[EdHolland]

This weekend allowed quite a bit of time to work on the radio. On the cabinet, I found a few more areas of the delicate grille that were delaminated, and also another couple of weak spots, so set about getting those glued. To repair the missing piece, the repair part was trimmed to match, plus some overlap which was feathered down in thickness. The points where it would meet the rear of the original grill were also thinned. This allowed for the front surface of the repair to be level with the rest, while providing plenty of overlap for gluing in to place. I also carved the details into the repair, to match the design on the other side. This was very fiddly work, but the piece was completed and set carefully in to place with glue, first using tape to allow position to be set, then a clamp on each overlapping joint while it dried. No pictures yet, and anyway, it needs to be toned to match as it sticks out like a sore thumb at the moment. However, on tests I did with some similar material, it will be possible to get a very acceptable match. There is a tiny bit of grille surface to be replaced just adjacent to the repair part - this was near the messiest part of the break and must have fallen apart thanks to the carved details in the top ply - any pieces were long gone before the set came to me, but they can be replicated with a little care.

As there were a few breaks (probably not the best choice of words there...) in the cabinet repairs, I turned to the chassis to get familiar with the layout and wiring. A diagram of the underside was drawn up, and the layout of valves, power supply and major components added. Add to this, details of the speaker socket and filter cap wiring, plus notes on which of the paper caps corresponds to component numbers on the schematic. I find this to be really handy reference material for when the soldering iron is hot. It also helps to notice the clues to the set's history. In this case, there are signs of at least one, probably two visits to the repair shop. Both the larger caps were replaced with Mallory and Aerovox parts, and the latter substituted again with a smaller electrolytic. A few of the resistors look like 50s or 60s replacements as well. One or two repairs were tacked on - and have fallen off their tags on the valve sockets, and in a couple of places, the junction between components is hanging in mid-air. I'll spend more time tracing to make sure there are no mistakes lurking.

The speaker chosen for the project arrived, and should work well enough with it. Field coil resistance is a bit high, but can be paralleled with a resistor to net 100 ohms required. A quick tinker with the unit did not suggest an easy way to remove the coil for a rewind. There is some damage to the cone, which I knew about, and this can be repaired, or I may replace. For now, it is operational, will fit the cabinet, and the transformer is good. A new wire harness and 5 pin plug will be made up for connection to the chassis.

More pics when the grille repair is presentable. I'm still thinking about overall cabinet tone and finish, in particular what are the proper colour choices for the top, sides and bottom molding.

Ed