Lucky Pierre

A question--should I do anything about the cadmium corrosion on the woofer magnet cover? Peter

Thank you, kind sir!

The pots cleaned up nicely. There is a hole in one wiper, though. The other is pitted. P

Well, not as bad as I feared. I think one of the wipers has a hole in it, though. Into salt and vinegar they go! Peter

Caps are ordered. I hope to have these up and running by the new year. Considering the rock wool, I am a little afraid of what the condition of the pots will be.

I opened one up today: That's a big woofer! Rock wool Oct. 1963 Denny was here.

Thanks Glenn. I think I might go that route. I was being a stickler on putting on an original finish, but I might go with what is easier. I have no doubt that they will be beautiful either way. Peter

If I am not mistaken, I don't think body shops can't spray lacquer in Massachusetts. Furniture guys can, though. I found out tonight at dinner that my brother has a spray booth in his new shop. Looks like I'll have to learn how to spray lacquer!

Hi David. This is exactly why I want to find someone that is set up already for lacquer. I have a friend around the corner that is pretty good with lacquer, but he doesn't have a spray booth. I would have to wait until spring to spray outdoors.

I just finished my AR-5s, except for the grills. Now it is on to the 3s. I hope to have the caps replaced and pots cleaned in the next two weeks. The cabinet restoration won't start until after Christmas. In the meantime I am looking for someone local that is set up to spray lacquer. I'll post pics of my progress. Peter

I will start on the caps and pots as soon as I have the parts. I think the cabinet might have to wait until after Christmas. I put a Festool 5" random orbit sander on my list ?

Yep

Those are beauties, lakecat. PM sent.

Now that is an interesting idea...

Thanks again, Jeff. If I do decide on lacquer, I would have take them to someone that can spray. I trust myself to rattle can lacquer something small. Not these. I have a pair of Realistic Delta 12 speakers with a lacquer finish. It is really pretty when the veneer is not all beat up. I mentioned earlier that I probably won't start on these for a couple of weeks. I'll post on my progress. Peter

Thanks genek. I think Jeff is correct that these are lacquered mahogany. I don't intend to re-lacquer them. I am thinking of sanding, then finishing with multiple coats of Watco Danish oil. I think that with the amount of scratches I probably won't try to iron them out. I'll just refinish and be happy with the patina. I have a pair of AR-7 in mahogany. Their veneer was in worst shape than the 3's, except without the scratches. The Danish oil gave them a beautiful finish.

Thanks for the great advice. Yes, the cabs have seen better days, but it's mostly scratches with little lost veneer. I will have to ponder whether I want to try lift the scratches or just sand them and love the patina. I might try the iron method on the bottom of one to check out the results. The steel strap covered the pot switches with little pieces of foam wedged between them. I think he just wanted the pots to stay where he liked the settings. He is an interesting fellow--I am not going to wonder his motives beyond that. LC, I'll PM you when I am nearing the grills. I'll try gluing them. If that doesn't work, I'll take Kent's advice on the MDF. Tom, I will definitely test the drivers before I try to take them out. I would rather not have to remove them. Peter

I picked up the speakers today. They need a full restoration. These are well loves speakers. There are a lot of scratches, some deep, but the corners are intact. There are a few small chips in the veneer that I am not going to worry about. You'll notice two small screw holes in either side of the pots. The PO attached a small piece of steel spanning the pot switches. The holes do not go through. Nothing that a refinishing won't take care of. There's no sound from either the tweeters or the mids. I did find a spot on the mid pot on one speaker where I got sound. Once I remove the tweeters and mids and verify if they are good, I'll send them out to be rebuilt. The woofer have cloth surrounds that are still sealed. They take a good second and a half or so to return after being depressed. The grill frames are plastic and broken. I might be able to glue them, but I'll probably remake them with 1/4" plywood or masonite. Are there opinions on which will flex enough to install them? I'll start ordering parts this week. Hopefully they will be done in a month or so. I have four other speaker projects going on now, so I won't get to start on these for about two weeks. I'll post pictures of my progress. L_P

Thanks lakecat. I plan on giving them a listen before I buy.

Things do sort of find me. When these are done I will have and restored: AR-3, -4x, -5, -7. The 3's, and i think the 5's, will be too big for my little living room. Maybe I need a bigger house...

He also has a Sansui 9090 for sale, but I am not interested in that.

Greetings, I was at a get together with some friends Wednesday night. I mentioned that I had just bought parts for four speaker projects I have right now. When I mentioned that I was working on a pair of AR-5 and AR-4x, a new friend said he had a pair of AR-3 up on a shelf and asked if I wanted them. I've never really considered looking for AR-3's, considering the prices they fetch these days and the fact that I recently picked up the AR-5's for myself. He offered them to me for $700. After a (very) brief inner dialog, I said yes! He's had them for about 30 years, and they were last in use about 6 years ago. He said they have never been opened up. The cabinets are a little rough, but all corners are solid, and as far as I could see, there are only a couple of small chips in the veneer at the bottom of the speakers. The grill cloth is saggy and falling off the frame and will need to be replaced. All of the badges are there. I've read, and re-read the restoration guide in preparation for tackling the AR-5's, so I'm ready for these, too. S/n are C23418 and C23428. There is a note on the warranty card stating Oct. 1963. I'll probably pick them up next weekend. I'll post pics when I get them home. L_P

In the future, if you insist on using poly on projects, I highly recommend General Finish's Arm-R-Seal. It is a wipe-on, poly/tung mix. It is really easy to apply and (in my experience) doesn't orange peal. Also, allow at least 48 hours between coats. Lightly sand with 220 between coats. You can go up to 600 on the final quote. L_P

Greetings, I have to replace the RCA jacks on my Mk III amps. I am keeping them as close to original as possible. Can anyone point me in the direction of a vendor selling original-style jacks? Thanks! Peter

Yep. I live in a good area for roadside finds. Maybe one day those will include some HH Scott stuff.