12-12-2015, 10:59 PM
This week I finished up a few projects and then said, “What’s next?” I checked Craig’s List and there it was: “My grandfather’s 1942 Philco radio, $50.” This was perfect for me. It was so beat-up that I didn’t have to fret about the patina, but all the parts were there--all the knobs, all the buttons. I identified it in the Philcoradio gallery. It’s a 41-250. From the Craigslist photo I could tell that the escutcheon was hopelessly broken, but also found that good reproductions were available.
So, I brought the set home. Now my room is filled with that alluring aroma--that delicate musty scent that says, “I’ve been the attic for 50 years.” I’ve ordered the documentation from Chuck, I’m ordering an escutcheon from Antique Knobs, and I’ve ordered the one tube that I’ll need.
This will keep me busy for several months. I’d post a photo, but it looks just like the other 25,000 “log cabins.”
When I cleaned up the tubes, I totally erased the markings on a good XXL. I’ve done this with all-glass tubes and I wanted to try glass-etching on a tube, so I tried it out here (I know it’s not necessary for a tube with Bakelite or metal base, but it can be useful for all-glass tubes). It takes 5 or 10 minutes to do a neat etching. For what it’s worth, here’s my process:
https://goo.gl/photos/DoduRLPhnA3kkVNc7
One question about the 41-250--does it have a back? It doesn’t look like it had a back, but I thought I saw someone selling reproduction backs for this model.
So, I brought the set home. Now my room is filled with that alluring aroma--that delicate musty scent that says, “I’ve been the attic for 50 years.” I’ve ordered the documentation from Chuck, I’m ordering an escutcheon from Antique Knobs, and I’ve ordered the one tube that I’ll need.
This will keep me busy for several months. I’d post a photo, but it looks just like the other 25,000 “log cabins.”
When I cleaned up the tubes, I totally erased the markings on a good XXL. I’ve done this with all-glass tubes and I wanted to try glass-etching on a tube, so I tried it out here (I know it’s not necessary for a tube with Bakelite or metal base, but it can be useful for all-glass tubes). It takes 5 or 10 minutes to do a neat etching. For what it’s worth, here’s my process:
https://goo.gl/photos/DoduRLPhnA3kkVNc7
One question about the 41-250--does it have a back? It doesn’t look like it had a back, but I thought I saw someone selling reproduction backs for this model.
