Westinghouse WR-8 "Columnaire" scored
 

I just picked this set up on the south side tonight. The seller actually had it powered up and playing when I arrived Nice to know the xfrmrs are good, but I never would have plugged it in without going over it first :no:

It's filthy and the veneer is in rough shape, but it appears to be all original and unmolested. I'm not sure about that finish though. It's kind of a dull brown - not very attractive.

It's very, very heavy. I'm guessing 90+ pounds :drool:
It'll stay in the garage until I can round up some help.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2717/...ece592ed_b.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/...beb21f3e_b.jpg


I'm not sure if the clock is working yet or if there should be glass over it.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2675/...b30f2e76e6.jpg

The speak is in rough shape. There are large tears in the cone and I have no idea how it should be covered. Cloth?
Seems like a bad idea to point the speaker straight up accoustics-wise.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2679/...e55e828c5b.jpg

Looks like one of the original wooden knob is missing.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/...c36f00d662.jpg

The chassis looks to be in good condition.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2643/...ff5e1d51e5.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/...4cd51c9327.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2783/...46b036d56a.jpg

Lots of nice, old Sylvania tubes with the green leaf label including some 245s. Filthy, but they clean up real nice.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/...74d68ee67d.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2727/...bef0158d0a.jpg

I really don't know anything about this model so any info or advice is much appreciated.

Thanks!
Bob

More pictures here if you are interested.

Almost forgot - I grabbed this "bowtie" antenna while I was there too. Tons of old stuff in that basement!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/...eca7f44066.jpg

Great score Bob! :thmbsp: Love those green-leaf syvanias. :yes:

Thanks. There are lots of 120+ year old buildings in Chicago packed with goodies in the basement. Usually the sellers have no idea what they have though so the listings on CL can be tough to find.

You guys in chicagoland always so damn lucky. I never find anything around here. :sigh: I bet zenith stuff is common place there.

You're in Michigan - right? I've seen some good stuff on CL up your way.
I see a lot of Admirals, Motorolas and RCAs around here. Some Zeniths, but not too many. I don't have any in my collection yet.

Lots of old radios too, but they're all over the midwest. I hope you start finding some good stuff.

Wasnt Zenith based in Chicago? I would think they would be easier to find for that reason. I could be wrong however, because they were sold everywhere.

The only nice CL listing lately (too expensive):

http://muskegon.craigslist.org/ele/1504182063.html

Yes, I believe Zenith was based in Chicago too.

Depends what you're into I suppose. I did some quick searching and I grab any of these. Including a Philco Predicta for only $50 :banana:

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/atq/1499782098.html (Predicta)
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/atq/1461406120.html (nice Philco)
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/atq/1468302861.html (nice Sparton)

That thing is just insanely cool. I would have been all over it like a fly on a dog turd.

I've gotten some more info on this set. It is supposed to have glass over the clock. It shouldn't be too hard to fabricate a replacement.

Apparently, there has a wicker screen with a wood frame that protected the speaker on top. If I can find a decent picture, maybe I'll try out my non-existent basket weaving skills :o

Man ! I wish you were closer-I have a guy who is an absolute WHIZ at furniture refinishing...And his wife re-canes chairs...This would be a "Cake" job for them...And I'm sure Terry could have the set "talkin'", too...

I have never seen anything like that. Very cool.

Neither had I. I'd seen Philco grandfather clock/.radios before but nothing like this. I thought it was a "frankenset" at first so had to ask around.

I sure wouldn't mind a little help with the cabinet restoration. Turns out it doesn't have any wicker on top though. That's a different model. The older and less common the set , the harder it is to find accurate info.
This one just has cloth and I have a small of what I hope is original material.

I finally got it up two flights of stairs and took some more photos.

I don't see any evidence of there being glass.
Any thoughts on cleaning the clock face? I think it may be nickel plating ?
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/...76f65aaa0c.jpg

Nice wooden knobs. I'm missing one, but have a lead on a replacement already :D
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/...c7749131a2.jpg

Here's the speaker in more detail and my little fragment of cloth.
It sure needs a re-coning!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/...a94d1d1a_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/...499d67cd_b.jpg

Should there be horizontal bracing at these two points? Seem like somethings missing.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2574/...5e56a43bf6.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2686/...32dc6cbf6f.jpg

Veneer damage. The separation isn't so bad - I can glue it back down. The missing bits are another story. Any guesses on the wood? I figure it's either mahogany or walnut.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/...4ccafaeba1.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/...4fd122eed0.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/...dd57334eec.jpg

Try some Windex on a paper towel on the faceplate. Get a little, hidden spot first - sometimes those inks/paints don't react well to cleaners.

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

"I hooked up the clock and it works :banana:"

What does the little "3 2 1 0" slider do? Is it for starting the clock? ..."sleep" timer?

Does that little shaft in the center rotate ?

jr

Bingo. Now I just need to find an intact one :rolleyes:

It's seems to be a timer of some sort, but doesn't do much as it winds down. If you watch this video, you can seem me trying to use it.

Yes, I just discovered that shaft is for a second hand. It works with an escapement to rotate in 'ticks' rather than a smooth rotation.

Nice video :thmbsp:

Found this description of the Westinghouse "Automatic Control":

http://clockhistory.com/newhavenwestinghouse/index.html

:scratch2:

jr

Wow, thanks! Mystery solved :D

I suppose it's up to the owner to notice that the lights have come back on, but the clock isn't running and they'll need to reset the slider and correct the time.

Your cleanup plan seems to be a good one. Some light machine oil, applied very lightly, should be all you need for lubrication.

A suitable second hand should be available from any supplier of clock parts. There are several big companies that sell new and restoration parts for clocks, they all have online catalogs.

I would first squirt some CRC electronics cleaner downward through the clock mechanism to flush out the dirt: hold it over the garbage can. Let dry, then light oil as suggested, with a toothpick, on each bearing surface.

You could have that speaker reconed, but if you are going to try to fix it, I highly recommend using fabric glue (craft store, fabric store). It's a bit thicker than Elmer's and you might want to thin it a little with water for making the repairs. Once the repairs are made and dry, thin the glue some more with water and paint the whole face of the cone with it. It's white but dries clear and remains flexible. You don't want it too thick at this step. It will reinforce the old paper and give it some strength to survive another 80 (!) years. I had a cone with no parts missing but it was full of little hairline cracks around the outer compliance. The paper was just getting brittle. Coating it with thinned fabric glue really strengthened it and it sounds great, takes volume the way it should with no buzzes.

I have some "Fray & Stay" fabic glue I picked up to stop speaker cloth from fraying.
I wonder if that would work on the speaker ?

Go buy some Ailene's Tacky Glue at a craft store or Wal-Mart. It's what most people use for speaker re-surround jobs, and I've very successfully used it with tissue paper to repair cone damage.

Another source of paper is coffee filters. After the patch edges are dry you can paint the whole cone with black acrylic artists paint, the kind in a jar used for poster paint. After that's dry you can coat the whole cone with the thinned fabric glue.

Those upward-facing speakers were not the best idea. They were subject to damage and to dust and debris falling into them. After it's all back together you might want to operate the speaker face down for a while to see if the vibration will work out any dirt stuck down in the voice coil gap.

Thanks. I swung by Michael's craft store tonight and picked some up. They have loads of good stuff including some manly coffee mugs :D
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2518/...2949c9fdcf.jpg

Good ideas. That leaves finding a suitable piece of cone paper about 3" x 3" to patch that big hole. I searched inside the radio put couldn't find that piece.

I don't have any speaks to scavenge any from right now. Should I pick up an old speaker just for it's cone paper, or could I substitute some sort of heavy paper stock ?