GREAT FIND! :banana::banana::banana::banana:

"I'm not sure if the clock is working yet or if there should be glass over it."

I have only seen one other example of this set and it did not have glass either. (or any evidence that glass had been mounted). I was told that the glass was left off so that the clock could be easily set.

jr

Right, especially the Philco plastic-y dials. The ink they used is water soluble!

It turns out this is actually silver plate and that's all tarnish. I tried a little TarnX on a Q-tip. It cetainly helps, but I think it will take a lot of polishing to really make it bight and shiny. I think all that rubbing will ruin the painted numbers though :scratch2:

Thanks. I read elsewhere that it may have had an acetate "bubble" over the clock face. If I can confirm that, I may try making one with a clear plastic sheet, a wooden mold and the oven.

If you can find something that won't hurt the paint, maybe a "dip and soak" type of metal cleaner would work. I'd scan the face first so that you can get it re-screened if necessary. There are companies that do re-screening of clocks and car gauges.

That's a great idea. I'll try to pull the clock out later tonight.

One of these days a grandfather (grandmother?) clock radio is going to follow me home. I only recall seeing 3 for sale over the years. The first was at a great old antique store near home, a place I loved to explore as a kid. I think it was a Philco, but might have been a Crosley. Way over my price range at the time. Later I found a set like this one, in similiar conditon, in the back room of an antique mall. It sat there for a long time with too hefty a price tag. I probably should have bought it. The last one was a Columnaire, too, but the version without a clock. (which makes you think, what's the point?) That was at an auction-they allowed proxy bidding so I left something like $75, didn't win it. They also had a Kiel-table Atwater Kent at that sale. No idea what they sold for.

Anyway, a great set-an attention getter. I've had decent luck with those chassis working right from the start.

Sam's idea of using "silver dip" on the clock, like the kind for fine jewelry is a good idea. Try it on a small spot first though. Like what was said already, the biggest concern would be the numbers on the clock face coming off if the "dip" is too strong chemically. Make sure the clock face is thoroughly rinsed in water and dried with a towel. Weird that the clock face is silver, one would think that it would tarnish after only a few years of use.

The paint they used is holding up really well to cleaning :) So far one round of TarnX.

I'd remove the face from the clock, but I can't figure out how and don't want to break anything.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/...0dd07c7b17.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2599/...c0587b5657.jpg

There is either a pin and washer or a threaded nut at the top of the hands. Take it off, and you can wiggle the hands free. After that, it's probably just held on by a nut under the hands.

I'd just glue those tears in the speaker's cone together and add patches of paper to close the holes, to keep it original!

If the cone is missing really large chunks, or is rotten and beyond repair, i'd install a new one but i'd keep the original leather surround which seems to be in in good shape.

I hooked up the clock and it works :banana:

Yes, there is a pin I can easily remove, but the hands are really stubborn. I think I'll leave it alone for now.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/...4015a4911b.jpg

I started cleaning out the speaker and found the chunk of plaster responsible for that big hole :uzi:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2446/...437d626cd1.jpg

I think you're right about being able to salvage it though.
I'm hoping that the missing piece of cone paper may still be inside the radio somewhere or even in my car. I'll do some hunting.

Do you think I should put a little leather conditioner on that leather surround? It's fairly dried out and stiff.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/...c3a84928eb.jpg

I recorded a little YouTube video of the clock and damaged speaker in more detail.

Bob

It looks like there is a small hex nut on top of the hands. I've never had any vintage clock hands fail to pop off with a bit of side-to-side rocking.

OK - I'm a little thick sometimes :stupid: I thought that nut was fused to the minute hand.

Here it is taken apart. There were four tiny screws holding the face on - no sneezing!

It's quite dirty under there. I'm thinking of using a solvent like odorless mineral spirits then some fine machine oil on the gears.

Any suggestions?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2764/...8abb9ede_b.jpg

Thanks!

We both need advice on this!

I also need to soften the leather surround of a late 1920s speaker (you can see it in the "really old speaker" thread i just opened)

What i'm not sure about is the effect the conditioner may have on the paper cone if it migrates into it from the surround, and the best kind of conditioner to use on paper-thin 80 years old leather

different kinds of hides were used by different manufacturers to make speaker surrounds back then, sheepskin, horse hide and carpincho were the most popular ones, determining the kind of leather used in your speaker may help in finding the right conditioner for it.

If you can'f find the missing piece of your cone, a patch cut off a scrap speaker cone of similar size will also work!

Any chance that "pin" is the remnants of a second hand?

John