Repair Transformers

What have we signed up for this time?

According to the user, an input transformer from a Russian made tube audio compressor is damaged and needed our help to repair this transformer.

The matter of transformer repair is, sometimes, you do not know what you've got until you opened up the transformer case to see what is inside. This time, we had a headache reverse engineering the transformer (an input transformer for repair)! Words alone just can't explain how much work it has taken us on working with the delicate wires, and recording down every detail of the design, till rebuilding it to original form. (I actually regret taking on this transformer repair project! It is totally not worth the time spent versus our puny charges to repair them! Still, a commit is a commit, we will do our best and finish the job with the best effort put in.)

These are the pictures of the transformer being sent for repair. It is covered in wax and we've no idea what is inside yet.

Everything was still fine for the repair transformer job, until we see this:

The winding is such mess! I suspect maybe the poor winding method is what killed it at the first place. Cross-wiring will weaken the point where the cross happens and causing a short after use. Some parts of the wires look oxidized too, perhaps the vacuum impregnation was not done good enough to prevent it from damage. 

Anyhow, you can see that we've tags to indicate all the little details of the design to ensure no mistakes are made when we rebuild the transformer to ensure this transformer restoration job is done properly. (We're getting too old for input transformer repair job. Eyes are failing us. We might need to stop doing so one day.) 

These are the ultra thin wires we took out from the input transformer! Imagine the work involved to remove it without damaging it!

 

Till then, I need more Vitamin A or carrots to help with eyesight, and perhaps being more selective on what we repair, LOL. So, please do not take it personally if we reject your case as some transformers are not worth the repair. :P 

J&K Audio Design
1/24/2017