[rfeenstra]

I think this will be my next project - another distorting 70 (like my 70 cathedral) in a grand father clock cabinet.  Considering the amount of rust, I think this chassis will be painted.  Or, maybe I'll try my hand at plating it with zinc.  That sounds like fun, but all of the tube sockets would have to be removed.



Edit: Ron, Nathan, or someone, why are my pics so big? The phorum used to scale them down. Do I need to change the # of pixels per inch?

[Greggshere]

Nice! I'm a clock affectionado, due to the fact it is also a radio, just makes it that much better.

[mikethedruid]

I'm viewing the site with my desktop. The pictures are fine with my setup. Very cool clock / radio combo ! Good luck with the restoration.

[Jake Blake]

Edit:  Ron, Nathan, or someone, why are my pics so big?  The phorum used to scale them down.  Do I need to change the # of pixels per inch?

Who's complaining?     They're gorgeous!

Jake

[rfeenstra]

The radio is a bit of a basket case.  Disassembly has begun.  First problem I've found is the power transformer.  Half the HV winding is open.  I'll either have to rewind it or place an ad in the wanted section.  This is the first PT problem I've run into (other than having to rewire because of rubber wire or brittle cloth wire.

Since the coil shields are impossible to remove and re-install, re-plating this chassis has been ruled out.  It will be painted.

[Nathan Slingerland]

The pictures should scale to the size of your browser width now. We also upped the limit on Mac picture size considerably based on feedback.

Your pictures look good on mobile. On desktop you should be able to resize the width of the browser. I suppose we could also set an absolute maximum width.

[rfeenstra]

Thanks for the info, Nathan.

[rfeenstra]

This radio was certainly well used.  The tuning shaft is deeply worn at the bearing support, and the dial drive surface is worn to a knife edge.  Not quite sure how I'm going to address the issues, but I have some ideas.

           


Edit: Because of the wear on the dial, someone tried to bend and otherwise mangle the piece to increase the friction on the drive. I've tried to straighten it as best I can. Now I have to add some metal to the worn edge to get it back to some semblance of original dimensions.

[rfeenstra]

Decided to start on the tuner.  Was able to fill in the groove on one end of the shaft by brazing it.  I didn't fill the groove left by the retainer spring.  That gets closer to the plates. That takes a lot of heat and I had a hard time keeping the solder on the nearest plates from melting.  You can see some roughness in the solder where it started to flow.  After brazing the groove, I turned it down on the lathe.  There was no way I was going to be able to braze the tuning knob end as the  normal groove is deep.  I filled that with silver solder and turned it down in the lathe.  I don't know how long the silver solder will hold up, but it's better than it was.

I carefully sanded the knife edge off with a dremel tool.  I tried to straighten the edge as best I could from the former "repairs". Thankfully, I didn't have to add any metal.  The spring loaded friction wheel still worked on the new edge.  It's not perfectly smooth because I couldn't get all of the bends out of the metal.  Pretty good, though.  I'm pleased it works as well as it does.

Oh, and yes, it is painted so that it will match the chassis as that will have to be painted because of all the rust.

       

[KCMike]

Very nice work on the tuning cap.

[rfeenstra]

Hmmm. Decided to start on the PT. Half of the HV secondary was open. Now that it's apart, it measures fine. I don't trust it, but hate to rewind it! I've wiggled the wires, tugged on them, pushed on them and I can't get it to open. Not sure what I'm going to do.

[rfeenstra]

Decision taken: it will be re-wound.  Wire is on order and the PT is in process of being unwound.

[Jake Blake]

The radio is a bit of a basket case.  Disassembly has begun.  First problem I've found is the power transformer.  Half the HV winding is open.  I'll either have to rewind it or place an ad in the wanted section.  This is the first PT problem I've run into (other than having to rewire because of rubber wire or brittle cloth wire.

Since the coil shields are impossible to remove and re-install, re-plating this chassis has been ruled out.  It will be painted.

Decision taken: it will be re-wound.  Wire is on order and the PT is in process of being unwound.

You mean you're not mining your own copper???!!! 

I'm gonna keep shopping on Ebay for mine. I've already had some referrals from Terry.

[rfeenstra]

I was thinking about it since I live only 9 hrs form old copper mines, but I don't have the dies to draw out the wire!

[Jake Blake]

I was thinking about it since I live only 9 hrs form old copper mines, but I don't have the dies to draw out the wire!

HA!!!!! Ok bud. I'm sure if you are sucessful with that re-winding, that will be the nicer restoration.