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#1
01-10-2008, 07:35 PM
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It's just an old radio thing....
OK, so I guess I'll hop on this one. too...
   These are pictures of a new union: The chassis I've had since the mid '70s--cabinet nowhere to be found, but I had vowed I'd find a "new" cabinet for it....someday.... I had back then got the radio chassis working perfectly fine, and then salted it away. Then a recent early Sunday morning piano tuning I had to do for a later-scheduled performance at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield got me there at 7AM and out by 9AM. Then I stooged around and windowshopped the main street of the town until the local hardware store opened at 10. I spotted the gutted radio cabinet as a prop in a display window, and after staring at it for some reason for about 15 minutes I knew why I was spending the time in such gawkwork; it might fit with the old Philco TRF radio chassis I've had for 30 years!  Gotta be!I had other business in that town a few days later, and went into the establishment and did business--bringing green cash, and my old station wagon. They were using the cabinet as a display prop. I got it for $75. Then I got it home and hunted for this chassis. I found it in the loft of my barn and lovingly retrieved it and placed it in the cabinet. All the shafts go through the holes where they should, the escutcheon lines up perfectly with the dial drum, and the holes to mount the chassis down to the shelf match... Conclusion--miracle. It does still play after my resto of 30 years ago, but it needs some fresh TLC to become completely well once again....BTW while these pics were taken the radio was bellowing out the play-by-play of a Red-Sox/Yankees game. And the Sox were cleanin' their clocks! I have many other pet projects like this, and will share them as my limited upload rate permits.... 
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#4
01-16-2008, 09:37 AM
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Nice combination. The cabinet looks in great shape!
I don't recognize the cabinet model, and cannot compare it since http://www.philcoradio.com has taken their gallery down. What model is the chassis?
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#5
01-16-2008, 10:46 AM
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That cabinet is amazing! Not only does it have the gorgeous matched (booked) veneers that were so common in top of the line models back then, but that printed piece of fabric looks original, too.
The chassis is best hidden though.  Any chance of a good shot of the whole cabinet in better light?
__________________
Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.
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#6
01-16-2008, 10:53 AM
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What a great story ... and it only lasted thirty years from start to finish!
 Seriously, it's wonderful that you found a case that matches so exactly all the control shafts and which looks gorgeous, too! Restoring and keeping that chassis for all those years earned you the "Karma" to getting such a great cabinet for it. Is this the original model which your amp came out of, or is the way everything lines up just an incredible coincidence? Either way, well done and congratulations! 
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#7
01-16-2008, 12:08 PM
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While it is sheer luck to find the cabinet it was not coincidence that the holes line up with the shafts. The mounting holes in the shelf line up with the holes in the chassis flange as well.
It's a Philco cabinet that was gutless, except for a model G speaker, which according to its label was made for Philco by the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company. The chassis is a Philco model 87. Yes it has always been that rusty, and I suspect it is because it was stored in a barn, and that the original cabinet was probably ruined by the environment. I may take steps to change the chassis appearance some. I also may want to work on the dial drive a bit. Right now the radio is in a rather cluttered room in a place where I can't get to it easily without moving a lot of other stuff. The pics I took last summer before putting the unit into storage. Come better weather I'll pull it out into the light and get a full shot of it for yas.
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#8
01-16-2008, 01:01 PM
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Quote:
Most chassis clean up pretty well with just Naval Jelly, but sometimes you have to strip it right down and bead-blast it. Whatever you do, don't forget to seal it. Once did one up real nice, thought wax would keep the air away enough to avoid rust, discovered I was wrong.  Dialstring needs some resin on it, does it?
__________________
Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.
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#9
01-16-2008, 01:23 PM
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Quote:
The dial drive does not rely on traction, it is a more positive action. The cord is made of multistrand steel wire--like picture wire or the core of a bicycle brake cable. It clips to the dial drum at the middle of its length, and the free ends are wrapped around a quarter turn of the drum--front and back and spooled around threaded barrels fitted on the tuning shaft, fore and aft. One pays while the other receives as the shaft is turned. It was broken when I got the set, and I did a half-baked repair at the time to get it going.
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#10
01-17-2008, 08:42 AM
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In case you decide to replace the tapestry
Looks as though you can get a new one
pattern 35 on this site: http://www.grillecloth.com/pages/gallery.html
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#11
01-17-2008, 01:30 PM
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What great serenedipity that you found that beautiful cabinet! By the way, back in those days, Philadelphia Storage Battery Company was Philco, Philco being just the name of their product.
Reece
__________________
Reece Perfection is hard to reach with a screwdriver.
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#12
01-17-2008, 05:33 PM
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Quote:
And you're right about that screwdriver, too!
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#13
01-17-2008, 10:25 PM
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Go fiqure!
__________________
Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.
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#14
01-18-2008, 09:46 AM
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Quote:
Soon as I'm back on high-speed again I'll give 'er a look-see.
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