Victor Radio Electrola (RCA) Model RE-45
 

Greetings all...
I recently picked up a Victor Radio Electrola (free) from the owner of the house next door, who's cleaning the place to re-rent/re-sell. It's in bad shape, I'm afraid... but I think this unit may be salvagable. My primary concern is the wood of the unit... should I sand it and restain it? Or should I leave it as is? Further... does anyone know where I might find some UX-226 tubes and/or some UY-227 tubes?
Thanks for any and all information/help/guidance/etc.
Lyos Gemini Norezel

Welcome to AK! Hang on and someone more knowledgeable will be around to give you some advice.

Give her a good wipe down with a damp rag and a squirt of Murphy's Oil soap. Let dry, then take another look. You might actually be able to getaway with just using Olde English Scratch Cover on the blemishes and top it with a quality paste wax job. As for the tubes, ST type 26's and 27's are a lot more economical and easy to find than the globe shaped UX-226 and 227's.

Hi,

I definitely would advise you to wipe the wood down as was suggested and use a wood restorer such as Howards Restore a Finish or Olde English. As is typical for these sets, looks like the panel that is normally hidden by the closed doors is in good shape. I don't think your outside finish is bad enough to warrant a re-finish. Try cleaning and wiping it down, you just might be surprised by the results. The radio won't look new, but then you would not want it to look new, just vintage. Good luck!

Gilbert

Could I get away with using Pledge to clean it? I won't be able to get to the store until sometime this weekend... and Pledge is the best thing I have on hand at the moment. If nothing else, would it suffice to simply clean it with a mild soap solution?
Lyos Gemini Norezel

I don't think you would want to use water on the wood. Better to wait and get something that is good for wood such as Murphy's Oil soap. Short of that I think you could wipe the surface down gently with Mineral Spirits or Turpentine. But please be careful and try just a small area first. I think the Pledge would best be used after you have applied Howards or Olde English.

Please take your time on this cabinet. It has waited this long for you to come along and rescue it. I'm sure there are plenty of people on this site that could give you further excellent advice. If not, just wait until you can get to the store and buy what you need. Please keep us posted, we'll follow along.

Gilbert

Yeah, Murphy's Oil Soap...If you ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY gotta have those ol' Balloon tubes, try George Fathauer & Co. But be prepared to lay out some serious wampum...That set should REALLY be "gone thru" by a good tech before you get new tubes...It could have problems that caused the tubes to blow in the 1st place...

Somehow I didn't think so.

Yeah... not sure I'd risk trying something as abrasive as Mineral Spirits or Turpentine unless I was going to take sandpaper to it next.

Now I'm going into off the wall crap... but I seem to remember reading somewhere that olive oil is good on some woods. I have a bit of that left over from my last grocery run... but I'd be mighty hesitant to use a food product on a unit like this. Anyway... I'll call my mother later tonite... she used to do a lot of woodwork (refinishing old furniture, mostly)... so she may still have something laying around that could help.

Will do.
BTW... anyone know of a good source of UX-226 or UY-227 (or compatible) tubes? I'd hate to get my hopes up on this unit... only to find out I cannot afford to finish restoring this unit.
Lyos Gemini Norezel

Gilbert[/QUOTE]

Umph... I'll take the cheaper compatibles, thanks. As for blowing the tubes... there are no tubes in there at all. None... not one. So I cannot tell if they blew or if they were stripped out for use elsewhere.
Lyos Gemini Norezel

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Hey ya'll... I went to the local dollar store today and stumbled upon some "Murphy Pure Vegetable Oil Soap", which, I'm guessing, is the Murphy's Oil Soap ya'll were referring to earlier. This stuff is a concentrate... and I was wondering if ya'll use a different mix then what is recommended on the bottle.
Should I follow the 1/4 cup Murphy's to 1 gallon water recommendation on the bottle? Or do ya'll recommend a heavier/lighter mix?
Lyos Gemini Norezel

That combo was made around 1931. Take a close look at the phonograph, if that machine has 78 & 33 1/3 RPM it is a VERY RARE one made to play the Victor Program Transcription discs which were the first commercially produced LPs. The 2-speed machines were only around for about 6 months or so. The LP format failed at the time due to poor sound quality and the fact that these were very expensive, and during the depresion very few people could afford them. I found mine in Oklahoma at a junk store and got it for $250 and thought I was really lucky to get it. Nice score:thmbsp:.

Nope... this one has been positively identified as a 1929 Victor Radio Electrola RE-45.

Nope... no variable speed turntable... this one only plays 78s.

Sounds like you made a very nice score indeed. However, it is not the same as mine.

Lyos Gemini Norezel

Your cabinet and the tonearm are almost identical to mine. I don't remember the model number of mine offhand and it's in my workroom behind 4 console t.v.s at the moment so I can't get to it now.

I've been through this with a lot of wood over the last year or so.. Two Zenith consoles, a really cool old bar, and a 30's dining room set...

Start with Murphy's oil soap and water. Scrub well with a rag. If you have any paint splatters or rough varnish, CAREFULLY and LIGHTLY with 0000 steel wool and the oil soap. ripe dry.

Next day, go over it with Howard's Restore-A-Finish. Get a color that matches the finish on this. Follow the directions on the can.

Then rub in plenty of Howard's Wax-N-Feed. Let soak as needed and buff out by hand to a nice gloss finish.

Spartanmanor has seen the pieces I've done, but unfortunately, not the before. I have gotten stuff that looks like that to look very nice with the above way.

I've got a Victrola waiting now for some nice loving rubbing. It does take a lot of elbow grease.

If you search some of my really old posts, yu can find the two old Zeniths I did with the above steps. I have before and after pictures attached to the threads.