I can say the same thing about hats...oh...and watches....phones....lighters...Originally Posted by p71towny
My wife says no more radios. My problem is I don't think there was ever an ugly one produced until the mid-late 50s. So if I see one, I want to buy it.
Seems like every vintage collectible is unique...too bad we can't collect them all.
“Something doesn’t ring up right, but for two-hundred fish and expenses I’d play footsies with a cobra.” Richard Diamond
Gents. I've just re-gilted the famous GILFILLAN motif and signature in an old 'rose gold' similar to paints used of 'that time.' There was enough original left for me to match up. So it just 'lifts' it. I'll be polishing the bakelite (boot polish no less!) and this baby will really glow. Something about playing Dorsey, Shaw, Sinatra in the dark of the summer room, with only the glow of the valves and the Christmas tree lights shining through.
For those interested, some more photos on this *link*
http://paddy-wagon.blogspot.com/2010...t-century.html
Hot ginger and dynamite, There's nothing but that at night,
Back in Nagasaki Where the fellers chew tobaccy and the
women wicky-wacky Woo.
At my local antique mall, there are two radios for sale if anyone's interested. One's a Philco Cathedral priced at $59, and the other is (I think) a cabinet radio manufactured by Southern Pacific(?). I'm pinning it's origins between '35 and '45, and it's current price tag isn't any higher than $120. Cosmetically, both radios seem to be in good condition. As my wallet is in a perpetual state of empty, i didn't ask about function.
This was given to me years ago by an elderly neighbor. I believe it to be a '36 or '37. Although Stromberg-Carlson made a ton of radios I haven't had much luck finding anything about this particular model. If anyone is familiar with it I'd like to know more.
As you can see the grill cloth suffers from an unsympathetic replacement and needs repair. The speaker cone is missing about 1/3 of its paper as well. Despite these issues it still sounds great and works on all bands. I generally use it for shortwave. It's receiver is remarkably sensitive.
Last edited by Mark D; 12-21-2010 at 06:38 PM. Reason: typos
Hasn't stopped me yet haha, my newest one is Gone with the wind lamps.
My newest, and most favorite radio
Fully electrically and cosmetically restored over many many hours
How Fabulous is this
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Sparton-Sled-...ht_1330wt_1141
One of the radios I restored, a Fairbanks Morse. Never got much information about this manufacturer, and I never knew if the gabinet was produced in USA or in Brazil.
One of the most difficult forniture restorations. It had 7 different paintings over the wood. In its life it was grey, red, pink, black and "rainbow". The last one was by spray of different colors, was it was used to make a rock videoclip. And they turned on the radio to make the filming, and the power transformer was almost carbonized. And a huge community of termites was living in it. One of the foot was lost.
There is a photo of the it when I got it:
Now it is in fully working order, and have a great sound. And the light dial is an aditional charm!!!
Martin
Last edited by martinsantos; 12-24-2010 at 06:46 AM.
Beautiful job! Great restoration and well worth all the hours of time you put into it.
One of the radios I restored, a Fairbanks Morse. Never got much information about this manufacturer, and I never knew if the gabinet was produced in USA or in Brazil.
One of the most difficult forniture restorations. It had 7 different paintings over the wood. In its life it was grey, red, pink, black and "rainbow". The last one was by spray of different colors, was it was used to make a rock videoclip. And they turned on the radio to make the filming, and the power transformer was almost carbonized. And a huge community of termites was living in it. One of the foot was lost.
There is a photo of the it when I got it:
Now it is in fully working order, and have a great sound. And the light dial is an aditional charm!!!
Martin
Sweet restoration. I've never been good with wood.....passable, but nothing like the job you've done on this radio. Looks perfect
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