[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by Chris K

I wonder if there's anything proactive that one can do to prevent winding insulation failures in yokes, power transformers etc. If you took a transformer core and submerged it in a varnish or shellac filled container for a period of time, could the insulation be beefed up to extend the life of the component? All these things will fail one of these days.

Don't know the answer in terms of a detailed procedure, but I do recall cases where the item being potted is put in a vacuum chamber to expell any air bubbles caught in the item - dunking may not be sufficient.