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City: Allendale, MI
Posts: 1,185
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City: Allendale, MI
(This post was last modified: 05-31-2020, 04:13 PM by rfeenstra.)
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Gorgeous cabinet.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
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Yes, it caught my eye at the auction. It does have a bit of a problem with the curved burled walnut on one side.
I did lower the line voltage to under 110 volts and the transformer still runs quite hot. It's been on now for a couple of hours since I did that. I'll leave it that way since it works fine. I did an alignment. The BC band lined up good, some of the others not as much. But still very acceptable. I get a kick out of the motor drive. Quite necessary as the tuning knob takes a lot of twisting to get all the way across the dial. I think it's going to perform very well. I'm not a big fan of the preset tone control. I would prefer separate bass and treble.
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Zenith transformers are known to be undersized and so running hotter. Lowering voltage dies them good.
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
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You have it looking good. I'm with you about the capacitors vs resistors. I'll re-stuff capacitors but haven't molded or made resistors yet. Maybe I'll experiment on the 12 toober I'm working on.
John KK4ZLF
Lexington, KY
"illegitimis non carborundum"
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Two 15 tubers side by side! Tonally, with a hifi transmitter, the 37-116 has the advantage. Better extended treble even though the Zenith has a tweeter. Interestingly, if I detune the Zenith slightly, the high frequency response improves. I think I'll put it on the spectrum analyzer and see if I can broaden the IF by stagger tuning the transformers slightly. The analyzer gives a good picture of what is happening. I'll also analyze the tone control circuit to see if I can change a couple of values to improve response. I'm not overly impressed with Zenith's system! Ya gotta love the dial though. Only problem is the dial light does a nice job of lighting the black trim but not the dial.
The curved veneer problem that I need to deal with is obvious. (Oops! That photo is upside down). Any experts out there with advice?
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Do you have your dial lamp slid all the way in? I had the same issue with a ‘39 shutter dial, found out the dial lamp needed to be slid in further so it shown on the numbers, not the back of the panels...
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I'm quite sure it's all the way in but I'll check again when I take the chassis out. The problem is that it is a very tight fit and you must be careful not to short the socket to the chassis. It comes very close to the gear mechanism. Perhaps I can find a lamp where the filament is closer to the end of the bulb.
(This post was last modified: 06-05-2020, 09:15 PM by rfeenstra.)
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I wonder if the veneer is not stifking out, maybe some marker would do it?
People who do not drink, do not smoke, do not eat red meat will one day feel really stupid lying there and dying from nothing.
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You can make the crack in the veneer look better for a while, but, in most cases, it will return after a year or so. The only sure thing is to stabilize the structure and replace the veneer. (This issue often arises from structural issues under the veneer)
"I just might turn into smoke, but I feel fine"
http://www.russoldradios.com/
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the veneer is actually cracked and slightly lifted. I understand that this is not an uncommon issue with these radios. I'm thinking I need to get some hide glue - something that will activate the original hide glue - down into the crack and then clamp it down. I could then fill with lacquer and and smooth it out. I know Russ has said that repairs on curved veneer are rarely permanent. I may talk to Jean Goller of John and Jean Antique Radio Collectors. She has a lot of experience and training in the art of refinishing.
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Russ, as far as I can tell, the wood under the veneer is a solid piece that has been shaped. I looked at the possibility of a joint under the problem but, as I said, it appears to be a solid piece.
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That is good. Then you should replace all of the plywood on which that layer of veneer is applied (as opposed to replacing just the top layer of decorative veneer). It is likely that most of the layers of the plywood are split.
Doing a touch up is not wrong. Just saying, if you are like me, you will look at that spot every time you walk by. And when the crack shows up again - - you will be annoyed.
"I just might turn into smoke, but I feel fine"
http://www.russoldradios.com/
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Thanks, Russ! I would be annoyed!! What you are suggesting is, perhaps, beyond my current level of skill. This cabinet was refinished before I purchased it. It was not a bad job and I don't relish the idea of doing it over cuz of some new veneer. I would have to do both sides as it is matched. I may just do the best I can and live with it!
(This post was last modified: 06-06-2020, 09:19 PM by rfeenstra.)
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