What Tool Do I Need ?

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I've got an orphaned one tube wonder Bradford
record player with a nice mid-1960's BSR.

The Tone and Volume control shafts on the amp
chassis are held onto the cabinet by a more
rare kind of recessed fastener.

I would like to know what will work to easily unscrew
these fasteners ?

I know I could use a larger set of needle nose pliers,
but suggestions are welcome.

Thanks !

[TC Chris]

Looks like a socket won't fit into the recess, so your notion of using the needle nose pliers seems right.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

A thin-wall socket should work. Or, you might even be able to use needle nose pliers to remove that nut. They usually aren't on all that tight. I have a set of thin-wall sockets I bought to do heater cores and evaporators. You need those many times so you don't break the fiberglass heater housing....My set is 1/4" drive from 1/8" to 5/8" and from 2MM to 15MM. Worth their weight in gold if you do lots of underdash work....

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I don't think I made a clear description.

The fastener is inverted to be concave versus a normal
convex hex type fastener.

It's like I need a hex socket turned inside out where the
six sides would fit into this fastener.

[electra225]

Could you use a double nut setup? Find a nut that will go inside the thing you want to take off. Then either glue the two nuts together, or use a length of hollow all-thread to hold them together. Then use a socket on the nut that is on top to turn the bottom one and the thing you want to remove. Magnavox used those on some of their Astro-Sonic chassis. There is a name for that tool, but it escapes me. You might also be able to put a nut into the thing you want to remove, then see if enough sticks up to get a deepwell socket on it.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Greg,
I like the idea of using a single nut or glueing
2 nuts together to insert.

If I can get just a bit of the nut protruding, then even
regular pliers will make it an easy do.

Being a nut myself, I should be able to do that !

[walyfd]

I've had luck using snap ring pliers. Set the tips inside 2 corners of the nut and, because squeezing them opens the tips, you create pressure.

[Conelrad]

Nah, that is a cheap, stamped-out of thin sheetmetal regular volume control nut.

You're looking at the concave side of it. It removes just like any other VC nut.

Usually takes a 1/2" thinwall socket.

I throw them away and replace with a real solid nut.

That is indeed an econo player.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I used needle nosed pliers and removed the nuts.

A thin wall socket cannot fit into a concave cavity,
so I don't get that.

Replacing these control nuts with a regular one, though
is a good idea.

[Conelrad]

I have a special double-ended socket made just for those installs. The wall is about 1/32".

D

[19&41]

Bradford was W.T. Grant's house brand, wasn't it?

[William]

Rex, I believe that is correct.

Bill