Christopher Tidy wrote:


Alright, it looks like the consensus is that I should leave them alone.
I thought they were varnished to prevent eddy currents, but now you
mention it there is a noticeable green layer on the plates. I assume
that this is the oxide layer formed by the steam. I had to dismantle the
core to rewind, so that isn't wasted effort. The reason for cleaning off
the rust was to make reassembly a bit cleaner. The rust is thin and
dusty and gets everywhere. Perhaps I should just wipe them with a rag
soaked in white spirit as I reassemble?

Thanks for the suggestions.

Chris



Just wiping the loose dusty stuff off as you describe sounds
about right to me. You are correct, that green is the oxide layer.
On some laminations the oxide layer makes some really cool multi-colored
patterns.

have fun, and let us know how it comes out.

-AL A.