[emmpro]

Thanks very much for your encouraging posts. The bezel has the usual shrinkage, enough to make the metal strip bubble a little but it isn't broken and I'll leave it like it is. The cabinet has never been in a basement or attic and the veneer is tight so I'll leave the case as it is. One of the 10 buttons is marked "television" (??). After removing the chassis, I'll check out the transformer and the first surgery will be to replace the paper capacitors - I think, from what I've read so far, that's the best way to begin. Thanks for the tip about practicing soldering, which I will follow. I AM slow and meticulous though (maybe more slow than meticulous haha). My dad was in communications in the army (Signal Corps - WWII) and I have a couple of books of his from some period of his life when he took instruction in this subject. There were several ham operators in the family. I think I was exposed to it so much that I took it for granted, which is too bad, because those guys are all gone now. So, my interest in radio is late, but better late, etc.