[Steve Davis]

Very nice!

Steve

[klondike98]

Very nice!!
Russ, do you use an airbrush or a touch up gun to do the shading?

[Phlogiston]

I use an airbrush.

It will not have as much shine, but look smoother after rubbing it out. Probably Wed or Thurs, when it is supposed to be 107deg here.

The chassis is already finished.

[Phlogiston]

Here is the chassis. Sorry the picture is not that good. I had not looked at it till now.

All caps restuffed.

All dogbones rebuilt or new (with 3W or better rated resistors)

[attachment=5013]

Some people have said that it is nutz to put this much effort into a radio that they made 350K of, rebuilding resistors and all. Well, of those 350,000 radios I would like to think that there are a few that are going to survive the next 80 years, still working, and appears as they did a year or two after manufacture. And that is what I try to do on any radio made before 1940 weather they made 1 or 1 million.

P.S. no electrolytic caps were used in this restoration (either). Why use something that you know is going to fail? yah, I know - nutz.

[morzh]

Russ

when you rebuild ceramic dogbones do you reuse the body or you use plastic with painting around the new resisor?

[Phlogiston]

The ones with the metal ends have a plastic insert.

[morzh]

You salvage the ends or make your own?
The original ones are tinned copper barrels and the conical parts are solder and the graphite covered rod is inserted there. I can save the barrels but the solder needs to be shaped to become conical again, though this is really nuts

[Phlogiston]

Yes it is difficult. REQUIRES safety glasses, a small grinder, Very careful heat. I need to make a video or something. I have learned all of the ways that you can screw this up.

[morzh]

There is always one more way

[Phlogiston]

Yes. And each of the styles have at least one.

PM(ed) morzh

Not that these are what we are talking about, but - they are all new - not NOS.

[attachment=5015]

I have been thinking about offering these for sale. Considering the WW 3 - 4 watt resistor costs around $1-$2 from Mouser to start with, they would have to be ~ $5 each. I don't know if I want to go to that much work - but we already had a slogan - "Fixing your old radio? Put A Bone In It"

Yah< I know - Nutz.

And then you have to make the different styles, and Zenith seemed to have a thing for 9.9K, 99K and 999K resistors. Must have been a sale on white paint.

[klondike98]

I'd love to see that video Russ!! I've made dog bones from a mold using epoxy putty. They weren't too bad but the ones in your photo look much better.

[Phlogiston]

See above.

SOME of those were made in a mold. Some actually have the wire wrapped around the end like the originals. This is usually on the 1 watt and larger, which I usually use a 9 to 10 watt resistor inside. Heat must be controlled since the bodies of MOST are plastic. I have melted one in a circuit, but it was a fault rater than function.

P.S. IT IS IMPORTANT to note at this time that black automotive tubing is CONDUCTIVE. Yah, ask me how I know. It did seem like the perfect cover for those old AK power leads like in the 55s and 60s - NOT!

[morzh]

- How do you know?



Did it smoke after you turn it on?

[Phlogiston]

[attachment=5040]

[attachment=5041]

[attachment=5042]

[attachment=5043]

[morzh]

Well, Russ,

It is as they say museum quality.

You can be proud.

Magnificent specimen.