My new toy...

[leadlike]

Just got this at an auction last week:

http://s288.photobucket.com/albums/l...t=100_1381.jpg

http://s288.photobucket.com/albums/l...t=100_1382.jpg

This is a radiobar, and there isn't too much web info on this company, but they basically bought radio chassis in bulk from RCA, Zenith and especially Philco and built a quality hide a bar around it. About 10,000 were made before Philco bought the company out.

Today, not many survive-especially with the glassware. I am only missing a few pieces. This is the first one that I've seen that uses glass ice buckets instead of steel bowls recessed in the cabinet as well as having a set of stemware. I imagine Radiobar only used off the shelf glassware from another supplier, but I haven't found matching glasses from this period.

The radio itself is a Philco 38-7 chassis, and it is toast right now. The two lytic cans are all foamed over. Hopefully this won't be too rough of a restore. I typically find Philcos to be pretty tempermental to work on.

[Sandy G]

Wow- What a find...Dat's Purty !!

[Fisherdude]

I like it!

[Filmboydoug]

Amazing!

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by leadlike

The radio itself is a Philco 38-7 chassis, and it is toast right now. The two lytic cans are all foamed over. Hopefully this won't be too rough of a restore. I typically find Philcos to be pretty tempermental to work on.

The first thing I'd do is replace those electrolytics, as they are obviously defective. I wouldn't be surprised if that's all that is wrong with the radio, although I'd want to know what overloaded the original caps so badly that they foamed. In 40-some years of electronics experimenting I have never seen can-type electrolytics do that. They are sealed, so where would the foam go? In the case of a well-sealed electrolytic capacitor, I would think they would explode, unless the seals are so bad by now that the cap is literally leaking electrolyte. I'd replace those caps ASAP and try the radio again; as I said, this may be just enough to get the radio working.

Also, defective filter caps in a transformer-powered radio could damage the transformer, so again, replacement of the defective parts should be the first thing done to this set before anything else, and certainly before applying power to the chassis.

[Philcofan42]

Screamin' cool dude! Get 'er working, fire up some Rat Pack music and break out the cocktail shaker!

[leadlike]

Jeff, the foamed cap is due to the fact that the filter caps are tall cans of borax and water (if if remember correctly). They are vented at the top and when the filter caps fail and their resistance increases, they overheat and boil over. I've seen it before and it's usually not a big deal. Kinda handy in a way, as it makes for a very obvious failed part. This chassis is in very rough shape, so we'll see what a recap does.

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by leadlike

tall cans of borax and water

Yes, so-called "wet electrolytics" contained a weak solution of boric acid, as I have been told. Later manufacturers replaced the liquid with a paste because -- duh.

Wet electrolytics can also leak through the rubbery bottom seal. If you look under an electrolytic and see a dried crust, that's what remains of the former electrolyte.

I would never power up a radio with this kind of cap without first replacing the electrolytics. How much do you value your power transformer?

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

[leadlike]

Just recapped the set, and it ran with a horrible hum until I found a cap was going to ground rather than the voltage divider. I did a restuff on the caps for what it's worth. Sadly, this chassis was a rusted hulk-I had to remove the tuning capacitor and give it a solvent bath to get it going. Sanding away at the chassis revealed rusted pitting that went almost the whole way through the metal, so I smoothed it out as best I could and applied aluminum paint to the set. I cringed to do it, but I did. Previous owner put their foot through the speaker, but it glued together perfectly. Sounds good, but it needs a massive antenna to work! I've never had a set where that made such a difference!

Now I'm onto the cabinet: VERY solid! Best work I have ever seen in a console! The only cost cutting I see is that they used scrap trim to form braces on the insides. The cabinet is done up in liquor-proof lacquer which may have been new for that year; older ones being done up in shellac. I've always had to strip cabinets to the bare wood and do my own lacquer spraying. Anyone have any tips on rehabbing an existing finish with spray lacquer?

[DENNYDOG]

COOL! Makes me want to have a drink just looking at it.

[gadget73]

Thats an awesome find, perfect for a retro-deco home. I'd love to have one, though I suspect I'm the only person at the house that would find that an incredibly cool piece.

Is this a rubber wire set, or does it have cloth wiring? My 39-116 was a rubber set, and I had to replace it all. What a mess that was, but it works great now.

[mr_fixer]

I wonder if that radio was made during prohibition?

[leadlike]

Prohibition was repealed in 1933. I believe that is the year Radiobar opened their doors. There are prohibition era 'martini bars' which look like chairside radios or coffee tables that had drawers and compartments for contraband. I do believe that the sentiment of prohibition is still alive with the Radiobar design, given that you can discretely hide your stash should your temperance league buddies stop by.

I'm no expert on constitutional law, but when prohibition was repealed it was only for watered down beer (something like 2.5% ABV). So harder liquor may still have been outlawed in many areas when this bar was made. I tried to find a reference for this anecdote, but I can't: supposedly when Roosevelt announced the legalization of this near beer over the radio, he closed in saying 'and now I believe I am going to have a beer'.

gadget-not sure of what the chassis wiring is like, but it may well be that rubber crap. It does have those horrible bakelite blocks. I don't think it has the crummy coils that rot and open up over time. Can you tell that I don't like Philcos? Oh, and the radio dial face is made from paper. Yes-paper! Forget all of the gorgeous glass and enamel faces other manufacturers were making at the time....sheesh. Sorry about the Philco rant-if anyone wishes to step up to their defense-please do.

[leadlike]

Just pulled the chassis-and it is covered in chicken feathers! However, the wiring is cloth and the underside of the chassis seems clean-no hack repairs. There are a few repair notes on the chassis, one of which says "Wednesday". But most of them give an "ok" and a date so it looks like it was running when it was put away. I think I have enough caps for a recap, so I'll give it a go. Did a slow start on the variac, and got nothing but AC hum. Not surprising, looking at those lytic cans.

[toxcrusadr]

Fabulous. Always wanted one. Old radios and booze, all in one.