They call it "barrier" in service manual part number VF476800 ....
Barrier against what ? ......
Nice job for your front panel restauration :thmbsp:
I thought about replacing the two 'barriers' because the original ones had warped and bubbled out over time (which you can't really see in the picture I took). Since I didn't know what benefit they had, I decided to just have the inside of the new wood panels uncovered where they rest next to the amp boards...
Thanks for the kind accolades.
Maybe they're asbestos barriers/insulators that keep the wood panels from catching fire when you're really pushing the amp? :scratch2:
I'm glad you guys are as stumped as I am... Actually, maybe you are on to something here -- maybe whatever stain / coating they had soaked into the original panels dried slowly, and was highly flammable. Luckily I used a linseed oil based formula on the new ones, and only on the visible faces.
It turned out pretty nice. How doe she sound ? Those don't look like the OEM side panels. Did you refinish them. They look fabulous. Lexan front panel as well .:thmbsp:
Thanks! It means a lot to hear you say that. It sounds superb... better than it did before, by memory... more spacial separation, a little less 'bite' on the highs while retaining an incredible amount of detail retrieval... I've owned and listened to a healthy number of 'audiophile' level amps in the past, and this is the best I've ever heard.
I did replace the panels as they were heavily chipped away on the corners. I bought some curly Cherry and slung some sawdust... it was tricky to get them where they are, because the original screw holes had to match up exactly to the new ones, with the same offset distances from the edges in order for the wood to be even close to lining up correctly. It still isn't 'perfect', partly from the nature of hand made woodwork, and partly because the original steel face and top panels aren't completely flat / straight... probably from being dropped... so I did my best with it, and at some point with these projects we have to decide that it's quite 'good enough'.
The glass is another thing -- you can see that the top edge was cut just *slightly* out of 90 degrees, so the clear silicone shows behind it... but it was so tough to find someone to even make this cut, let alone get as close as he did on the dimensions, that again I had to decide it was 'good enough'.
Lexan! I was trying to remember the name of it yesterday, but just typed 'Plexiglas' instead... I did use Lexan -- much less prone to scratches. You were able to tell it was Lexan just by appearance??