at 19:12:08
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003
 When I first got it and checked its condition I thought it could not be fixed. I mean there was rust in so many places. All switches seized.

Luckily, everything is coming together. Check my new postings above with new pics of my progress.

Again thanks!

 

Hi Joe, thanks for your kind comments and suggestions, posted on May 8, 2011 at 19:17:03
crooner
Audiophile

Posts: 2516
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: April 13, 2003
 I think I can live with the knob as it is, but perhaps at some point after the main restoration, I will try to refinish it. The machinist idea is great also. Take care!

 

RE: Picture of Innards after Restoration..., posted on May 9, 2011 at 05:32:20
strijw426
Audiophile

Posts: 185
Location: North Texas
Joined: May 4, 2011
 It looks quite nice. People not used to hand-wired units might think it looks messy, but to those of us who have built kits, been involved with manufacturing of hand wired electronic equipment this is an outstanding example of a well laid-out design executed by real professionals.

I had a friend years ago whose hobby was restoration of vintage radios and audio equipment. He went to the trouble of removing all parts including tube sockets and had chassis replated, dials re-silkscreened and any necessary parts replaced. He was working mainly on equipment from the 1920d snf 1930s. Those units were quite simple compared to the Marantz 10B. To do such a process on the Marantz unit would be extremely time consuming. All the disconnecting and reconnecting of parts can introduce problems difficult to troubleshoot.

You have done an excellent job of finding parts to put the Marantz 10B back in proper operating condition. I think you made a great choice in the LED replacement of the #47 dial lamps. These will probably last a lifetime.

I have a friend who restores Collins amateur radio equipment. He has found solid state replacements for many of the tubes used in them. He worked with the man who created the solid state replacements to help optimize their performance. The replacements were parts that plugged directly into the original tube sockets with no soldering or other work needed. Since they do not use heated filaments, the power drain on the low voltage power transformer is reduced for each one pugged into the radio.

We are lucky that new vacuum tubes are still being made and available, although at premium prices!

Keep up the good work!

Joe

 

RE: Fantastic!, posted on May 1, 2014 at 17:14:02
vacumtubes
Audiophile

Posts: 14
Location: San Francisco
Joined: May 26, 2004
 I just acquired another 10B that has really dirty dial glass (both). How or what did you use to clean your dial glasses?
Thanks,
vacumtubes
Steve H

 

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