Hi Tim, I would work with the pure 99% or 97% alcohol to clean the dirt off. Not rubbing alcohol but the very strong pure stuff. This will help remove the dirt and dry out any moisture on the metal or wires etc. Contact the “Antique Radio Forum” cabinet restoration section if you have a wood restoration question they are awesome. They can also help you with tube replacement etc. Just see from which of their different forums topics seems the best to place your question under. These men are retired radio and television men and have years of experience and helpful answers under their belt. The pure strong alcohol should help remove the grime off your stereo components that are covered in decades of dust and grime. I usually use Q-tips and other soft clothe to get at hard places to reach. I remove my tubes and clean each one individually remembering to replace them correctly back when finished with each section. Sometimes the numbers and lettering will come off during a cleaning so keep notes of what the tube number was and the manufacture in case you have to replace that tube at a later date. Try to find new insulation for the FM antenna wire insulation if possible if the old is beyond help. Orange oil wood cleaner is somewhat safe on the inside of the console and really helps clean and protect the wood around the metal parts inside. The Orange oil is also low moisture and less harmful to wires and vacuum tubes etc. Please send some photos of you console even if it is not a Curtis Mathes console when you have time. We would love to have you as a member of our site. Please join if you like it is totally free. Take care, and so happy you saved another treasure from destruction. Glenn and Family.

Thanks to all our viewers for their questions.

01 - Name = Tim Harden 02 - Email Address = wazittoya2005@yahoo.com 04 - Your Message = I am restoring a 1960's Stereo cabinet. I am new at this and need some advice. The cabinet is in great condition but the stereo components are covered in decades of dust and grime. What is the best way to clean the metal bits inside? The tubes have some blackening inside but still light up. The original speakers make great sound but are also dirty. Most of the wiring insulation has a tacky substance on them and the FM antenna wire insulation is crumbling. I know this is alot to read but I want this American beauty to shine again. Thanks in advance, Tim Harden Message ID: 60477952

It is such a joy to help someone out with a CM repair problem.

04 - Your Message = Great site! I am the original owner of the model shown in the second pix down on the home page. I've been trying to find a schematic and/or service manual for it as I need to do a repair. Can't seem to locate the model number. The sticker on the back, on the chassis and inside the cabinet give no model number, just the chassis number: C85-1. An extensive internet search turned up nothing on the Sam's site, or anywhere else for that matter. Review of a few discussion forums pointed me to your web site. Sounds like you may be able to help. Any insight as to where I may be able to locate a schemtic and/or a service manual? Thanks! Message ID: 57141901

It is wonderful to help our friends.

Hi Charles Pomy, The model with my son Grantley standing next to her? That is a great model to have. she is also one of the most perplexing one when it comes to finding a nice schematic and/or service manual for her. I do have some paper work on her somewhere I will try to unearth what I do have. Tragically when Curtis Mathes went Bankrupted in the early 1990’s the records department trashed a treasure-house of schematics and service manuals. I remember working on the Design team on this model and that she was a very popular model in the show rooms in the mid 1980’s. I do have a earlier schematic from one of her earlier sisters, CMC-82, see the attachments. I believe their layout is very similar. Try posting her on the Antique Radio Forum under their Television section. There are a number of retired repair men on that site. Explain the problem you are having with the console and what information you have, someone might have the schematic. I will in the meantime start digging in my storage sheds and see what paperwork I have on that awesome console. I know I did have a service manual on her with some letters from Burke Mathes. Hopefully I can unearth them. Thank you for your email. Send some photos of you Console if you like and I will post them. PS EBay also from time to time has a nice selection of manuals on many of the 1980’s models.

What wonderful questions thank everyone!

Glenn - Wow, thank you very much! That is 'above and beyond' and I much appreciate your efforts. I'll snap some photos of the set the next time I get down to the house and send them your way. You are right about the set being a sweet unit. I bought it brand new from a C-M dealer in Chula Vista, CA. It has been running perfectly ever since until about three weeks ago. I had done some research earlier and I ran across a site that seemed to have schematics, though it didn't relate them to particular models. Unfortunately, I failed to bookmark the site and I've spent the last few days going through Google searches trying to relocate the site. I take your advice regarding the Antique Radio Forum and do some eBay searches also. I'm sure it is a relatively easy fix (vertical is compressed and folded over from the top), I just need to have the schematic so I can figure out where in the vertical circuit some component has gone south. Thanks again, Chuck