Leak 20 refurb

[russel]

Finally got my leak 20 running, only decals to do. Sounds quite nice, no obvious nasties. Some pictures before and after on

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/hjleak/conversations/messages/37135

 

[Tony L]

You have to be a member of the Yahoo group to view the pictures, and even then its a pain as the Yahoo software is just so hopeless. I’m a member and I can’t find an ‘after’ pic!

Assuming I’m viewing the right pictures (never a given on Yahoo) it looks like your Stereo 20 had got wet and gone pretty rusty. It really is a testament to these amps build quality that they can be brought back from quite a journey! I love mine and rate it as the best sounding amp I’ve ever owned. It just has a liquidity and roundness to instruments that I’ve not had from anything else.

 

[russel]

The ones with the valves in is after its been cleaned up.

 

[Tony L]

Got any shots of the underneath?

 

[russel]

Emailed them to you.

 

[snowman_al]

Could you post pictures that we all could see please?

 

[russel]

Could you post pictures that we all could see please?

I'm sorry I do not have any means of sharing them, if someone wants to post them up, pm me and I will send you the pictures.

 

[snowman_al]

Russel pictures. Nice work there.
Before

After

Do you know what wattage the 100 ohm resistor is? I looks a little small.

 

[russel]

Its a 3W wirewound.

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Russel pictures. Nice work there.
Before

After

Do you know what wattage the 100 ohm resistor is? I looks a little small.

It's intended to be "a little small" so that in cases of excessive current draw (usually failed EL84) it gets so hot the solder melts and it falls off.... yes really! Lateral thinking I guess.....

 

[snowman_al]

It's intended to be "a little small" so that in cases of excessive current draw (usually failed EL84) it gets so hot the solder melts and it falls off.... yes really! Lateral thinking I guess.....

I know, 3 watt 100 ohms, but just checking - some of those 'green' banded resistors are film, not wire wound...

Russel, are you intending to paint the blue caps?

 

[Tony L]

Russel, are you intending to paint the blue caps?

If you are Volkswagen Sand Metalic is a superb match. I used it on mine and you can’t tell the caps are non original aside from their bring just a little too short.

 

[russel]

Wasn't really planning on spraying the caps as I am not sure how the paint will react with the plastic, the paint used is VW sand metallic.

 

[Barrymagrec]

It's intended to be "a little small" so that in cases of excessive current draw (usually failed EL84) it gets so hot the solder melts and it falls off.... yes really! Lateral thinking I guess.....

We used to have that feature on the high speed tape duplicators - it wasn`t lateral thinking, it was running too many valve heaters from one power tray....

 

[Tony L]

Wasn't really planning on spraying the caps as I am not sure how the paint will react with the plastic, the paint used is VW sand metallic.

I’m totally OCD about this type of thing so I peeled the plastic coating off, used body filler to fill the dimples in the caps, primed and sprayed them! The only visible difference from the originals now is the new ones are about 1cm shorter.

 

[snowman_al]

I’m totally OCD about this type of thing so I peeled the plastic coating off, used body filler to fill the dimples in the caps, primed and sprayed them! The only visible difference from the originals now is the new ones are about 1cm shorter.

Same here. (But not quite so bad... I just sprayed mine.)

But I did manage to recover my rusty self tapping screws.

...and are you going to turn the transformer clamp bolts round the right way too? (sorry - runs off.)

 

[Tony L]

But I did manage to recover my rusty self tapping screws.

Impressive, what did you use to do that?

...and are you going to turn the transformer clamp bolts round the right way too? (sorry - runs off.)

I don’t follow? On mine? The transformers have never been disturbed to my knowledge.

 

[snowman_al]

Impressive, what did you use to do that?
I don’t follow? On mine? The transformers have never been disturbed to my knowledge.

It is called Hammerite - Rust Remover Gel. Drop everything into an old yogurt pot pour some green gel in and stir. Leave it a day, wash off the gloop and dry them, then repeat.

Tony, transformer bolts on your are correct. Mains transformer have the heads to the valves, nuts to the sockets. Outputs are heads to the outside and nuts to the centre. But that is my OCD bit...

 

[Stunsworth]

I’m totally OCD about this type of thing so I peeled the plastic coating off, used body filler to fill the dimples in the caps, primed and sprayed them! The only visible difference from the originals now is the new ones are about 1cm shorter.

Well, if that doesn't define drop dead gorgeous I don't know what does.

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Yep heads of bolts correct according to a look at my St20.