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Unknown Gilfillan Model - Printable Version

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Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 01-19-2016

Well, here's what will probably be an interesting one. I have been cooped up in the house too much, so my wife suggested I get out for a day, so I took a drive out of town (about an hour away) and on the tip of a family friend, visited some Antique stores in Exeter and Visalia, CA.

I wandered into a shop and asked if they had any antique radios, and the lady said they had 3 in storage, so she went and got one and the cabinet to another. The 3rd was a GE console that had the Armstrong FM band.

#1 came home with me. It's tiny. I have my hand in the pic so you can judge the scale.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4259/35031297234_7c806c19a0_b.jpg]

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 01-19-2016

I have done some research, and have not been able to ID the model on this yet. I do know it is made by Gilfillan, which was a small, Los Angeles manufacturer. It has 4 tubes, 47, 57, 58, and 80. I tried doing a tube search on Radio Museum, to no avail. I suspect one of the tubes may be a substitute, but I'm not sure.
Here's some more pics of it once I got it home.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4308/35031296934_0e306af082_b.jpg]

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4286/35061310783_eafe643f02_b.jpg]

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 01-19-2016

I pulled the chassis and inspected it. As far as I can tell, it may be original, or at least a well done repair done many years ago. I'm not sure of the vintage of the caps used. Maybe someone can enlighten me?

The dogbones I'm sure are vintage. I'm guessing this is from the mid-1930s.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4318/35061310533_3bf3152262_b.jpg]

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 01-19-2016

I was pointed to the Los Angeles County Library by a friend, and downloaded some PDF documents Authored by Floyd Paul, who did some research into the small radio Manufacturers of the West Coast, particularly the Los Angeles area. I found a parts manufacturer list, and it mentioned "INCA" as a transformer supplier/manufacturer, and this radio does have one by that brand. I noted that Philco also used some INCA brand parts as well. If I could ID which model transformer is in this set, it might help in ID'ing this model.
Of course, if anyone knows by chance the model, or has information that may help ID this set, it would be most welcome.
Following is a couple more pictures.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4208/35031298374_0ba60e0f70_b.jpg]

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4308/35031299144_76fbdcb4ac_b.jpg]

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 01-19-2016

The 1st thing I did was pull the internals out, and give the cabinet a rubdown. I use a cleaner/wood preserver my Mom gave me. It's Touch of Bees Wax with Orange Oil. It cleans things up nicely.  Icon_biggrin
Then I changed out the grill cloth. It got some interesting comments from a couple folks over at the Antique Radios Facebook Group. I had used this cloth in my Philco 84B, originally, and then found a pattern closer to original, and swapped it out. I saved it and decided it would look OK in this one.  Icon_thumbup

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4258/35061315113_5f10482b5b_b.jpg]

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 01-19-2016

I checked the tubes on my Hickok tube tester, and 2 checked out OK. The 47 and 57 checked low, and will probably need to be replaced.
So now it's off to the bench for some chassis work. Updates will post as I work on it.  Icon_biggrin

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4284/35031299424_90eaf426c7_b.jpg]

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - mikethedruid - 01-19-2016

Very interesting little radio. I'm enjoying your pictures and description of your work. Keep them coming, and good luck !

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - Arran - 01-19-2016

 The chassis of that set reminds me of a Jackson Bell "Peter Pan" model, which were also made in the Gilfillan plant alongside proper Gilfillans. Apparently Gilfillan Brothers had an RCA license which they sublet to a number of smaller manufacturers provided that the smaller makes produced the set in the Gilfillan plant.
  In any event when you run across a 2.5 volt AC type tube sometimes it's a good idea to try resoldering the pins if they test weak, both the filament and the grid pins and grid caps. The solder on older tubes was somewhat less then reliable, especially on balloon style tubes, so it sometimes pays to suck the old solder out with a solder sucker, and put fresh solder in, but you need a good sized iron to do it.
  With regard to the other parts, I think that the filter caps may be replacements, the solder joint connecting the two positive ends together looks kind of shiny and unprofessional. I'm not sure about the paper caps but the Sprague brand ones with the black shell look old, I don't know if the Sprague "600 Series" caps were available in 1932-33, but none the less I would restuff them since they look quite appropriate in there.
 By the way that the Sprague paper caps are constructed they may be like the late 30's RCA paper caps where you can place one end over a similar sized socket on a table, press down, and the innards will be forced out the opposite end without having to bake the wax out. Dennis Carter has a video on You Tube where he is renovating a 1939 RCA, and while he did not restuff the caps in it since it had a mix of replacement caps, he does show how to get the innards out of an RCA cap by pulling on the lead, pressing it out is more reliable I find, and if heat is needed you can heat the outside with a heat gun. The you place the new cap inside reusing the cardboard disks at either end and whatever stuffing material is needed, and roll the edge of the open cap back over itself.
Regards
Arran

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - Eliot Ness - 01-19-2016

Great find Jeff!  Digging through the Floyd Paul archives is a good start to finding more info on that little guy.  Some of the J.B. Peter Pan's had 4 tube chassis and some had 5.  I have a 4 tube here and when I get a chance I'll look to see how similar they are.  If memory serves me correctly, the P.P. has a deeper (taller) chassis.  I know the speaker plug is different.

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - Paul Philco322 - 01-19-2016

It is a neat set. Better to bring back than a console! Like tht Cole Porter book in your library.

Paul

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - Arran - 01-20-2016

(01-19-2016, 09:52 PM)Paul Philco322 Wrote:  It is a neat set. Better to bring back than a console! Like tht Cole Porter book in your library.

Paul

 I think that it's an old style record album actually, the kind that's a book full of 78s.
Regards
Arran

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 09-11-2016

OK, I finally came back to working on this one. I got all the small film caps changed out, based on the values printed on the existing ones, and all the resistors checked out within 20% tolerance. That only left the electrolytic filter caps to do, and even though the cord was in good condition, I replaced it with a period cord and plug. Here's one of the electrolytics, after I snipped the leads, and pushed the internals out.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4215/35061308733_7b618d963f_b.jpg]

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 09-11-2016

Here's a shot showing the underside of the chassis, showing the film caps changed out, and the retainer for the electrolytics unscrewed and pulled aside.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4280/35031287754_03dbc67212_b.jpg]

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 09-11-2016

I decided to gut the capacitors, and re-use them. You can see the modern cap off to the left. I replaced with a 10ufd, 450v replacement for both. I recycled a cardboard toilet paper core to cut out new ends and glued them in place with the new cap inside.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4281/35031285854_f273bf8890_b.jpg]

RE: Unknown Gilfillan Model - PhilcoPhan1936 - 09-11-2016

Here's the electrolytic with the new tube end glued in place and the new electrolytics are enclosed.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4240/35061310033_28860c9826_b.jpg]