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11-25-2005, 01:08 PM

I won this radio off evilbay yesterday. I had to fight(and pay!) to win it--the tune of something like $200 Icon_eek

for the privelege of naming it Phillip for my deceased brother. It looks rough as a cobb,but had been owned by a collector in the past and still plays fine!!
It will need to be refinished and new grille cloth ordered. And of course, it will be electrically brought up to 2005 .
I think I will dump the old guts and put in a DVD player.....yeah right!!
I know,Iknow! Yeah sacrelige.. it's MY radio!!
I would sooner permanently place a green frightwig on my bald head.
'scuse me..I need to go to Chuck's site and talk him out of an info pkg for it . Icon_biggrin

Ron Ramirez · 11-25-2005, 01:46 PM

Good for you, tubenutt. Whatever you do, be sure your seller understands how to properly package a radio for shipment!

Twice in a row now I have had radios damaged in shipment, both because of improper packing. The latest arrived a couple hours ago. It's a 650B that was shipped face up, with nothing filling the inside of the cabinet.

The chassis tore loose, denting the front panel. The power transformer broke free on one side. One of the back feet broke off. I'm really glad that it had no speaker, else the front panel probably would have been destroyed.

The damage is probably all repairable, but I'm not very happy about it.

And I'm glad FedEx Home Delivery brought it; if it had been shipped by UPS or the post office, I have no doubt it would have been completely destroyed.

11-25-2005, 04:00 PM

I just ADORE those 1936 sets with the "orphan Annie eye" dial bezels. I'm afraid I'm permanently addicted to Philcos--woe is me Icon_wink

EDIT: I just payed for the old boy, and the seller charged me $27.50 for shipping. Sure hope I get my money's worth! Icon_exclaim

All the way from Ambler,Pa. to Oregon Icon_eek

Ron Ramirez · 11-26-2005, 06:35 PM

Once you get hooked on Philcos, there is no cure - except more Philcos. Icon_wink

I must confess I've never heard the 1936 oval dials called "Orphan Annie eye" dials. Icon_smile

I like them, too, and have a few of my own.

11-26-2005, 09:25 PM

Ron, that Orphan Annie Eye thing is just one of my affectations. But even though Annie's eyes were blank, as to effect PTSD, the 630's eye shall see light again..Even though I don't remember the nomenclature for the .015 amp 6v screwin bulbs. This resto will be a labor of LOVE!! 630B?? You betcha!!! My first decent tombstone Icon_mrgreen

Ron Ramirez · 12-15-2005, 12:02 PM

Okay...what is "PTSD"?

You can see a picture of my 650B in the "Philco Cabinet Restoration" section, under the topic "Model 650B Tombstone Project."

12-15-2005, 07:04 PM

Ron..PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. It is what happens to a person emotionally after something bad happens to them( war,plane crash, fire). In my case(yes, I have it..from combat in Vietnam) it is actually a mental illness.
Annie's eyes 'saw', but they were blank from being turned inward. In my case, I guess you could say that a part of me never left the Mekong Delta.
Now back to My 630B!! It wasn't packed very well fore it's UPS trip. More truthfully, it was BADLY packed. And packed flat. Icon_eek

So when it arrived, the speaker had nearly pulled itself loose from the cabinet Icon_evil

,but the damage is easily fixable. It could have EASILY been avoided by proper packing technique. GRRRR-R-R Icon_evil

This set is a lot porkier than I thought, but every time I look at it, I grin Icon_mrgreen

So I'm a crazy Philcophyle!!!!

Where have all the pieces gone
long time broken
Where have all the pieces gone
of my old radio
Where have all the pieces gone
smashed to toothpicks everyone
When will they ever learn
When will they eeee-e-e-ever learn

Ron Ramirez · 12-15-2005, 08:26 PM

Tubenutt - Sorry, didn't mean to dredge up unpleasant memories, dude.

Speaking of unpleasant memories...Sorry also to hear about your 630B being badly packed. I'm pretty well convinced that most of these dumbass evil-Bay sellers couldn't care less whether your prize Philco is well packed or not...as long as they get that cash in their hot little hands.

Not to say that every evil-Bay seller is a dumbass. But the bad ones tend to give the whole thing a bad reputation.

"When will they ever learn?" For some...NEVER. Icon_sad

Ron Ramirez · 12-16-2005, 12:35 PM

Tubenutt - Forgot this important point: THANK YOU for your service to our country.

12-17-2005, 01:49 AM

Well, thanks,Ron Icon_smile

We vets need to know that...I have had time to really look this 630B over, and I've decided not to refinish the front( so I can retain the old decal).
But the van dyke brown part looks every one of it's 68 years. The cab itself needs re-gluing in spots, so I have ANOTHER refin for springtime. Already got a new V-shaped grillecloth from John at grillecloth.com.
I may do a shabby-chic pink on it until then....I've got some purple appliques that would look just yummy!! Icon_razz

And I think I will take the old electric junk out of it and put a CD changer in there. Then it will be like the Thomas line of GOOD radios. Icon_twisted

violet grille cloth... maybe some sequins along the front. Chrome-plate the knobs and Then it will look like a whoremaster's favorite!! Icon_lol

Right there beside the pearl-handled derringer! Icon_surprised

Real close to my new invention, the AC battery(eh,Batterymaker??) Icon_confused

Chuck Schwark · 12-17-2005, 11:08 AM

TN,

You can get good PHILCO decals if you want to refinish that front as well. Rock-Sea Enterprises has them. Just make accurate measurements of the decal before it "disappears."

01-02-2006, 04:41 AM

Well then I must ask you...what do those vertical black stripes on the front consist of?? Is that toner? If I were to strip the whole thing and start again,how should I re-create those stripes?
See, I won't even start until I know exactly what I'm doing..I won't start unless I can PROPERLY finish a project. I wouldn't want anyone to either start laughing or screaming in horror!! :eek:

Ron Ramirez · 01-02-2006, 11:20 AM

Those stripes on the front are a very dark brown veneer inlay, and will retain their dark color even if you strip the cabinet. So no worries there. Icon_smile

That inlay is also very soft wood, though, so be careful as you prepare the surface for refinishing.

P.S. I've moved this topic here to Philco Home Radios, since it is a discussion about a Philco home radio, I felt it would be more appropriate here. Icon_smile

AI2V · 01-06-2006, 09:37 PM

You might want to try acetone and 0000 steel wool for stripping, but don't smoke when doing it. Denatured alcohol works well also but is much slower. A 630 should take about 10 minutes to strip to the bare wood with very little effort.
I tend to buy radios with ruined finishes and I've done this MANY times. Best of luck on your 630. -

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