This 14 tube console was a local pickup here in Vermont from eBay for under $45.00. Later I spent about 5 times that much on the parts and services it needed. This once nice set fell on hard times and ended up in pieces and without a grill or speaker cones. Eddie b. did a nice repro grill for me, Hank Brazeal did the reconing. Thanks also to y2kBruce for "blueprinting" his original grill for me. This set has six 45 tubes for output, the little tower on the power transformer is a choke in the power supply. It came with ALL original equipment Silvertone tubes (except for the 5Z3 rectifier) including a six pack of the special high output 45A tubes made just for Sears.
Grill cloth is an accurate repro, finish schedule was Special Walnut oil stain, a shellac coat, and several coats of gloss Watco lacquer with some toner coats tined with Solarlux Hickory NGR stain (specifically designed to mix with lacquer). Mohawk canned toner "Walnut Extra Dark" was used on the base and trim. The final coats were done with Watco semigloss lacquer. This was beautiful enough "off the gun" to require no rubbing out.
It is honestly- DECO. It is also perhaps the most beautiful of my recreations so far. But I must say the grill design (although pretty) isn't what one would call "acoustically transparent".
Grill cloth is an accurate repro, finish schedule was Special Walnut oil stain, a shellac coat, and several coats of gloss Watco lacquer with some toner coats tined with Solarlux Hickory NGR stain (specifically designed to mix with lacquer). Mohawk canned toner "Walnut Extra Dark" was used on the base and trim. The final coats were done with Watco semigloss lacquer. This was beautiful enough "off the gun" to require no rubbing out.
It is honestly- DECO. It is also perhaps the most beautiful of my recreations so far. But I must say the grill design (although pretty) isn't what one would call "acoustically transparent".
BEFORE- The first two are the original eBay auction pictures.
Here's everything but the basket!
Once we got home I took a formal portrait of this pile of junk.
Here's closeup of the chassis- 3 bands and 14 tubes- all fat pin era. Mark Oppat provided the two missing knobs and a dial pointer. Other than a flimsy dial drive it's a nice chassis.
AFTER- Here's the finished cabinet- and the chassis will be all done by Feb 1st.
It sounds really nice with the 6 and 12" speakers and the half dozen 45 outputs!
Here's the chassis after cleaning and degreasing with Lectra-Motive spray including wire brushing/Scotchbriting, and treatment with Permatex Rust Treatment at the back edge. The masking takes a few hours. Factory treatment was copper plating with silver paint. Rustoleum Stainless Steel like I used on the Grunow 1291 is again a good match for this.
The nearly completed chassis after painting and polishing. I just have to replace the 2 grid wires on the RF and IF tubes and find 5 caps for the tube shields. The wire harness lower left is for antenna and ground. I had to replace the pot for sensitivity control (also lower left) with attached power switch.
Dial drive is very minimalist.
Gotta love that 45A six pack upper right!
Here she is all done at LAST! Thanks to eddie brimer for his reproduction grill- a tough one. It has very minor flaws but they don't show here.
There's a shadow meter for tuning above the dial.
Here's a low-light dial shot.
Another control panel shot. A special thanks to the wonderful Vermont lady, Barbara, who saved this lovely set from the trash long ago!
Two speakers and 14 tubes- this is a real window rattler!