To learn more about electronics, in a different and very effective way, check out my Patreon page, click here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab

This channel is like THE treasure trove for all things electronics... Extremely thorough, all sorts of surprising gold nuggets of knowledge and craftiness. Truly amazing!

Mr. Carlson, This channel has been one of my best finds on KZfaq. Where were you when I was in 5th grade (1965) & getting bald out by my teacher for drawing schematic diagrams from memory of tube power supply & amplifier circuits in class. I asked Santa & was given a Weller 8200 gun for Christmas 2 years before that. I got my ham novice ticket by freshman year. I should have gone to electronics college, But couldn't afford it. Since I couldn't find any one like you to help me learn what I didn't understand by the stacks of books I was reading, I turned my attention to motorcycle mechanics instead. I just retired after 47 years at the same Yamaha dealership last month. I now have the time to sit up until sun up learning on KZfaq what I wish I would have learned if only the time. I can't seem to stop watching your channel. You are an EXCELLENT teacher ! You're never boring. You don't over or under explain. You vary your classes to all subjects of electronics. I even wound my on power transformer for a ham transmitter that never got built. I just kept building Heathkits & I have them all today, Even the color TV console that I never could fix because I didn't understand the high voltage power supply & couldn't get Heath parts anymore. My ham kits are still packed away & I always thought I would get them running again, But the old timers of ham are gone & I wouldn't know where to start for advice. Maybe I'll learn what I missed watching your shows. But this note is to tell you how much I appreciate you & the knowledge you have given me so far, And I have only scratched the surface. THANK YOU & I hope this gets back to you. Robert

Somehow I missed this video 4 years ago. But I'm glad I watched it now. Fun and games with tar. I'm glad you got it fixed as good as new 👍 PS - This is why my wife won't let me go anywhere near her toaster oven. Cheers from Canada :-)

50 years ago I built a pair of Mullard 20W amps. I was given 2 large HT transformers and chokes. All 4 had been plastered with pitch, not potted. I cannot believe the makers had done this. I used a gas oven set to 10 F above the rough melting point of pitch. The tray each transformer was on almost overflowed. I eventually got everything in a reasonable state and the amps went on to do many years service. Paul, your videos are excellent, I just wish I knew one tenth of your knowledge.

Paul never disappoints. Every single video has an amount of knowledge that melts my brain.

Who else is silently cheering for the old electronics to work like the day they were new?

I must say, I was expecting some sort of morass of gooey steaming black tar from which the transformer would emerge dripping and oozing like a 50's, tentacled sci-fi movie monster. In the end . . . the thing kind of "raised the white flag" with hardly a shot fired! But seriously, "thank you!" . . . I really enjoyed seeing this.

That transformer never had a chance. 90 years , sacrificed for science. Honorable to the end. (bows head in respect)😀

You had me at "in the name of science!"👍 I absolutely love your movie's! Thank you so much for your time!

Thanks for doing this video Paul, great job!

Thanks Mr. Paul, been waiting for this video a while. It was worth the wait!!

I really love you thoroughness which is why I do enjoy every post you make. Thanks a lot.

Learning SO MUCH from this channel. Not just educational, I find it entertaining and dude has such a calm and positive demeanor.

Mr. Carlson, Flippin genius way to heat the transformer for de-potting! You 'da Man!

Absolutely brilliant! I really love and appreciate this type of out-of-the-box thinking! Thanks, Mr. Carlson!

Engenius, outstanding! Thank you Dr. Carlson for the outstanding demonstration of how to remove a pot of Transformer, and do it right!

This was awesome, that transformer was terrifying (more than normal).. I recently replaced a capacitor from the plague era on my Samsung TV, following the recommendations of a professional eengineer on a Samsung TV repair forum. The trick there was to make sure you buy an increased voltage with same capacitance, just to prevent overdraw (in this specific case only). It worked, been running for several months. Anyhow, I came back to this video as it was my inspiration to be wary of Caps in general, I knew they can suck, but c'mon National!

your channel is hidden gold, you deserve WAY more views.

This may seem a little jaded but maybe National banked on having replacement transformers on the shelf as immediate replacements? The beginning of our throwaway society? Surely not! Thank you for another superb clear explanation. You have taught me much Mr. Carlson.

I love how this guy over explains EVERYTHING

Excellent video dude... Shows how dedicated you are in regards to restoration... 10/10

Great videos!! So much information and very detailed explanations as to what you are doing. Keep 'em coming!!

Well that was awesome. Glad they took a little care and housed the transformer in an isolation cardboard box that made disassembly a bit easier and quicker. I enjoyed the "ah, ha!" moment when the hidden caps were revealed. I find it very satisfying when something is brought back to working condition, especially this rare unique device. Thank you so very much for all you do and share....truly priceless!

I am never left scratching my head after watching your videos. You make things easy to understand. Thank you Mr. Carlson!

Once again, a fantastic video.

I would have bet you place the Transformer on a platform in the middle between both heating sections but you're very clever to use the toaster oven in that way! Awesome, that you're sharing your great experience with us Paul. Many thanks for doing all the effort!

"In the name of science!" I'll remember to tell my wife that when I try this depotting experiment in her state of the art Kenmore oven! Love this journey of discovery, Mr. Carlson! Thanks!

Paul That was a cool video! So now that you have a new tool (The Betty Crocker Easy Bake Transformer Warmer) You might think about making adapters to fit other transformers? If anything to put a metal flap over the hole you made in it and make it into a re-flow oven. One might find that when you can control the environment you can also control the result. Great recycle on the oven and if anything else you can use it warm your coffee or add a blower and use it for a space heater! "If you do so you so at your own risk!" Words to live by! Your options are endless! Thanks again and Stay Safe!

excellent use of one of my favorite tools, the toaster oven. I keep one in my shop for curing high strength/high temp epoxies, cleaning parts that have to soak in a heated solvent, tempering hardened steel and occasionally cooking a pizza.

I love the nuts and bolts approach you take to electrical equipment and components!

Fantastic show! Love the use of prior projects in this video. I have got to build that leakage detector not only because it has a very high cool factor but it is quite useful indeed!

I loved every minute of the video. Thanks for going to all the trouble.

Alright! Been waiting for this one... !! THANKS!!

I love your confidence Mr. Carlson. “We’re going to make it work.”

Easier than expected, very nice! No doubt due to your method of heating with the mini-oven, clever plan! Highly successful project!

I love the pause before you say, "Yep, things are going to get messy" Says it all.

I thoroughly enjoy all of your videos. I have found them to be very informative, educational and occasionally even funny (though you don't come off as funny!). Thank you! I learn from every one. I have been involved in electronics since the age of 12 and at 64 I am still working on old and new equipment. Thank you again!

your attention to detail is amazing. awesome job.

Very detailed, thank you. (I was one of many that asked you to do this video!)

Thanks for the video!! Always fun to watch, and learn.

Your channel is awesome

Thanks Paul, what a creative idea on how to pull that transformer out safely....

We should gather the tar for a time when it is necessary to tar and feather a politition. My contribution to electronics. I like your tenacity in getting to the bottom of things and not just replacing them.

Thanks for the video and the lesson. Also you educated me on the Agilent meter. I have the same meter and was unaware of its inability to measure capacitance in that situation. Good job. Nice clean removal of the potted trans.

Just leaving those leaky capacitors in that tar would have been so against your professional standards that I knew they would be out next video. Another great video that just leaves you wanting more.....Thank you!.

Paul, you are a legend!

Finally! I've been waiting for this ;)

Mr. Carlson, I enjoy watching all your videos, This one was most interesting, nice job......

I always feel like one of the CRTs in the intro shots will tumble onto you. That would be hysterical as a comedy intro 😂. Just make some cardboard test gear and have it come down. Comedy gold!

Awesome job Paul. Thanks for the great video.

1. I would never bother de-potting a transformer (for what purpose?) 2. I never realized a former would contain caps (mentioned to be silly) 3. These caps become faulty therefore dangerous -very valuable knowledge & insight, something never learned at University!

I want that toaster oven stacked with the other equip in the opening shot. Trickest Carlson Lab tool yet.

Hey look we have the same workmate bench. I actually found all the little clamping pegs for it the other day. I love the thing !!! Best folding bench ever 👍

interesting finding a pair of wax/foil bumble bomb caps inside of the transformer, glad it was an easy fix for you, genius way of heating the assy up to remove the transformer from the case, you make a lot of these repairs look simple, and you give good clear info while doing it, thank you, and great vid cant wait to see more

A great video. Ingenious use of the toaster oven. Thanks for sharing.

Im so glad i subscribed to your channel theres so much more to learn in each and every video you explaind everything so clearly, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us

Very creative way to heat that transformer up Paul. Brilliant. Really strange that they put those caps in the transformer. Never know what you find in these things. Thanks for sharing.

Hey, look at the bright side; at least you were the one melting the tar outta that xformer. I had an old Zenith 7-S-363 I was repairing for a co-worker a few years back that had a shorted rectifier tube. Before the xformer finally gave up the ghost, it got so hot that when the radio was handed over to me to look at, I found a big pool of re-solidified tar in the bottom of the cabinet. That was a mess to clean up!

Amazing work. Thanks for the video.

Nice job Mr. c. You have inspired me to tackle this type of job. thanks for sharing.

Thanks Mr.Carlson, great video!

Thanks for the great video, I would never have thought to cut into the top of that oven, it worked much better then I thought it would when you talked about it! Cool little scope. I have one I built with an Arduino and tiny screen that is built into a candy tin, probably does more then the little guy but surly will not work as many years.

Great job, very educational. Thanks for your knowledge.

Nice work mr Carlson big thumbs up 👍

Complete common sense and knowledge put into practice and shared. Thanks.

So cool. Really appreciate you doing this. Thanks a bunch.

great video been waiting for the transformer repair

Thank You for doing this..really good job and I learned a lot as usual. You the Man.

Thank you Carlson for a wonderful vid.

Brilliant video.. I've never seen anything remotely similar. Thanks.

your videos are awesome 😃

What a great video ! Better then the best movie. Thanks for this.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

That was brilliant Paul... I will never look at a toaster oven in the same way again!

Now that I know how to do a through transform rebuild !!! When I need to do so !! I will very happily box it up and send it to you and happily pay /watch you to rebuild it great video

This is a great video - I really enjoyed the adventure

An amazing job, Paul. Greetings from Spain.

Nice!! Much easier than I expected.

As always Paul great vid, informative and clear am loving the circuit explanation I think this is a great idea. Did anyone doubt the scope would work? Muts Nuts Mr C

Very nice, enjoyable technique and good job removing those _condensers!_

Thanks Paul! When watching the initial video I was convinced that there had to be caps in the case, and of course, there were. I always enjoy your videos! It's just a suggestion, but I would appreciate a video from you on the following. Years ago I ran across the Ten-Tec Model 418 160-6 Meter Solid State Linear Amplifier , and fell in love with the concept of one amp for that range that you "didn't have to tune" from one band to the other. It may have been a misunderstanding on my part, but if it really could do that I would love to have purchased one, but have never been able to afford to. Now Ten-Tec is no longer...or at least the amp is not available new. You can get the schematic, but what I would like to have from you is advice on construction if one were to build the amp from the schematic as to things to do and things to avoid. I was planning to use it with my Yaesu 817ND as an emergency setup for my C.E.R.T. kit. Thanks again for the great videos you produce!!! Wayne WB4RHA

So very informative .

Great video. Please keep it up Paul. That's for the great content!

Great production great video, thanks Paul!

Thanks for another very interesting and informative video.

Very nice as always

Really glad you decided to de-pot that thing!

That was cool, Paul. Thanks!

Great video!

Another great video. Thank you.

You have the clearest cleanest audio I have ever heard on youtube..!!!

Hurrah for the TEK TX3 !! I love mine - thanks for the post

Awesome knowledge revealed!!!

When I had to depot old "block" capacitors .. I regularly used just a hot-air gun. It needs some care and practice, but you effectively just heat the outer layers rather quick and in most cases will be able to just pull the innards out after a few seconds without getting them too hot.

Another great video, Paul! You got lucky with the tar, I was expecting you to have to completely melt it all out to remove the transformer! Nice that it easily pulled right out with minimal heat. I bet you could have used a heat gun to warm the metal case to remove it too! Keep it up! 👍🏻

In an earlier life, I worked in a gun shop as a gunsmith, even took one of those old correspondence course. Part of working on guns includes making your own tools, nice to see this is is transferable.

Great video again, i love how you confirm what you described. And of course the use of the oven 👍 strange but if it works.. . But I clean motorcycle parts in the dishwasher .

we will see a big jump on toaster oven sales at the goodwill and junk stores and flea market after this vid LOL thanks MR C for this great great idea

Great detail as usual.