Technique for replacing 6L6/5881 o/p valve tubes

I have large hands, how do people with small hands/short fingers do it? Just managed to break the top of one of these bottles. I thought I used the right tecqniue but failed here. Sovetek, GT badged bottles , instead of domed top, nominally flat with a bit of a central pip. Come replacing I go in the sequence , along the line of 2,4,or 6 sockets, that allows a full finger each side of the dragon's teeth grips to depress while pushing in the bottle. Then I place with top of the valve in my palm and push down on the ledge area of the top of the bakelite base, with finger tips. Doing so , the palm of my hand is barely touching the top but enough pressure on this pip to induce failure. As such a light force , I assume it was likely to soon fail from vibration & temp cycling. Failed in the ring around the flat area.

Next time I see flat tops (flat not compatible with vacuum) I will cover with a temporary grommet, before replacing, any other experiences/tips?

Perhaps change technique to making a yoke to push down on the spring retainers , using chest , forehead or chin or something, and then use four fingers on the base to press into the socket. Or some sort of chassis clamp to depress the clamps. Then two fingers, unless a weakened socket, is not enough pressure to overcome the resistance

Reply to
N_Cook
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Or ignoring the scratch marks made on the base , and push in with 4 fingers on the base, after all it is only cosmetic damage.

Reply to
N_Cook

'Stubborn' ones get helped out of their sockets with a small flat bladed screwdriver between the valve and socket. New ones are fitted with a standard yellow cloth duster on the top and palm pressure. I don't let the scratch marks from the retainer claws bother me ...

I can't recall ever having had one break on me in the way you describe.

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

You must have the hands of a gorilla. I have never heard anyone complain about breaking tubes because their hands were too big.

Reply to
Meat Plow

I don't remember seeing these sort of central pips before (on that end), either domed or flattish. Next time I will have a couple of strips of PTFE looped around the dragon's teeth and push in with 4 fingers around the base. Then releive each spring in turn to retreive the PTFE. If that does not work then have to make up some sort of spring compressor or let them goiuge away. It's just that years ago I came across an amp that the owner loved rotating the bottles about and the bakelite was a real mess, barely functional

Reply to
N_Cook

I've always thought scratch marks totally irrelevant.

I've never broken such a valve in the way described here - I would say it was 99% impossible unless there was a fault in the structure to begin with.

Gareth.

Reply to
Gareth Magennis

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