09-19-2019, 03:42 PM
I've still been busy with this radio. I couldn't leave the the rubber wiring alone. Some of it I KNEW was quite brittle, and might cause a problem in the future, so over the past few nights I have been busy replacing almost all of it with cloth covered of the same color. In one place there were 2 white wires that are stuffed in behind the band switch between it and the chassis. I am sure they are routed that way to keep noise off the lines since they are in the audio circuit. I used white plastic covered wire to replace those.
[Image: https://66.media.tumblr.com/088ad047c767...1_1280.jpg]
I was also unsatisfied with the cabinet. There were places, like the top, where most of the original varnish was actually gone once I had cleaned the cabinet and removed the dead finish and dirt. The sides and front were better, but still uneven. Today I took the cabinet out and stripped it using furniture stripper and steel wool, rinsing it well after with mineral spirits. That got rid of all the dead finish. From what I could see when the cabinet was still wet, it is going to look quite good with new finish applied. I'm going to use tung oil, rub on several coats, perhaps sanding with 1200 grit between the last few. I am very familiar with this finish since I have used it in my violin making. Yes, that is another hobby of mine. I have made several violins, and also repair them. I am not a great player, but I do enjoy playing.
[Image: https://66.media.tumblr.com/088ad047c767...1_1280.jpg]
I was also unsatisfied with the cabinet. There were places, like the top, where most of the original varnish was actually gone once I had cleaned the cabinet and removed the dead finish and dirt. The sides and front were better, but still uneven. Today I took the cabinet out and stripped it using furniture stripper and steel wool, rinsing it well after with mineral spirits. That got rid of all the dead finish. From what I could see when the cabinet was still wet, it is going to look quite good with new finish applied. I'm going to use tung oil, rub on several coats, perhaps sanding with 1200 grit between the last few. I am very familiar with this finish since I have used it in my violin making. Yes, that is another hobby of mine. I have made several violins, and also repair them. I am not a great player, but I do enjoy playing.