1935 Aetna (Walgreen) 4 Tube TRF Radio
Posts: 384
Threads: 22
Joined: Mar 2015
City: Waxahachie, TX
I just finished restoring a 1935 Aetna 251. A 4 tube TRF radio. I replaced all11 caps, all 5 resistors. I added a capacitor and a 0Ohm 25W resistor to the filament string and got rid of the resistance line cord. It still had all 4 original tubes in it. However the 25Z5 has 1 cathode short and I put in a Sylvania one till I can get an engraved Aristocrat 25Z5 tube. I added a fuse to the chassis and rewired the power cord so that the "hot" line is switched. This is a hot chassis.
The cabinet was stripped, grain filled, stained, toned, sealed and clear coated with Mohawk products. I replaced the worn and torn grille cloth with some needle point fabric.
This is a minimal performing radio!
I'll post the before pictures, then the the after pictures.
[Image: http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t458...vxdqtk.jpg]
[Image: http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t458...ikfqqx.jpg]
[Image: http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t458...gjih6v.jpg]
[Image: http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t458...nwaixp.jpg]
Crist
Posts: 384
Threads: 22
Joined: Mar 2015
City: Waxahachie, TX
Posts: 1,475
Threads: 69
Joined: Nov 2012
City: Kansas city, MO.
Very nice Crist. I like that dial scale and grill work. The cabinet looks great. 
Good job on the electrical work also.
Posts: 4,370
Threads: 410
Joined: Jun 2011
City: Boston
State, Province, Country: Massachusetts
[Image: http://car54.homestead.com/gunny1.jpg]
Oooooh, Ooooh, very nice.
Paul
Tubetalk1
Posts: 330
Threads: 40
Joined: May 2015
City: Sanger, CA
State, Province, Country: California
Crist,
Beautiful job. Richmond Designs has that exact original speaker cloth. It's their Small Herringbone. It was used on tons of 30's radios. I have some and it's dead on to the original....
Steve
Posts: 1,462
Threads: 97
Joined: Jul 2012
City: Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Nice job! Cute little radio. How does it perform? I did not know Walgreens was around in the 30's...
Posts: 114
Threads: 2
Joined: Jan 2014
City: Southport NC
Nice work on that little Aetna. It's one of those interesting companies we dont see too often that contracted with Detrola, Warwick, Climax, Wells Gardner etc to build sets for them. Once you look thru all the models its pretty easy to see the manufacturers "fingerprints" on most if their models.
And a nice find by the way.
Posts: 384
Threads: 22
Joined: Mar 2015
City: Waxahachie, TX
Guys, thanks for the kind words.
I saw that Richmond Designs pattern but didn't want to spend $24 when all I needed was a 6 1/2 square. Thanks for the source.
Crist
Posts: 1,102
Threads: 77
Joined: Jan 2014
City: Annapolis, IL
Very nice Crist! Chassis looks amazing. Did you paint? Did you make the back cover? Great resto, keep it up!
If I could find the place called "Somewhere", I could find "Anything" 
Tim
Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me , believes not in me but in him who sent me" John 12:44
Posts: 244
Threads: 11
Joined: Oct 2011
City: Black Mountain, NC
03-21-2016, 01:19 PM
Very good job. I like the phrase "This is a minimal performing radio!"
With the low component count that may be where Muntz later got his TV design and cost savings ideas. 
Mike
Cossor 3468
GE 417A
Philco 118H
Radiola 17/100
Scott 800B6
Silvertone 6130
Stromberg 535M
Truetone D1952
(This post was last modified: 03-21-2016, 01:20 PM by PhilcoMike.)
Posts: 384
Threads: 22
Joined: Mar 2015
City: Waxahachie, TX
(03-21-2016, 01:10 PM)Madmurdok Wrote: Very nice Crist! Chassis looks amazing. Did you paint? Did you make the back cover? Great resto, keep it up!
Yeah, I used Rust-Oleum Metalic Matte Nickle. Yeah, on the back cover too. I wanted to ventilate the top of the radio to help get rid of the heat from the tubes, especially from the 25Z5 tube.
Crist
Posts: 384
Threads: 22
Joined: Mar 2015
City: Waxahachie, TX
(03-21-2016, 01:19 PM)PhilcoMike Wrote: Very good job. I like the phrase "This is a minimal performing radio!"
With the low component count that may be where Muntz later got his TV design and cost savings ideas.
Mike
Thanks.
Crist
Posts: 765
Threads: 147
Joined: Aug 2012
City: Dallas, TX
Very nice job Crist, I have some of that herringbone cloth at the shop . Come over and i will cut you a piece to fit your radio 
Posts: 384
Threads: 22
Joined: Mar 2015
City: Waxahachie, TX
(03-22-2016, 06:55 PM)Frederick W. Taylor Wrote: Very nice job Crist, I have some of that herringbone cloth at the shop . Come over and i will cut you a piece to fit your radio
Will do Fred! Thanks.
Crist
Users browsing this thread:
|
|
Recent Posts
|
|
Philco 39-116 radio and remote
|
| Hi Brad,
Thanks so much for the info! Do you happen to have the specs for the PT-86 transformer? I did not find a lis...RichG — 04:32 PM |
|
Philco 269 - 444 FIVE VALVE VERSION?
|
| Thanks Arran;
If your set has five tubes/valves then it could be an A537, V537, or a U527, then again it looks like s...ChasL0001 — 11:07 AM |
|
Philco 29 or 45
|
| 29 chassis has a shadow meter while 45 chassis does not. Shadow meter is part no. 27 in the 29 schematic. compare it t...klondike98 — 10:32 AM |
|
Philco 269 - 444 FIVE VALVE VERSION?
|
| Sorry, Chas.
Re the burns, I broke my first TV at the age of 3. Between my electrical experiments :yikes: (My mom wa...MrFixr55 — 09:07 AM |
|
Philco 41-221 Restored
|
| Thanks for the compliment Richard. The tenite grille is original. A few of the horizontal slats were slightly warped so ...RodB — 08:44 AM |
|
Philco 29 or 45
|
| Hello, I have just received a Philco lowboy where the tube layout label in the cabinet says 29 or 45. There is no label ...dconant — 08:29 AM |
|
Philco 41-221 Restored
|
| Mr fixr,
That is great news I would love to see repo grille !!
I too have a very similar Philco but my cabinet has fab...radiorich — 08:22 AM |
|
Philco 41-221 Restored
|
| Hi Rod,
I always tell people that my scars give me character. :wink: Great job on the radio. Is the grille origi...MrFixr55 — 08:00 AM |
|
Philco 269 - 444 FIVE VALVE VERSION?
|
| It looks like the PENDD61 valve/tube must have failed, so someone replaced it with the EBC33, which is a double diode-tr...Arran — 04:29 AM |
|
Philco 269 - 444 FIVE VALVE VERSION?
|
|
Hello Chas. Radiomuseum has information on both sets.
Thanks Gary, lots of good info there.
Perhaps we'll ha...ChasL0001 — 02:23 AM |
|
Who's Online
|
There are currently 2148 online users. [Complete List]
» 2 Member(s) | 2146 Guest(s)
|
|
|
|
 
|
![[-]](https://philcoradio.com/phorum/images/bootbb/collapse.png "[-]")
