A few days ago I asked the group if they new where I could find alignment info for my TO 1000-D. I thought if I was lucky in a day or two or a week or so I might get a response. Thanks to Brett_Buck and TexMac I had a schematic and alignment instructions within about an hour!

In a series of emails Brett walked me through the alignment procedure and more. I was missing an output transistor - Brett suggested where I might get replacements but thought that maybe I would find it buried in the chassis wiring somewhere. Well he was sort of right -- I found a transistor but not the one I was looking for. The transistors had been "rearranged". I now had all of the needed transistors and put them in their proper locations.

This was the first alignment I had ever done so with Breet's help and several emails later the radio now sounds great.

I chose to restore the 1000-D because as a kid I would sit and twiddle the dials on my grandparents TO 1000 for hours on end. I had two sisters and 5 girl cousins (no other boys in the family) so when we would all get together it was either play with them and their dolls or fiddle with the radio. I remember listening to shortwave bands wondering what all of those funny sounding whistles and squeals were and why some of the folks sounded like ducks (I latter learned about SSB and RITTY & CW). They are great memories. Now I have my own TO and thanks to the folks here I works great.

I am now working on restoring the cabinet - mainly needs a good cleaning and polishing. The bottom half of the plastic handle is broken (the antenna is fine) so I am looking for a replacement for the handle -- the prior owner just taped the handle together with electrical tape and not all of the pieces were their when I untapped it.

Also need a screw for the bottom hinge on the front.

The forums here (meaning the folks who generously offer advice and help) is such a great resource -- I think I am getting hooked on this radio restoration thing.

When I get it all cleaned up I post a picture --

Welcome to ARF Gasman !

Brett & TexMac are knowledgeable & helpful guys here---have seen several of Brett's detailed posts which I'm sure took a lot of time to put together...

The Royal 1000-D is a great radio---got an early version around Christmas time last year & really like it...

Great to hear you have yours working & good luck with the cosmetics. Looking forward to seeing your pics !

John

I can send you a few, but they are entirely common 4-40s. They usually don't fall out, because they are staked (threads messed up at the end). I have one where the screw was removed but the staking ruined the threads. I replaced it with by tapping it out for a not-at-all common 5-40. There wasn't enough metal surrounding it to bore out and use a heli-coil. It's possible that if the threads are stripped in the bottom, you will have to put in a 4-40 and then use JB-Weld to hold it, and hope you don't have to take it back apart in the future.

Brett

Thanks Brett
Now that I know it is a 4-40 I will look in my junk box of screws. I did notice that the screw on the other side was "messed up" at the end... So that is called staked threads.

I have the entire cabinet apart - except for the section with the dial face, speaker and grill. The speed nuts have be befuddled a bit. Got to make sure I can find replacements before i take them off - they look like they don't come off very easy and probably are destroyed in the process. I would at least like to remove the speaker so It doesn't get wet in the cleaning process.

Any tips on cleaning the grill.

I would also like to repaint the lettering - seems it will take a very very fine brush. The brass has cleaned up nicely but the lettering is not as bold as it was 52 years ago. I think the brass was probably lacquered originally.

John w.

I would strongly suggest NOT trying to remove the speed nuts/spring clips that hold the chassis together. The posts that holds on the acrylic dial glass will almost certainly break off in the attempt. In many cases they have broken themselves off already. You have a chance to get the speaker loose because that's on aluminum posts, but the operation was very iffy when I tried it. i would suggest cleaning it with Sprayway and Mr Clean Magic Eraser (just barely damp) before trying to take the whole thing apart.

If the dial glass posts do break off, use epoxy putty to along the top and on the ledge above the grill on the bottom to hold it.

BTW, the grill and trim are prone to coming loose and rattling when you play it. The construction of the bottom and front of the radio is a single piece of aluminum. Then there is a cardboard or heavy fish paper damper that covers most of the front with a large hole in front of the speaker. On top of that is the mesh grill. The rattles tend to happen when the front of the case, the fish paper, and grill separate a bit and then rattle back and forth. That has been a problem with many of my 1000/3000 and even the 7000. I took one 3000 down to bare metal, which is why I know how easy it is to break the plastic parts when trying to remove the speed nuts. I reassembled it by gluing the fish paper firmly to the case with contact cement, then the grill to the fish paper with a LIGHT coat of spray contact cement (3M77). It's not coming apart any more, but it doesn't rattle. That one also has the dial glass glued in for all eternity.



I would try a black lacquer stick, myself. You just rub it across the depressions where the letters are, and it peels off into the holes. Then wipe off any that has gotten on the flat surface. An alternative that you can probably find is to use black acrylic model paint (water-based). Just paint it into the hole with a relatively small brush but don't worry about getting it on the surface, then clean up the excess with a dry rag once it has set for a few minutes. In either case you don't have to worry too much about getting into the depressed letter perfectly.

Brett

Tinnerman fasteners, or "speed nuts" are easiest to safely remove by gently twisting them while pulling straight along the axis of the post. I have posted a thread about how to rebuild the posts of a Zenith Transoceanic 8G005. JB Weld is good stuff!
Of course, if you don't need to remove them, it is far safer to leave them be.

Thanks for all of the tips. I found a source for the "speed nuts" (10 cents each). I really,really wanted to clean the grill thoroughly so I carefully sniped the speed nuts (with a pair of diagonal cutters) that were holding the speaker and the metal plate where the volume and tone controls and dial switch go through. Besides I have never found anything that I did not want to take apart!

That allowed me to remove the grill. It all came off quite easily and cleanly without damage to the studs at all. There was a sheet of black cloth that was reenforced with wire behind the grill. I washed it off in the sink and the dirt just poured off of it. I have scrubbed the grill until it sparkles. I will try the technique with the lacquer sticks on the metal dial piece to darken the lettering as soon as I get the lacquer sticks.

The plastic dial face was attached with 5 "speed nuts" That came off cleanly as well. The dial face had a little piece of cork under each "speed nut" stud -- I think that the cork might have been there to dampen any vibration. I could reuse the cork pieces as they came off cleanly but they are pretty dried out and stiff so probably would not be effective in vibration dampening. I think I will use little pieces of 3M foam tape that are the same thickness instead. (Not original but probably will work better).

I have not figured out the purpose of the little piece of string that is in the chassis. My radio has it and I see it in most of the pictures of 1000's and 1000D that I see on Ebay... any idea what that string was for?

I promise to post pictures of the cabinet parts... as soon as i figure out how to do that. Using the forum is new to me!

Thanks again for the help.

john w.

That "string" was elastic. It is used to secure the earphone. I've only seen pictures of them, but I found a nice earplug at Radio Shack with a mono plug that works well. I have no idea what the RS part number was.

Good going so far !

Looking forward to the pics...

I also asked about that elastic on mine !

John

As mentioned, it held the earphone. It was in a clear fliptop box. I have one, but I haven't seen it in a while now or I would post a picture. They are almost always missing.

Brett