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B&W TV Pye B18T Project

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Cathovisor
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To clarify further:

  • turpentine is made from the sap of pine trees and is slightly viscous;
  • white spirit is a distillate of paraffin oil and more importantly, is made to a standard - to wit BS 245/DIN 51632;
  • turpentine substitute is a petroleum distillate and not made to any particular standard.

An interesting description of the variations here: https://cambridgetraditionalproducts.co.uk/blog/turpentine-versus-white-spirit-in-beeswax-furniture-polish

 

 
Posted : 31/01/2025 12:01 pm
turretslug
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I do recall posts by Dr. Hugo Holden, who used to contribute to UKVRRR as Argus25 and still does as ACORNVALVE on the US Antique Radios forum, where he reported considerable success on the simmering in white spirit followed by treatment with polyester varnish technique. Various other vintage technology projects of his can be found at https://www.worldphaco.com/ and a specifically TV22 LOPT restoration article at https://www.worldphaco.com/uploads/BUSH_TV22.pdf

 

Yes, the term "turpentine" or "turps" does get bandied around sloppily, almost invariably folk mean white spirit and have done for decades, rather than the actual substance distilled from coniferous tree resin. I think genuine turpentine might still be available from artists' materials suppliers but I don't suppose it's particularly commonplace or cheap. I don't know what the specific yield from trees is, but I recall that, towards the end of WW2 as Japan was inexorably choked of raw materials, it supposedly took 100,000 pine tree stumps to yield sufficient ersatz petrol for one kamikaze mission....

I'm reminded that there are different names around the world for what is referred to as "methylated spirits" in the UK, I believe that it's called "wood alcohol" across the pond.

 
Posted : 31/01/2025 8:19 pm
Cathovisor
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Posted by: @turretslug

I do recall posts by Dr. Hugo Holden, who used to contribute to UKVRRR as Argus25

A man of impeccable taste as he owns two "Dinosaur" standards converters, I seem to recall 😉 

Pretty sure he used to post here too, commenting on the much-missed Brian Cuff's own PT "Argus".

Bird Brand sell genuine turpentine in varying sizes but a litre will cost you £17.27.

https://www.birdbrand.co.uk/shop/solvents/genuine-turpentine/

 
Posted : 31/01/2025 8:31 pm
irob2345
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The stuff I have is labelled "Mineral Turpentine" and also in small print "Turpentine Substitute UN 1300" and "100% Hydrocarbon Liquid".

From the "Bunnings" website:

"

DIGGERS™ Mineral Turpentine is a white-spirit hydrocarbon solvent commonly used for thinning oil-based paints and cleaning paint brushes and equipment after painting.

"

AU$21 gets you 4 litres.

So yes, white spirit looks like it's the generic base. I'd never heard it called that.

And yes, Methylated Spirits is called that here too.

 
Posted : 31/01/2025 10:11 pm
Cathovisor
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Posted by: @irob2345

So yes, white spirit looks like it's the generic base. I'd never heard it called that.

Now you know why I queried it... "divided by a common language" and all that 🙂

 
Posted : 31/01/2025 10:27 pm
Cathovisor
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Looking at the discussions where boiling the line/EHT transformer in solvent is discussed, I am minded to try it out on a set in my lounge whenever I get round to it (hah!); to wit, a Bush TUG12A. These are somewhat different to the TV22 but hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I have an old saucepan and a couple of vintage Belling electric boiling plates to try this with.

 
Posted : 01/02/2025 10:51 am
LSmith
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Thanks for all the interesting comments - I think I'll get hold of a boiling plate and give it a go. @cathovisor I look forward to seeing how you get on with the LOPT from your Bush TUG12A!

Laurence

 
Posted : 01/02/2025 11:23 am
irob2345
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I use one of those slow electric cookers, you know the ones with the removable ceramic bowl that sits in the heater part of the appliance.

 
Posted : 01/02/2025 1:05 pm
Doz
 Doz
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I sat my TV22 lopt in a jar submerged in white spirits for a few weeks, changing it when it became brown and horrible. Then gave it a good few coats of acrylic spray lacquer. Is there any need to heat it unless you're in a hurry?

 
Posted : 08/02/2025 5:06 pm
turretslug
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Someone with less rusty understanding of physical chemistry than myself would be better placed to confirm this, but maybe hot white spirit would be better and more thorough at driving long-embedded damp out fairly quickly? All the same, I reckon I'd be more comfortable with slow, ambient temperature dunking from both the safety and the smell point of view.

 
Posted : 08/02/2025 9:43 pm
irob2345
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According to my friend Pete who has extensive knowledge of paints, lacquers, solvents and finishes, the long first soak in polyester lacquer or something compatible with the white spirit is absolutely essential so that the lacquer replaces the white spirit right through the windings.

http://www.earlytelevision.org/saving_flyback_transformers.html

Pete doubts that Prepsol would work with bitumen or berry-wiggins-compound. So hot white spirits (turps) is correct for your LOPT.

 
Posted : 08/02/2025 10:02 pm
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