Repairing and Restoring Tube Radios - part 9 - FINAL

[BeJ95]

What did the magic eye show you? Tuning status?

[416asshole]

Wow, I just watched all the episodes tonight, very interesting to see how the old tube radios work. The start and ending in the old radio shows in B&W are priceless. Thanks!

[nick0stanton]

Just sat down and watched all 9 episodes back-to-back. Great job, particularly with your boys helping. Thought the light-bulb safety trick was really useful too.

Nick in England

[steeljan]

Very nice job. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

[truckpipe]

What a fantastic job and fantatic helpers! I am kind of jealous, wish I had a great old radio like this one. Maybe someday, then I'll have to come back here and rewatch this series! Thanks for posting them.

[apaulanarius]

Great videos and well done restore. I have an old Grundig from the fifties that my Aunt gave me when I was a teen. After watching these videos, my interest in that old radio has come back and I think I will make it my next winters project. Thanks again.

[yogi540]

Enjoyed these videos Mike sure turned out nice at the end. I was surprised that the antenna was just a short piece of wire rather than maybe a ferrite rod set up. regards from Ireland. (btw was the sports station CFGO 1200? I have heard it here many times - my hobby is picking up distant stuff)

[hydrolisk1792]

Wonderful job on that!!

[cliverkay]

The only fault I found is when you are working on the chassis and you have plugged the radio in and switched it on with the rectifier connected . You should when later working on it to dump the caps as they can hold a charge for quite a while ...and No fingers inside till you do !!

[rockabillycat1954]

That's a fine radio to be proud of, you and your boys did a great job. hope to see more projects.

[Subaro0o]

Great job man.. that thing probably sounds better than it ever did!

[redman68au]

sweet resto champ! great vids to. cheers for sharing champ! :)

[gtc1961]

Great job on that radio! one question...in an earlier video I noticed the top of the cabinet, in the center, the veneer was coming up a bit or just very rough. I have the same problem on my Philco. Did you do anything to correct that? I assume if you sand it so it's flat you'd have to restain that area and hope it matches the rest of the radio.

[renekenshin6573]

Such nice kids you have there to help you. Nice video man i'm one of the electronics geek out there :D

[Quaaludedude714]

Heck with the XBox i want to Buy your Radio . i'll give you an XBox & a Decent Computer . cool ya let the kids do half the work :) QC

[KF7HDJ]

These videos are a big help I might try to restore my st regis international and thanks for making all of the videos.

73's Jonathon KF7HDJ

[GnosisMan50]

Dear aliendaddy32,

You are not only a great repairman/filmmaker but a great dad too with a lot of patience!! Your kids are so well behaved, curious, and so willing to help. They have a great dad!!

[hrbear]

Bravo, bravissimo. I enjoyed all the "episodes" of the repair. You emphasized much on the detail, with much sensitivity. Very nice craftsman. The idea of teaching the children also is nice, because you instruct them how to focus in the detail in their lives, and how to cooperate as a small team to finish a purpose.

[jks2]

beautifull EM34 eye:) i have the same one in my german made Loewe Opta ''luna''

[1938Silvertone]

Great job! Maybe I'll tackle my old Crosley!!

[leckas]

I have never left a comment before, but was moved to after watching this. Just the inspiration I needed to get my RCA console back in working order! And yes, you are an awesome Dad!

[tbaket]

Loved your video! Thanks for posting. You and your helpers did a great job!!

[eddiebatmv]

I have 4 console (floor model) radios from 1938 to 1950. One beautiful 1940 Philco with a like new Art Deco caninet. 1950 philco w/ phono. 1938 Sears Silvertone (works), and 1938 General Electric with like new cabinet. Three table radio from the 1930s. A Firestone, Silvertone, and Stewart Warner.

You have inspired me to take some time out for these beautiful old radios. Nice work, and nice little helpers too.

[TheNoudio]

Small comment about safety, though: instead of using googles with the paint, you could have maybe used an isolation transformer, together with the series light (ages old good trick!) Though I confess I don't use that myself either. Imperfect! The shadow knows what's lurking in the bad minds... ha ha ha he he he

;-)

[hrbear]

@TheNoudio Did you notice the USSR under the number 12 on the radio? ;-) These radios usually had signs of most known radio stations like "Monaco", "Munchen", "Sofia", "Madrid", "Paris", "Brussels", "London" ;-)

[TheNoudio]

The shadow though, reminds one of the true appearance that it casted. (ha ha ha he he he he...) Hey I really liked your course! I think you're a wonderful dad also! You do wonderful things to your kids, where I would retreat. Further Im just as imperfect as you are, had a lot of more problems with my chassis, a 5 band short wave. I did a worse job on the veneer part, never thought that what you did is all possible too...

[geeflyboy]

Watched all 10 parts. IT was fun. I like the minimal approach, do what is needed, don't go for perfection. I think I would have just replaced all the Caps but can't fault the results.

What is that radio worth now partial restored as you have it now?

[jsjassem]

very nice work really enjoyed i am working now in my grundi radio 1955 i am not finish from all things just now some bad sound maybe need Capacitor thanks for all

[lndac02]

excellent series, really enjoyed you and the boys rebuilding this radio. I think you need your own show on the discovery channel home & leisure, you have a good presentational style. until that happens keep posting up on youtube. Thanks!

[petermopar]

Also, is there not a debate about screws in glued cracks:

some paths point to using the screw as you did after the clamp,

other paths say use the screw as the clamp which makes its own "glue-smoosh".

was wondering if you prefer the former for a reason. cheerio!

[petermopar]

i am just starting one of those existential wintertime tube projects. there's something about the cold that makes warm tubes appealing. i am working on an RCA console which is going to become a sort of theremin, and i already have a steady tone, thanks especially to the recapping. waxies are indeed very bad. i love your kids, good to have them involved, it provides this wonderful meta-content to the video. also noticed the hockey/frenchy dialectic, related to short-wave internationalism...

[Lexum2]

Excellent. Enjoyable series.

[aliendaddy32]

I used the original wire.

[HambertHM]

You forgot the Magic Eye, it isn't working...

[aliendaddy32]

Nope, it works. It is likely a little hard to see because it is not bright, but it glows a faint green. The video on YouTube is highly compressed, so it loses detail.

[HambertHM]

Oh, congratulations, very nice work!

Now im going to restore an old vinyl player by folowing your steps, maybe you know what its my problem, i get a 50Hz interference when i swich on... I'll change the caps anyway to see what happens.

It's an old changer with transistors, it's called Winco.

Grettings from Argentina!

[lrd9999]

(cont) I agree with your philosophy about limiting the re-finishing to what's needed to make the piece look respectable; the more original, the better. I'm going through the same thing with a Stromberg-Carlson from a couple of years later. First priority has been to do no harm; any work I've skipped can be done later. One thing that's surprised me in projects like this is how many seemingly permanent defects can be obliterated with a good polishing (especially with a tinted wax).

Good luck, PCL

[aliendaddy32]

Yup, you're right on the restoration. The best I can figure is this radio is from the early or mid 1940s, so IT IS OLD and it ain't ever going to look new again, nor should it. But a good cleaning works wonders. As you can imagine, I'm not a big fan of plastic surgery either.....

[lrd9999]

I really enjoyed this series (though I had trouble loading parts 6 and 7, for some reason). The light bulb trick was clever; especially if you don't have a variac lying around the house. I'm guessing that the model you have is from just after WWII, since it lacks AM presets (which were dropped about that time in anticipation of TV) and has a couple of miniature tubes, but still has a pre-war style tombstone cabinet.

[desertbard]

Any suggestions on fixing broken bakelite cabinets?

KD5KZL

[mellotrongirl]

I've got a whole house full of old European superhets in various states of misalignment...I could keep the three of you employed full time for YEARS! Great series; an evening well spent watching all nine parts. It would seem to me this would be national public television material.

[broot4u]

I have for YEARS wanted to pick up an old love and restore old electronics. But I honestly thought I'd never have access to what I needed. Now I can fix up a console stereo or two, or maybe get brave enuff to make a stab at a tombstone radio. Thank you much for this. I heard the Sens on the radio. U in Ottawa bud? BTW.. your kids did a bangup job as Dad's helpers. Cheerz, and thanks, I've bookmarked this for future reference. Dave.

[aliendaddy32]

Yup, we're in Kanata. I studied computer engineering, so analog electronics isn't my expertise at all. I have corresponded with experienced radio techs and read the stuff they write online and it all seems very intimidating! Recapping is the bravest I've got so far. Thanks for the comments and good luck!

[tasende]

good job, and congratulations for the kids, too.

I have some old radios, and your lessons was cool.

Thanks a lot Mario, and God bless you and your family.

[jakdedert]

Hi Mike, nice to see bring this old relic back to life, and involve your kids in the process. The radio is now something your wife will let into your living room

That said, these old radios used lacquer finishes. Applying urethane is not much easier than applying an authentic finish, and will be much easier for future restorers (60 years from now?) to work with. I'd suggest you explore the possibility for your next project.

Still, great job, great video. Thanks for sharing.

[aliendaddy32]

Oh, you mean on the veneer I added on top? I didn't know that, good point. Thanks for the tip.

[jaraff]

Mike, Thanks for doing this series I have been restoring old radios electrically for around 15 years but I was always too unsure about dealing with the cabinets specifically the vernier, since watching your project I'm going to give it a go... Thanks!!!!!!!

[aliendaddy32]

Excellent! BTW, this is the first time I ever did anything like this... I looked up veneer online and then gave it a go. Thanks for the comments.

[moniandre]

Watched all 9 parts, great series !!.

Nice to see some focus on the furniture restoration aspect as well as the electonics.

I've been an OTR fan for years and I finally got myself a restored '39 Philco tabletop at a flea market in Kemptville a while back.

Now I'm looking for a decent console to restore.

A neighbour in Aylmer Quebec.

[grizbot]

wow.good job!

[davidsemailll]

Watch all 9 parts, great job !!! I have been into old radios a few years, and I am sure your video will bring more people into this great hobby. More more more !!! :)

[mariopica]

I am terribly curious to see (hear ;-) the

radio runing. Please post as soon as possible.

Your radio is really beautifull. Congratulations.

[aliendaddy32]

I power up the radio and tune in a bit of the Ottawa Senators hockey game at about the 07:30 mark in the video.

[mariopica]

Oh yes, I can hear. You own a joy. Congratulations. Best regards from Brazil.

Mario.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Terrific job, a fun project to watch.