When i was about 11 or 12, the family radio, identical to this one..
http://www.sfhobbies.com/sfhobbies/r...jpg&model=6123
needed a new curtain burner cord.
With no replacement available, i stripped the secondary out of my Marx electric train transformer, and wound a new secondary for the heater string supply (about 75 VAC). Mounted the xfmr on the chassis.
Winding it had been real tedious, since there was no way to take the 'bobbin' out of the core. So had to wind it in 4' lengths at a time, splicing them together.
Not having any laquer for the laminations, i used model airplane dope. The radio worked like a charm, but always smelled of airplane dope when it warmed up.