Brunswick 5KR restoration
 

A friend gave me this set a while ago and I've been slowly working on between other projects.

At first, I wasn't even sure I'd bother making the attempt :scratch2:

It's a little older than any set I've worked on before, the speaker is missing, but worst of all, check out the insides :tears:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/7...aeb286f4_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/7...bd0981bf_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/6...94022e8a_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/7...f6dc116c_z.jpg

Time to get out the Naval Jelly!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6...38e7aef3_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6...d7521ca6_z.jpg

Here's what I found when I got it up on the workbench.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6...e75eb194_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7279/7...35bf1a89_z.jpg

No dead critters or nests, but plenty of rust. Worst I've ever seen.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/6...6ced9e3a_z.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5459/7...a8466a38_z.jpg

I did a little research and discovered this set is essentially identical to a Radiola 18 - one of the early AC powered sets.
The tube lineup is 80, 26x4, 27 and 71A.

The chassis with the power supply is known as the "Socket Power Unit" or SPU. Nice of them to include and option for 105 / 125 VAC primary operation. So I should be able to run it off modern line voltage levels.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/7...aa7df76f_z.jpg

The mounting screws for the SPU are so rusty I had to snap them off. Not so bad on the other chassis.
Now I can finally get a look underneath.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7245/6...8351fe8a_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7081/7...317b890a_z.jpg

I had to cut away a sheet of asbestos to get into the SPU :yuck:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5279/7...e7cdcd84_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/7...536fc50b_z.jpg

That's actually pretty decent condition for a radio of that era. It may look bad, but it's mostly just looks.

There's a lot of dirt, but the wood is in good shape. Scrub it down and hit it with some Howard's, and you should be good to go. The rust on the chassis seems mostly superficial, and as for the wiring, a lot of it still seems reasonably intact, so you're better off than you would be if it were the '30s rubber-covered stuff. And perhaps most importantly, it doesn't look like anybody has screwed with it too much... I see a few repairs, but not the decades' worth of hack-jobs that you'd usually find.

Very nice cable lacing. Wonder if there's any pot metal issues with the tuning condenser.

Boy, that's a project. They kept it going at least through the thirties per the ST type tubes that replaced the globes along the way. That's one hulking rheostat, too; big wattage. I think the frame of that condenser is steel so should be OK; the pulley may be potmetal but it looks good from my house.

I tried that, but due to the damp environment it was stored in, a lot of the old finish had flaked off. What was left was barely hanging on. So I ended up refinishing it as you'll see shortly.

The wiring is indeed in very good condition.

Once I cleaned and lubed it, it starting turning freely :D.

The rheostat is open, but I hear that's a common problem. I put a little back mark where the break is I think I can bridge it with a little gold plated copper foil.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7056/7...1b348ee2_z.jpg

As for the power transformer, it's good.
So are all the filter chokes and power resistors :banana:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7255/6...cb174633_z.jpg

All the caps are very leaky though.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7065/6...d618ca6c_z.jpg

As for the cabinet, I cleaned it off with GoJo and tried to revive the original finish. However, in many areas it was already down to bare wood and what finish was left was faking off. Also the veneer was separating and the joints had opened up. Seems like it was stored in a damp environment for a long time.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5451/6...f31f6c83_z.jpg

So I made the decision to refinish it. Here it is after repairs, stripping, grain filling and sanding sealer.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/6...03e4ccbc_z.jpg

I went with medium walnut toner lacquer on the panels and van dyke walnut on the trim.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7137/6...7163d68d_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7107/7...02692cf2_z.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7097/6...2db5a31e_c.jpg

The only good original surface was under the lid with a very nice label. I carefully cleaned it and avoided getting any stripper or toner lacquer on it.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/6...106ab104_b.jpg

Time to tackle that rust. It's tempting to just chuck the whole chassis in an electroylsis bath, but instead I tackled a section at a time with rust stripper.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7...126b9078_z.jpg


A wire brush and 100 grit sandpaper help.
Later I graduated to using a Dremel tool with abrasive bits.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/6...bb1b3e9e_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7...a57ff470_z.jpg

I very carefully pried up the metal tabs holding the filter choke in place and removed it. It's much easier to work on now :)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/6...7360f921_z.jpg

By and by the rust is fading away.
Now that's some deep pitting!
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5118/6...0af48be7_z.jpg

What a job. You might think of auto glazing compound in a tube, spread on, dry, sand, to fill the pits before painting, once they're rustproofed. Auto parts stores.

Good call. I picked up some Bondo Glazing & Spot Putty and it's working quite well.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7137/7...c73fffed_z.jpg

I also discovered the rust comes back quick on the raw steel if I don't slap some primer on it.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/6...315d01b6_z.jpg

I was able to cutoff the remains of the rusty chassis screws and nuts using a Dremel tool with metal cutting discs.
Like a hot knife through butter :)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6...b7cf8718_z.jpg

Great work so far. I've seen plenty of Radiola 18s and most of them worked, so your Brunswick should be a pretty dependable set. I see yours is missing the lamp cover, a common problem. Do you have any idea what the Brunswick lamp cover looked like?

If you've never listened to a 20s set before, you'll be surprised. Sensitivity is very nice, as long as you have a nice long antenna and a good ground. About the only thing you'll not hear is any bass. But then you'll know why so many people were impressed with the massive booming bass of the console models that followed in the coming years.

Yes, it's just a basic rounded brass hood like the Radiola 17/18.
I figure I can replicate one easily by cutting up a brass ball like these: http://www.grandbrass.com/catalog.cf...wo Piece Balls

http://www.radiomuseum.org/images/ra...5kr_987766.jpg

No, I haven't heard a radio from this era in person. Just some clips on YouTube.

Does your tuning cap rotate freely? It looks like the frame is NOT pot metal.

I suspended restoration of a GE model H 51 (similar to Radiola 80) with a frozen cap due to pot metal expansion.

That's a shame. I like that cabinet on the H51.

Yes, it does turn freely. It was quite stiff at first, but I gradually worked in some oil and grease.
The pulleys may be pot metal, but I don't think the rest is.

What are those two metal pins that protrude from the back of the PS chassis? I initially thought they were toggle switches, but it appears that only one wire runs to each of them.

Those are the connectors either for the antenna or speaker... probably the speaker, judging by their location.

What you're actually seeing are pin plugs sticking out of the chassis mounted jacks... the plugs would've originally been attached to the ends of the speaker leads, but for some inexplicable reason somebody cut off the wires and left the plugs attached, rather than just unplugging them from the jacks.

Yes, those are the speaker terminals. They puzzled me for a while too until I found a copy of the service info. The handful of rotted wiring I thought was for the speaker I showed in an earlier photo was actually an antenna.

Speaking of speakers. I got lucky and found a nice Brunswick Model A on ebay :banana: As far as I know, it's the speaker that originally went with the 5KR.
Coincidentally, this speaker was missing the plug pins. I was able to salvage them from 5KR chassis and attach new wires.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7...dbc589e1_z.jpg

It has a handy access port on the back. A little tug in the finger holes on the bottom and it pops right off.
I hooked it up to a function generator and it seems to work very well :music:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/7...6b73df84_z.jpg

The cone is in excellent condition.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/6...f1fd4c19_z.jpg

I like the style of that speaker, and in such good shape.

I like it too. I found some photos online of other sets which confirm the finish is correct. I'd have thought the radio and speaker would be a closer match.
http://byemylife.com/sitebuildercont...g.w300h261.jpg


I also have an RCA 100A I could use with this radio, but I like the Model A a lot better. The speaker inside appears to be the same in both.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5311/7...819c4bef_z.jpg http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5312/6...31b2c474_z.jpg

That's also a nice Radiola speaker with original grillcloth. I installed some window screen in front of mine to prevent an "accident".

BTW, have you tried either of those UHF set-top antennas on DTV? That is one I haven't experimented with.

I'm currently using a vintage VHF antenna with my DTV box. Never tried one of the UHF models either.

Almost ready for some new brown paint.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/6...f9259032_z.jpg

Time to give to the other chassis some attention. It has far less rust on it :)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7222/6...d37477c1_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/6...e955b9c8_z.jpg

The whole variable cap and drive comes off as a single unit. Very handy!
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5463/7...e2f7e97f_z.jpg

Built like a tank.

It sure is :yes:
I ran out to get some more rust remover and was surprised to get the 3rd degree. I had to produce photo ID, fill out a log book entry and sign it. I noticed other entries in the log seemed to be for roto-rooters :rolleyes:

While I wait for more rust to dissolve, I took a look at the filter block.

There are 3 capacitors and a choke in here potted in wax I think.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5468/7...61eefcdd_z.jpg

Yep, it's probably beeswax. Very easy to melt out with a heat gun on low and smells rather nice. A nice change from the tar block I usually encounter.

My goal is to extracate the three caps without disturbing the choke.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5119/7...6bda8be1_z.jpg

I heated the cap side and drained out most of the wax but the caps were still wedged it very tight.
A corkscrew finally did the trick. The other two sections were then easily removed.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/7...fa7a4676_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7275/7...b613e094_z.jpg

I've got this same Brunswick. It has several original tubes.

The speaker back is missing, along with the little tuning light cover.

Yours will be beautiful when you are finished.

very cool, i love projects like that...still intact and pretty complete, looks horrible, not not as bad as ud think...love the progress

Dirt, rust, mildew even asbestos - it's got it all :D

I was able to repair the volume control by using a little shim to bridge the break.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7118/7...63399663_z.jpg

When I first tested the 71A tube, it tested very good. A few days later it was totally dead. I was getting set to toss it and start shopping for a replacement when it occurred to me to try touching up the pin contacts.
So I carefully unsoldered the base pins, removed the already loose base, tinned the wires, reattached the base and soldered the pins. Sure enough, the tube came back to life :banana:

I then dug into my box of dead tubes and resurrected more tubes including some blue Arcturus and a UX280 :)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8004/7...e98e3b0b_z.jpg

Yeah many times those dead old tubes can be revived.
I bought a working Majestic radio off the bay awhile back but when I received it the seller had pulled two good 45s and stuffed two duds in the set, someone had even written "DUD" on the glass with a sharpie, but I got the last laugh as I resoldered the filament pins on one 45 and it went from dead to a strong testing globe 45, I've got it in my Atwater Kent 60 now.
The other 45 has a good filament but has no emission so I'll try working on the grid and plate pins.
I also saved a globe 71A with a very loose base and intermittent filament. Now I just can't toss an old tube anymore.

I can't toss them either: even if they don't come back to life I (pack rat that I am) always think I can use the base for a coil form or a connecting plug or adapter, or...

I also have a 01A tube with a broken off grid lead. I can see the little wire flopping around inside. If I can just weld it back on....

I finished rebuilding the filter cap.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8011/7...4740d504_z.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7...04985f63_z.jpg

I also painted the filter choke. It's not quite right so I'll try another color. Something a little darker.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7112/7...f392fa9a_z.jpg

When I tried testing this type 26 tube, I found dead short between the plate and filament. I pulled off the base to investigate and found the plate lead wrapped around the other 3 :nono:

I untwisted it and reattached the base. Success!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8156/7...1c33256c_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7128/7...f0db538c_z.jpg

Dang. That's a first for me. Somebody musta tried to unscrew the tube. :eek:

LOL - Maybe :)

Removing the RF coil assembly is fairly easy and really opens up the chassis.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/6...1489c1b4_z.jpg

The 0.5 uF caps in the box are leaky, but all the coils and small (mica?) caps test OK.
Grid leak resistor is a little high at 7M so I replaced it with 4.7M.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7...de9aec7d_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/6...364372a0_z.jpg

The cap box was easy to unmount and unstuff.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/6...1c6eefe7_z.jpg

You didn't happen to but it from the user TubeTwister did you? LOL.

LOL - no it came with the set.

Here are the news caps for the tuner chassis filter.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7136/6...014a6050_z.jpg

The SPU is finally rust free :)
I switched to some Rustoleum Leather Brown paint. It's pretty darn close to the original but too glossy. I'll knock it down with a satin clear coat.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/6...4f01a250_z.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7...184df194_z.jpg

Superb job thus far, Definitely a RCA Radiola 18 chassis. Beautiful sets.

Thanks! I thought I was just about done with the painting when the final coat on the chassis crazed. When they say to wait 48 hours they mean it!
I only waited about 36 plus it was down in the 50s up in the attic where I do my spraying.

Oh well, I'll sand it down and try again. Then I can finally start putting it back together.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7...c85edd12_z.jpg http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7217/7...71737d2b_z.jpg

just awesome job on restore, I always wondered if this was an RCA clone, rarer tho..

That set will work for many years afterwards. a lot of sets have been parted out to scrounge for some money.

The first modern sets, battery sets w/ power supply are involved.

:thmbsp::thmbsp::banana:

I'm finally done painting the SPU chassis and can start the re-assembly!
It took longer than I expected, but I'm happy with the results :)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7...69a9f446_z.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7...2149aabe_z.jpg