Every insignificant little radio is worthy, mainly because it is insignificant. That's what I think anyway :-) That broken glass was heart stopping and the rest had 9 lives too! Sweet little work-a-day thing. Fantastic to watch as usual. Cheers
*_David, when you opened the packaging and pulled out the radio, I was amazed. A real disaster. He is better now than when he was new. Like what you do, it has nowhere in the world. David, my respect._*
David, I can't believe you even tackled that. I would have thrown it in the bin and not even gave it a second glance. Wow, what a radio it turned out to be after you passed your magic hands over it. You deserve a medal for that one. I just can't believe you took that on. You are an absolute master Sir. I take my hat off to you (well I would if I wore one) that was a mammoth effort on your part. Look how that little beauty turned out. Amazing!
@@DavidTipton101 To be honest, I didn't give it much hope. However, your skill and patience brought it back to life and it turned out very well. For the condition you got it I was surprised it had faired so well underneath. Best wishes and stay safe David.
When I first saw this radio, my first thought was "Spare parts donor." My second thought was "Well, if anyone can sort it, it's Dave." I must admit though, even then I didn't think you'd achieve such a tidy result! The case came up a treat but I've seen you rescue worse so that wasn't a huge suprise. I couldn't believe it when the dial alighnment was so far out when you refitted the chassis in the case. "Eh? What gives? He usually gets them spot-on." It never occurred to me that the glass might be different and your workaround worked beautifully. Top job!
Thank you Paul. I agree with everything you said. I too wondered if it was worth fixing, I was unsure about the Bakelite repair and that dial glass had me going for a minute 😖 I had no idea if the extra capacitor would fix my problem but delighted it did and good info for the future. Cheers 👍🙂
@@DavidTipton101 Adding the extra capacitor was a brilliant idea. Worked out a lucky choice. Was it first time lucky, it looked like that on the video?
@@BoB4jjjjs Hi Bob. Yes it was a calculated guess, those trimmer caps are usually about 0 to 30pF so I added anther 15pF to see where it would go. It turned out OK first time which was pretty good 🙂
I think Restore Old Radios came up with that liquid tape to fill holes in speakers idea. I have noticed people complaining that the bottle dries up and becomes like mud in the bottle. I found that you can extend the life of the stuff if it comes in a glass bottle especially if you turn the tightly closed cap upside down and put the bottle in a resealable sandwich plastic bag . This may also work for a metal container too , haven't trying it with one, but if you keep the air out of the container it should last a really long time! Great restoration of this somewhat rare radio. Decal of the rear chassis was brilliant!
To keep it from drying out try putting the van in a zip up bag and store in the freezer. Then let it warm to room temperature before use. Works great! It can't dry out if its not evaporating due to the lack of heat.
sometimes the little ugly ducklings prove to be the most satisfying restorations ...to see them come back to life is always wonderful ... and yet again David you do it so wonderfully
The radio looks great and appears to be better than as it was from the factory...certainly with the plastic wire sheathing and modern capacitors and resistors. Well done ! 👍
I was really surprised when you painted over the Stromberg-Carlson print on the chassis and had my fingers on the keyboard about to comment on it. But I thought I'd better shut-up and wait till the end of the video and see what you do. Nice fix with the decal and a great job, she came up a perla. They certainly loved dark brown back in the day.
From the original condition to the absolutely beautiful finished product...night and day. Another great restoration. Thanks for showing us the before and after!
Well, as a scratch builder of amateur radio equipment I have to admit to being addicted to your channel. Quite a few of your renovation methods will definitely come in handy for some of my building adventures. As a TH-cam content maker myself I can truly appreciate the unseen effort that goes into your video's. Re bakalite, when filling/replacing lost material I fill to overflowing the hole/crack with saved dry dust (from the initial sanding) then saturate with a water thin superglue. The thin superglue wicks readily and as the dust absorbs the fluid it will compact greatly (hence the overfilling) so a repeating of the process can be made if necessary. If a large area needs to be built up I will sand a hidden area of the material to acquire enough dust for filler. As the mixture of the 'filler' is more of the original material than the clear glue, a very good match can be made. For very light colour materials where the repair may appear slightly darker, tiny amounts of powdered acrylic pigment can be added if you need to get an absolutely invisible match. Sorry for the long comment but I couldn't find an email address. Slowly working my way though your back catalogue. Regards from a fellow Aussie resident in the UK. De M0OMO.
Hi Stephen, thank you and thank you for taking the time to write all that down, I will print and refer to it next time I have a cracked case, it looks like a good solution for Bakelite repairs 👍🙂
Hello David! I have been enjoying your videos for some time now. I've shared with others about your unique presentations and how entertaining they are. I've never subscribed to anything on you tube before, but today, I finally gave in and wanted to share my appreciation to you. I always look forward to a new David Tipton video and I'm never disappointed. Thank You for the work you do and the teaching through humility that engages those of us lesser in knowledge. I've just purchased a 1953 General Electric AA5 clock radio on ebay. It reminds me of good things in my youth. I've just turned 69, but I'm still working full time (plus overtime), but I'm looking forward to trying my hand at this as part of my retirement. I've thought it might be cool to have a David Tipton video on a radio's "Birthday"; a presentation on it's 100th birthday, or maybe a "Mr Roger's" type presentation for beginner's on specific safety protocol on restoring a potentially deadly AA5 (which actually might save a life or two). We both know of some of the careless items being sold daily on ebay. Going back to your videos, I have to admit that I immensely enjoy your cabinet/housing restorations!!! That is "Definitely" the "Icing on the Cake!" Looking forward to your next Video! Respectfully, -Chris
Hello Chris, what a delight that you enjoy my videos, thank you. I don't set out to teach but I share what I have learned as I gather information going along. There are videos that go in depth about hazards of radio repair so I wouldn't double up on those, besides I might miss something particularly with AA5s and the like, I've only done a couple. I like your birthday idea, I'll see what I have coming up that might fit into that category. I have a few wooden cabinet radios to do and will do them this year. Good luck with your GE and I can recommend this as a hobby, I have meet so many people doing this which fill the gap left after work. Thanks you for the sub Chris, all the best 🙂
I have a Stromberg-Carlson 3 band radio from 1936. It receives fantastic and has outstanding sound ❗️ They made some excellent radios. Beautiful job - in and out❗️. Again, you are a restorative genius. And I love to see “ worthless junk” be brought back to life. I bought an ugly little’60’s Philco, $7.oo (US). The case was cracked and had a piece missing, on the top. The radio worked, so a friend, a retired Body Shop owner took it, repaired the crack, and filled in the missing chunk, painted the top and sides. It doesn’t look perfect, but it’s a strong player, SO...... Hey, I’m a collector on a budget, so few of my radios are “ valuable “. Doesn’t matter to me. 📻🙂
Thank you Jeff. I have repaired a few radios with parts of the case cracked, they come up well too. Good job getting a working radio for $7. Collecting radios for a hobby can be done on a budget, that's why I do it 👍😀
The deserving candidate is us the viewer. Someone that can turn a piece of junk into a beautiful thing is definitely worth watching. Reassembly of component music was perfect by the way. Cheers David.
@@DavidTipton101 You could imagine all sorts of things since you only had sound. I get the same when I am listening to, say, a symphony by Mozart. I can imagine that I am in a concert hall listening to it with thunderous applause at the end. Or I could imagine I was listening to it the Elector of Saxony's rococo salon. Or I could imagine it as Mozart was thinking of his latest composition playing billiards (he loved billiards).
@@stanleycostello9610 Absolutely, your imagination forms a picture to fit the sound you are hearing and for some reason I always stared at the radio when listening to a serial or murder mystery.
I often get a craving to get my hands dirty with a project and experience withdrawal symptoms when I don't get a chance. I am happy to report that watching your superbly-made videos has relieved me of those cravings because they are literally the next-best-thing to being there! Thanks Dave!
Dave you’re an Entertainer, your editing skills are getting better and better. The sound effect when pulling as you say valves (Tubes) was a great touch. Needless to say your skill at restoration is excellent, chassis parts removal and repaint, replacement of components with new, bringing the setback to a original appearance with the decal your attention to detail is a marvel to watch. Thanks for the entertainment and tips.
Thanks Mack. It's so rewarding to get such wonderful comments. When I first started out I didn't expect anyone to watch me fiddle about with old electronics but the support and feedback is very humbling. Thank you and stay safe 👍🙂
I suggested the liquid tape way back when, can't remember which radio... glad you like it. Works a treat on hard to reach/seal electron junctions too... like where you fixed up that transformer. Forgot to say it's some strong juice though yea... fresh air good. A bit of tissue tacked over the hole(s) in the surround first will help with the drip-through. She came up great, beautiful work as always. Thanks for sharing and cheers.
Ahh, scofab, I remember now, thanks for the tip. It filled those little holes but bigger ones will need something to bind on to until it sets. Yes, it's a bit strong solvent all right 🤪👍🙂
Hi Bruce. I agree but this one looked a lot of work for a radio that didn't have any appeal. As it turned out it was well worth the effort. Thanks mate 😀
I'm afraid I wouldn't have the confidence to strip a chassis down to the level you do... you've done an amazing job on that radio... I would probably have junked it myself. Your skills in restoring the cosmetics of your sets leave me in awe...
Hi Stephen, thank you. Stripping the chassis is a bit daunting but photos and marking wires helps. I also have the video to fall back on if I get lost 🙂
Hi alan, yes lucky to get a glass, the chap was able to make one in a few days as he had the artwork from a previous job. I was as surprised as anyone when the alignment fix worked 😀
@David Tipton So happy to retire after a busy day to one of your videos, something different other than all this Coronavirus media we have right now. Hope you and your wife and family are all well and safe. Shoutout to Carl Capacitor King for his kind donation and his great vintage radio supplies on eBay!
Hi Matthew, thank you. We are all well thank you, I hope the same for you as well. Carl does a great job and is dedicated to his hobby, I have no trouble endorsing his store. Thanks Matthew 👍😀
I often say "even an ugly duckling deserves the chance to turn into a beautiful swan" and that radio is no exception. After all the work you put into repairing/restoring every part of it, I reckon it will go another 100,000 km or more before the next routine service. * 2 thumbs up Dave *
Thank RoughJustice 2k18. I was very surprised it turned out as a nice looking radio, I didn't give it much hope at the start. It should ge good for a few years yet 😀
That is one beautiful little radio. I really liked the symmetric layout of the original components. I guess they really tried to make it beautiful inside as it is on outside. I too thought it sounded tinny at first, I am glad you fixed that. I am seriously amazed at the quality of your restorations lately. That radio honestly does look lovely for 73 years old. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Raul. I hoped it would sound better in the case but no, It sounds pretty reasonable now. Thanks for the compliment, I am learning as I go along so it's nice that it shows in the videos. Cheers 😀
Great result. Mr. MagicMan 👍🤝 It is nice to be around, here in the comment section. Positive energy. Thank guys. And I didn't mention it before, but I *love* the intro: the music, the brochures (soooo nice 💛) Cheers 🤝
43:05 I guess you need to buy a lottery ticket. It looks like your luck is in! I truly enjoyed this restoration. You have the patience of Job. I would never have expected you to bring this one back, but I underestimated you. I love the water slide decal you made up for the original rear panel stencil. That's a very clever idea. The liquid electrical tape is also something that is sometimes suggested for patching holes in the bellows of old folding cameras (another interest of mine). Looks like it might be worth a try. I'm curious-have you ever tried to fabricate a replacement for the (usually) missing backs for these radios? I'm not sure how you would go about it (laser cutting seems possible). This video has been a real ray of sunshine during these gloomy times. Thank you so much for your efforts, both in restoring the radio and documenting it.
Hi Michael. thank you for your kind comment. The liquid tape works very well, good idea for the cameras too. Most Aussie radios of this period didn't have backs, I did make one out of perspex once for a display radio I made but not out of cardboard. The radio club and some individuals made them and they are laser cut I think. It would be good if I could. Cheers 😀
Beautiful work again Dave, what a wonderful restoration. The broken cabinet looks fantastic now, and the chassis work is simply impeccable. I love the way to got all the original printing back on the chassis as close to the original as possible. What a fantastic craftsman you are sir, and a joy to watch.
You’re a true craftsman David! I have watched about all your videos and have been always amazed at your attention to detail, skill, ingenuity and patience. I wish I had more time to do more radios. Right now I repair more guitar amps and sound reinforcement gear plus a lot of guitar repair. One of my clients I do amp work for just gave me 3 huge boxes of old radio and TV tubes as a gift. He got them cheap at an estate sale and wanted me to have them because I always take care of his amp issues and give a fair deal being a fellow guitarist. I told him a while ago I do a radio repair and restoration when time permits so I was lucky to get the tubes. Of course he picked any tubes that will work in guitar amps. 😝 I would have too. Some good old stuff like 80 rectifier tubes and output tubes from the 1930’s and miniature 7 and 9 pin stuff from more modern radios. I bet there are 1000 tubes in the lot. Just scratched the surface sorting them. Some had gone to air so they went in the trash. With tubes hard to buy now I am glad to have them.
Thank you SIXSTRING63. Well done with the tubes and at the right price too. You can never have too many tubes and the old 80, 42, 27s etc are very handy. I have a lot here but often not the one I'm looking for 🙄 I hope you get to do some old radios again soon. Cheers.
@@DavidTipton101 Thanks my friend. I’ve been binge watching your channel and Manuel’s channel picking up some of great tips and enjoyable restoration techniques. You two guys along with Mr. Carlsons Lab are my favorites. Paul is just crazy smart with the electronic stuff. He must have had a job with many years of school and years of training. I feel like a total rookie when he designs his test gear. When he restores radios he is meticulous like you on the electronic end. You are the best I’ve seen on cabinet work. When I hang up my music career I will definitely put my wood working shop back in order and try to replicate your level of restoration work. Been doing some old transistor portable radios after watching some of Shango066 videos with some good results, he is a funny dude and knows his stuff. Unorthodox methods but he makes it work, very ingenious guy. Love playing out with a band but age is making it harder to do so radios and repairs will be my future. Hopefully the states don’t go belly up😝 with the blundering babbling fool running things we are a bit worried. I was worried about you Aussies during Covid but you guys seem back on track now. Keep up the great work.
@@SIXSTRING63 Manual and Paul are my favorites also, both are electronics savvy. I enjoy my time in the workshop, put the radio on and potter around. I watch most of Shango's videos, I get a lot of clues from him as well. We are in our coved third wave with the flu added in for good measure, I'm not sure when it will end 🙂
That was nice of Carl to send you that nice Stromberg Carlson radio. The more I watch you David the more I see that you can repair just about any radio no matter what the condition. That epoxy enamel does a nice job on the rust I normally use evaporust Thanks for another Great and informative video.
Hi LUCKYLARRY, I'm always up for a challenge. Yes it was nice of Carl, I hope he doesn't want it back though. I have loads of rust removers but chose to media blast this one. Those paints are good as they inhibit the rust returning without removing all the rust beforehand. Evaporust is very expensive here 👍🙂
I had a similar problem with a broken dial glass, I used emergency glazing (plastic sheet that is adhesive on one side) to hold the glass together until I could get it scanned for a replacement to be made up.
That was good David. I enjoy your radio rebuild videos because i always learn things, and sometimes i learn quite a bit. Your methods of cosmetic restoration for these old radios are really convincing. Thanks for posting them, we appreciate it.
Looks awesome! I will have to try that technique with cracks in bakelite. Stromberg Carlson was based in upstate NY, and still around until about 10 or 15 years ago as a subsidiary of Siemens I believe. Everything they made was over engineered and overbuilt. I've restored several from 1934-1938, and they were all amazing units with the neatest component layout ever, but also lots of electrolytics. Performance on all of them was stellar. Had no idea they were sold in Australia!
Hi a587g, as I showed in the video I was surprised at the careful and neat assembly. Stromberg-Carlson in Australia were a separate entity to the US and built and manufactured their own parts and radios independent of the parent company. I would doubt many US built sets were imported into Australia after local manufacturing was set up 🙂
That old saying came to mind as you were extracting the radio from it's packaging. "You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear !" Well, there ya go.. You've defied the laws of impossibility again .. Brilliant and inspiring viewing while we're all housebound. I'm looking forward to the lock-down being lifted as the better half is desperate to get back into the house ..
Tonight I just finished up testing my home brew tube tester. It measures GM in umhos , transconductance. Setup is unique. One needs a tube manual. There are no switches, everything is done with color coded programmable jumpers. I measured all my stock tubes and compared results to my old EICO 625 tester. While I liked the EICO 625 it was useless in as far as accuracy of testing in concerned. My setup is not simple and takes some thought and math. However the results are spot on accuracy, after being compared to a calibrated Hickok tester I borrowed for Cal. I sold my EICO last month to a new beginner.
Superb job David. At last something to enjoy in these dark times. Great attention to detail as usual with a lot of effort. I like how you put a piece of tape on the trim tool to keep track of how much it is adjusted. Pleased to hear you managed to get hold of a new glass, must have been a little frustrating not to get an exact replacement, but you solved the problem very well. You did well on the case too. All in all an excellent job. Hope you and all your family are well. Cheers Lynton
Hi lynton, thank you. We are all well here thank you, the restrictions have eased a bit so we can go out for a drive or picnic which we did yesterday. The slightly different glass didn't worry me too much but it had me puzzled for a minute when the stations didn't line up. It came up quite nicely in the end though. Cheers! 👍😀
This " patinho feio " ( ugly duck ) becames a sensacional project of restoration, not a simple restorarion but a deep restauration , i enjoyed very match !!!! Stromberg Carlson has pedigree !!!! Congratulation - Sao Paulo - Brazil
Thank you Fernando. It was amazing that it looked so good when finished, I was as surprised as anyone. Thank you Fernando and stay safe in Sao Paulo 👍🙂
Dave, it might not have been worth the work, but it ended up being worthy of it! Great job! I wish I understood the inner workings better, but watching you and getting your information on what you do and why really helps!
Incredible work there Dave! If I were you I'd have just electrically fixed the radio and waited for a new case and glass to show up but you've gone above and beyond! One thing I've been seeing more and more lately is the general consensus that you shouldn't go too high with the voltage rating of electrolytics. Reason being that if the electrolytic isn't run at close to rated voltage it won't stay "formed up" and thus won't last as long. Take it with a pinch of salt but I only put 600v electrolytics in circuits where 450v ones don't cut it
Thank you BOE. I hadn't heard that before about the electro caps. Any suppliers I have dealt with only have 600V in the axial capacitors, I can get them in radial but I don't like using that format. I wonder how accurate the theory is? 🤔
Well done yet again David! Sitting watching you work I thought "If anyone had told me I would enjoy watching someone sanding a bakalite case I would have told them not to be so stupid" but here I am hanging on every step you take. Certainly looks so good when finished compared to the rusty broken wreck you started with. As usual looking forward to the next project.
Thank you Kenneth. That is funny, watching someone sand a bit of Bakelite. I was surprised it came out so well, my wife helped me film the Green Hornet piece at the end and was shocked at how it looked compared to the day I took it out from the box 😲🙂
I enjoy the work you do show. A lot of people would just show the end result. That’s why I always come check out your channel. Your attention to detail is incredible!!
Davo, Concise, precise, good narration, excellent video, & success too. As usual. Thoroughly enjoy all your restorations & I learn a lot too. My origional impression with this project was, CRIKEY, WOTTS HE GUNNA DO HERE, and it worked out better than ever. Cheers.
Thanks John and thanks for your comment. You do realise we don't say crikey all the time, well... not ALL the time. Although I can see two wallabies on the front lawn as I type this, the place is crawling with them, Crikey! 👍😄
I am glad you took this "Average" radio on.......it is the sort of thing a beginner would have access to, and it shows it can be done.....and if they fail, its not to much of a financial loss......good stuff as always.....and as always a very high standard
What a well made radio, for an everyday set. From including a power transformer to the way the components were neatly lined up and installed underneath, exceptional quality.
David, thanks for another fantastic restoring on an old radio. With the top of the radio, there was the crack on the top gave me an idea on how to repair a crack on the dashboard of my car with the super glue on the top of my radio. A good share and good sounding radio. Cheers until next time mate.
Another excellent restoration ,it's great you got a transfer put back on,loved how the case was fixed and polished,it came out a real treat,a really nice little radio,well done Dave.I really like your videos.
On 240V wiring Red and Black is still used, though officially we have moved to Brown and Blue, like UK and some areas of Europe use. I don't think the regulations are as strict with the colour coding here in Australia as in UK and Europe as you can still get red and black new. You were right about the US. Usually they have Black as the Hot/Active and White as Neutral. That has caused confusion with imported electronics, like pinball machines as an example, where they are wired in American black and white and have ended up with the black being wired to Neutral when in the UK or Europe. :) Thanks for another great video. I know this one is a couple of years old now, but I am just binge watching some of your videos.
Hi Brendan, I haven't seen red and black power wire for years, not new anyway. I can imagine being confused with American colour coded wire, when watching someone from the US on TH-cam wire a plug I think I would do that all wrong. Thanks for watching Brenden, cheers! 🙂
Hi Steven, thank you. I had several comments in the past saying they expect to hear old radio shows when I power them up. I thought it may bring back memories for some 😀
Hi David, another fantastic job. You really underestimate your super all round skills. From Nr Liverpool UK. Many thanks for all your videos, keep them coming ,PLEASE!
Yet again you set my weekend off splendidly. It's my turn to be on 24 hour call this weekend so this video helps me de-stress. Thank you for sharing David.
Great work! It looks and sounds beautiful! Neat tip on coloring in the case repair as well. That single bulb to light the dial didn’t look like it would do the job until the last image. Turns out it was fine. Well done!
3XY. Where the wrinklies fly. Now I know I'm 63. I love valve driven gear. I own a Primaluna HP integrated amp. 6 12AU7s pre. 8 EL34s post. It sounds delicious.
Hi Andrew, I think you will find it was 3AK where no wrinklies fly. I can't remember what 3XY's catch phrase was. Wow... that is a lot of valves 😱 You won't need a heater with that running 😄
@@DavidTipton101 It was a while back...like 1975. No FM, no Dance music but boy we had it good. This current generation are pathetic. I was a gay club DJ for many years and now we have nothing except bailed morons. The quality of your work is the best I've seen...period. I also did night school to study audio visual engineering. I should have gone to tech school after year 12 but mum wanted me to be a "something". I am very much like you. If a friend wants me to look at their gear, after the first look I say "I've gotta rewire the whole lot". I do it properly and they can't believe it's the same system. I was very popular in Bali in the 80s. They're sound gear was abysmil and no earth or RCDs....SCARY. One shop I went into in Bali to buy cassettes, had pretty good equipment but sounded bad. I said to the owner that I could fix it. After about an hour I needed RCA leads. His mate came back with the leads and after a bloody good clean, I fired it up and it was chalk and cheese. They offered me money etc but I said "hows about you buy me some spaghetti and a can of Southern Comfort". All of his friends started rocking up to listen to his gear and were stunned. It ended up a party and after i said watch the volume, they gave me a lift back to my resort. They get excited easily but along Kuta Beach road now, the western cancer has taken over. McDonalds KFC Burger King etc. At 63 a 7 hour flight is all I can cope with now. Cheers Andrew Collins Mebourne.
Hi jassenjj, thank you. When I watched it again I could feel it too, I was all yay 😀 then a deep depression set in 😞 It came out OK in the end which is the main thing 😄
Impressive restoration and fantastic attention to details! I always enjoy watching your videos, David. They are warm and fuzzy and analog - something that we miss in our digital age.
"I have no idea why I'm doing it". Addiction to the process - and the satisfaction of the end result. And maybe a small hope it will come out even better than the last one you did. - which personally I find it hard to achieve, seen the pile of beutifully radios of yours previously restored 👌
My usual saying is "I don't know what I'm doing" I must be getting better. I was a good decision to keep going with this one as it did looked very nice in the end. Thanks CXensation 🙂
It's a bit of a shame that you had to replace so many parts. It looked so neat with everything original. But it turned out really beautiful in the end and I loved how you managed to hide that crack in the case. Amazing as always! Thanks for posting.
I agree Jac, it would be wonderful to leave it as it was, I like to think of it as a part of its history though, like a hip replacement for us oldies, same person but with new parts 😉🙂
what a gorgeous little radio and what an amazing job you made of it after the setbacks you had with it. your dedication and patience is incredible. I love old radios but dont have the skills to fix them myself but do have a couple of working ones and want a nice old floor standing radio one day as well..hopefully an Art deco style Scharnberg Strauss from the mid 30's like I had when I was a teenager in the 70's.always enjoy watching your videos and seeing you turn what people would think is just junk into both beautiful and working items anyone would love to own.
Thanks catey62. I though it was a lost cause at first but I began to realise it was a very nice looking radio as it began to take shape. It looks very nice in my collection now 👍😀
Dave, I just could not take it any more! Watching the fun you have and the joy when the project is so very nice that it must look better then new, I just had to buy an old radio set to play with. I found a GE from the late 1950's and it is route, hopefully it will survive the trip from Iowa to South Dakota intact, and I hope the seller does a good job of packing. The add was for parts or repair, not working but that was sort of what I was looking for. Case looks good with no major breaks, just a few scratches so that will help, I hope it is just a recap project but, of course that will be left to the electronic gods above. I would never have got something like this without what I have learned from you and others on the Web.
Hi Jerry, well done, that's good place to start with a radio that doesn't matter if it survives the repair. Good luck with your project but be very careful with those AA5 hot chassis sets, an isolated power supply is a good investment to save yourself 🙂
@@DavidTipton101 I have been looking for a deal on an isolation transformer. I am quite aware of the danger, taking high voltage is an experience you long remember. When I was in the 4 grade of elementary school, we moved to a different farmstead that had power, something that was not available in the old home place that my grandfather built in 1910, the year dad was born. Well dad was as thrilled as we were, the first thing he bought was an floor model radio. It had am/SW and Police. Not knowing about antenna's and such I figured some button on the front was stuck. So when dad was in the field and mom and my sisters were picking eggs, I reached inside that old radio and tried to find that stuck button. I have no idea what the hell I touched but a few seconds after reaching back there I found my self laying up against the opposite wall with a hell of a headache and a burn on my finger and arm. I have always been careful when working chassis since, oh did get a hell of a shock out of an old Curtis Mathis television once as well.
Haha... the things we did as kids, I think most of us have had a wack at one stage or another. If you can get hold of a isolation transformer all the better.
You shouldn't say that radio's not worth anything. It kept a quarantined old man in Alabama entertained for over an hour. (I'm not sick, just sort of confined by the situation.) And then just look at the finished product.
Hi Wayne in Alabama. I guess I meant monetary value. I am very happy it kept you entertained though, it was all worth it in that case, Cheers and be safe over there 👍🙂
Out standing work as usal David , radio looks brand new looking ,i like the look of this nice radio, Well done again and very much enjoyed watching this .
Hi Doc, thank you. I'm very happy with this one. It looked grim at first but now I'm happy to show it off to anyone interested and has a little story behind it 😀
Absolutely spot on restoration job on that radio Dave. It looked a bit of a sod when you first got it but it now barely looks to be the same radio. Regards, Phil.
Superb job, David! I never knew Stromberg Carlson made radios Down Under. They are a very respected make here in the US among vintage radio enthusiasts.
HI Super Het. thank you. According to Radio Museum Stromberg-Carlson were an Australian company tied to the US company but ran autonomously to it. They manufactured most the the components themselves in Australia and ran from 1927 into the 50s 👍🙂
Hi David glad to see that your are doing well. I enjoy your videos, the attention to the details is wonderful. I just bought a couple of sets, and one arrived shattered. I was not sure of how to go about the repair, but, watching your success , gives me a direction to go in. It came out great!
Looks like a great radio, I was impressed with the glue job. I used to use a similar process on broken rifle stocks (wood variety) Of course we used either a good wood glue or if it were at the narrow part of the stock. My dad used to like his Vodka, perhaps a little to much. One day while coming home from town (we lived 25 miles from town) he spotted a pheasant and decided that it would tasted good for supper. So he grabbed the Remington Targetmaster Jr. Rifle chambered in .22 LR, and took aim at the pheasant's head, well it went down but didn't stay down. Well dad didn't want to waste another shell on the bird, so clubbed it to death with the rifle, and in so doing broke the stock. Well dad just took some black friction tape and wrapped it around the pistol grip of the rifle stock many times and it held, it held for over 20 years. When I married and moved out of the family home, dad gave me the rifle. His health had detreated so badly that he would never go hunting again. About 18 years later, I took a gun smith course, and joined two professional gun smiths helping out around the barrel factory in our town. One of my first projects was to rejuvenate that old .22. So I took her down, stripped the finish off the stock and removed that black tape. I was amazed at the damage that had been done, the stock was barley held together by a few strings of wood and could flex it in all directions. This looked like a job for Epoxy and that was what I used, when I had it glued up and as it was beginning to solidify, I sanded all around the break and pushed the saw dust into the epoxy. When it had dried, another sanding, then a bit of light walnut stain, followed by about a dozen coats of Tung oil and the stock was. Now some 20 years later the stock still looks great and there isn't a hint of where the break had been. There are always tricks that, when applied correctly will fix things.
Thanks for the very funny story Jerry, not so funny for the pheasant though. Good repair on the stock, very similar to what I did to the radio. Thanks Jerry, take care 🙂
Your eye for detail keeps amazing me. Like the outcome of this restoration amazes me. Wouldn’t have expected that when you showed it at first. Very well done Dave!
Best restoration I have ever seen! I restore motorbikes and rifles but I adore valve radios. They even smell great when they are warm!
Thanks RaLB, nothing like the smell of gun oil or Castrol M oil. BTW, Coles are out of oven cleaner 🤦♂️😀
Agree. Same with tvs Love the vintage aroma
Every insignificant little radio is worthy, mainly because it is insignificant. That's what I think anyway :-) That broken glass was heart stopping and the rest had 9 lives too! Sweet little work-a-day thing. Fantastic to watch as usual. Cheers
Hi Pauline, thank you as usual, cheers 👍🙂
*_David, when you opened the packaging and pulled out the radio, I was amazed. A real disaster. He is better now than when he was new. Like what you do, it has nowhere in the world. David, my respect._*
Thank you D. Ilic, you are most kind 😀
David, I can't believe you even tackled that. I would have thrown it in the bin and not even gave it a second glance. Wow, what a radio it turned out to be after you passed your magic hands over it. You deserve a medal for that one. I just can't believe you took that on. You are an absolute master Sir. I take my hat off to you (well I would if I wore one) that was a mammoth effort on your part. Look how that little beauty turned out. Amazing!
Hi Bob, thank you, you are too kind. It did scrub up well didn't it. Who knew it was that good underneath 😀
@@DavidTipton101 To be honest, I didn't give it much hope. However, your skill and patience brought it back to life and it turned out very well. For the condition you got it I was surprised it had faired so well underneath. Best wishes and stay safe David.
When I first saw this radio, my first thought was "Spare parts donor." My second thought was "Well, if anyone can sort it, it's Dave." I must admit though, even then I didn't think you'd achieve such a tidy result!
The case came up a treat but I've seen you rescue worse so that wasn't a huge suprise.
I couldn't believe it when the dial alighnment was so far out when you refitted the chassis in the case. "Eh? What gives? He usually gets them spot-on." It never occurred to me that the glass might be different and your workaround worked beautifully. Top job!
Thank you Paul. I agree with everything you said. I too wondered if it was worth fixing, I was unsure about the Bakelite repair and that dial glass had me going for a minute 😖
I had no idea if the extra capacitor would fix my problem but delighted it did and good info for the future. Cheers 👍🙂
@@DavidTipton101 Adding the extra capacitor was a brilliant idea. Worked out a lucky choice. Was it first time lucky, it looked like that on the video?
@@BoB4jjjjs Hi Bob. Yes it was a calculated guess, those trimmer caps are usually about 0 to 30pF so I added anther 15pF to see where it would go. It turned out OK first time which was pretty good 🙂
I'm not surprised anymore. David finds a way. And miracle happens. We watch him with pleasure. You gave us light on the days we hid at home. Thanks.
Thank you mustafa. We are hiding, I hadn't thought of it like that. Keep safe mustafa 👍😀
I think Restore Old Radios came up with that liquid tape to fill holes in speakers idea. I have noticed people complaining that the bottle dries up and becomes
like mud in the bottle. I found that you can extend the life of the stuff if it comes in a glass bottle especially if you turn the tightly closed cap upside down and put the
bottle in a resealable sandwich plastic bag . This may also work for a metal container too , haven't trying it with one, but if you keep the air out of the container
it should last a really long time! Great restoration of this somewhat rare radio. Decal of the rear chassis was brilliant!
Hi he's the Master, good idea, I will store mine upside down at least, that should keep it a bit longer 👍 thank for your comment HtM 😀
To keep it from drying out try putting the van in a zip up bag and store in the freezer. Then let it warm to room temperature before use. Works great! It can't dry out if its not evaporating due to the lack of heat.
sometimes the little ugly ducklings prove to be the most satisfying restorations ...to see them come back to life is always wonderful ... and yet again David you do it so wonderfully
Hi chris, it rewarding to see something so glum looking show it's true colours when given a chance. Thanks mate 👍😀
The radio looks great and appears to be better than as it was from the factory...certainly with the plastic wire sheathing and modern capacitors and resistors. Well done ! 👍
Hi Steven, thank you. It's good for a few more years now 😀
I was really surprised when you painted over the Stromberg-Carlson print on the chassis and had my fingers on the keyboard
about to comment on it. But I thought I'd better shut-up and wait till the end of the video and see what you do.
Nice fix with the decal and a great job, she came up a perla.
They certainly loved dark brown back in the day.
Haha... good thing you waited Ellesmere 😄
From the original condition to the absolutely beautiful finished product...night and day. Another great restoration. Thanks for showing us the before and after!
It's hard to believe it's the same radio Tim. I went from barely tolerating it to loving it, it's amazing what a bit of polish will do 👍🙂
Well, as a scratch builder of amateur radio equipment I have to admit to being addicted to your channel. Quite a few of your renovation methods will definitely come in handy for some of my building adventures. As a TH-cam content maker myself I can truly appreciate the unseen effort that goes into your video's. Re bakalite, when filling/replacing lost material I fill to overflowing the hole/crack with saved dry dust (from the initial sanding) then saturate with a water thin superglue. The thin superglue wicks readily and as the dust absorbs the fluid it will compact greatly (hence the overfilling) so a repeating of the process can be made if necessary. If a large area needs to be built up I will sand a hidden area of the material to acquire enough dust for filler. As the mixture of the 'filler' is more of the original material than the clear glue, a very good match can be made. For very light colour materials where the repair may appear slightly darker, tiny amounts of powdered acrylic pigment can be added if you need to get an absolutely invisible match. Sorry for the long comment but I couldn't find an email address. Slowly working my way though your back catalogue. Regards from a fellow Aussie resident in the UK. De M0OMO.
Hi Stephen, thank you and thank you for taking the time to write all that down, I will print and refer to it next time I have a cracked case, it looks like a good solution for Bakelite repairs 👍🙂
Hello David! I have been enjoying your videos for some time now. I've shared with others about your unique presentations and how entertaining they are. I've never subscribed to anything on you tube before, but today, I finally gave in and wanted to share my appreciation to you. I always look forward to a new David Tipton video and I'm never disappointed. Thank You for the work you do and the teaching through humility that engages those of us lesser in knowledge. I've just purchased a 1953 General Electric AA5 clock radio on ebay. It reminds me of good things in my youth. I've just turned 69, but I'm still working full time (plus overtime), but I'm looking forward to trying my hand at this as part of my retirement. I've thought it might be cool to have a David Tipton video on a radio's "Birthday"; a presentation on it's 100th birthday, or maybe a "Mr Roger's" type presentation for beginner's on specific safety protocol on restoring a potentially deadly AA5 (which actually might save a life or two). We both know of some of the careless items being sold daily on ebay. Going back to your videos, I have to admit that I immensely enjoy your cabinet/housing restorations!!! That is "Definitely" the "Icing on the Cake!" Looking forward to your next Video! Respectfully, -Chris
Hello Chris, what a delight that you enjoy my videos, thank you. I don't set out to teach but I share what I have learned as I gather information going along. There are videos that go in depth about hazards of radio repair so I wouldn't double up on those, besides I might miss something particularly with AA5s and the like, I've only done a couple. I like your birthday idea, I'll see what I have coming up that might fit into that category. I have a few wooden cabinet radios to do and will do them this year. Good luck with your GE and I can recommend this as a hobby, I have meet so many people doing this which fill the gap left after work. Thanks you for the sub Chris, all the best 🙂
You indeed have the patience of Job and remember that the last years of Job's life were glorious one's after his suffering was over.
Thanks Richard. I think my suffering would be over if I stopped playing with these damn radios 😄
I have a Stromberg-Carlson 3 band radio from 1936. It receives fantastic and has outstanding sound ❗️
They made some excellent radios.
Beautiful job - in and out❗️. Again, you are a restorative genius.
And I love to see “ worthless junk” be brought back to life.
I bought an ugly little’60’s Philco, $7.oo (US). The case was cracked and had a piece missing, on the top.
The radio worked, so a friend, a retired Body Shop owner took it, repaired the crack, and filled in the missing chunk, painted the top and sides. It doesn’t look perfect, but it’s a strong player, SO......
Hey, I’m a collector on a budget, so few of my radios are “ valuable “.
Doesn’t matter to me.
📻🙂
Thank you Jeff. I have repaired a few radios with parts of the case cracked, they come up well too. Good job getting a working radio for $7. Collecting radios for a hobby can be done on a budget, that's why I do it 👍😀
David Tipton 📻😁
There has to be a Nobel Prize for restoring vintage radios
Haha... The nobel prize for restoring radios... it does have a ring to it 😄
The deserving candidate is us the viewer. Someone that can turn a piece of junk into a beautiful thing is definitely worth watching. Reassembly of component music was perfect by the way. Cheers David.
Hi Graham, thank you and thanks for the feedback on the music 😀
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" Once again, a splendid restoration.
Haha... I love The Shadow, so corny but fun 🙂
@@DavidTipton101 You could imagine all sorts of things since you only had sound. I get the same when I am listening to, say, a symphony by Mozart. I can imagine that I am in a concert hall listening to it with thunderous applause at the end. Or I could imagine I was listening to it the Elector of Saxony's rococo salon. Or I could imagine it as Mozart was thinking of his latest composition playing billiards (he loved billiards).
@@stanleycostello9610 Absolutely, your imagination forms a picture to fit the sound you are hearing and for some reason I always stared at the radio when listening to a serial or murder mystery.
Another wonderful restoration for us folks sitting at home. Thanks Dave!!!!
You are welcome Thorn Mountain, cheers 😀
I often get a craving to get my hands dirty with a project and experience withdrawal symptoms when I don't get a chance. I am happy to report that watching your superbly-made videos has relieved me of those cravings because they are literally the next-best-thing to being there! Thanks Dave!
Thanks aerostar, glad you enjoy them 👍😀
Dave you’re an Entertainer, your editing skills are getting better and better. The sound effect when pulling as you say valves (Tubes) was a great touch. Needless to say your skill at restoration is excellent, chassis parts removal and repaint, replacement of components with new, bringing the setback to a original appearance with the decal your attention to detail is a marvel to watch. Thanks for the entertainment and tips.
Thanks Mack. It's so rewarding to get such wonderful comments. When I first started out I didn't expect anyone to watch me fiddle about with old electronics but the support and feedback is very humbling. Thank you and stay safe 👍🙂
I suggested the liquid tape way back when, can't remember which radio... glad you like it. Works a treat on hard to reach/seal electron junctions too... like where you fixed up that transformer. Forgot to say it's some strong juice though yea... fresh air good. A bit of tissue tacked over the hole(s) in the surround first will help with the drip-through.
She came up great, beautiful work as always. Thanks for sharing and cheers.
Ahh, scofab, I remember now, thanks for the tip. It filled those little holes but bigger ones will need something to bind on to until it sets. Yes, it's a bit strong solvent all right 🤪👍🙂
@@DavidTipton101 Stay Healthy Brother. Cheers
It's not the time or the money you put into the repair, it's looking at the final restoration and knowing "I did this !". Well done mate!
Hi Bruce. I agree but this one looked a lot of work for a radio that didn't have any appeal. As it turned out it was well worth the effort. Thanks mate 😀
The Valves/Tubes were quite tight in their sockets *PLOP* 😄
They were. That was the sound they made jkb 770, I didn't add sound effects or anything... 😬👍😉
I'm afraid I wouldn't have the confidence to strip a chassis down to the level you do... you've done an amazing job on that radio... I would probably have junked it myself. Your skills in restoring the cosmetics of your sets leave me in awe...
Hi Stephen, thank you. Stripping the chassis is a bit daunting but photos and marking wires helps. I also have the video to fall back on if I get lost 🙂
Wow a Stromie! Excellent! Great save with the glass, never would have thought of your alignment fix, fantastic!
Hi alan, yes lucky to get a glass, the chap was able to make one in a few days as he had the artwork from a previous job. I was as surprised as anyone when the alignment fix worked 😀
@David Tipton So happy to retire after a busy day to one of your videos, something different other than all this Coronavirus media we have right now. Hope you and your wife and family are all well and safe. Shoutout to Carl Capacitor King for his kind donation and his great vintage radio supplies on eBay!
Hi Matthew, thank you. We are all well thank you, I hope the same for you as well. Carl does a great job and is dedicated to his hobby, I have no trouble endorsing his store. Thanks Matthew 👍😀
It did scrub up well! Some nice solutions to some sticky problems and a neat job of getting the tuning to track the different dial glass.
Thanks Wenlocktvdx. It did come out looking very nice. The dial fix was more good luck than good management but I'll keep that to myself 😉😀
Remarkable restoration, what a beautiful radio!!! Just think of the history that’s behind this gem!!
It's always interesting to wonder what the history of a radio is, where it has been, what it has 'seen'. Thanks Dean 👍🙂
I often say "even an ugly duckling deserves the chance to turn into a beautiful swan" and that radio is no exception. After all the work you put into repairing/restoring every part of it, I reckon it will go another 100,000 km or more before the next routine service. * 2 thumbs up Dave *
Thank RoughJustice 2k18. I was very surprised it turned out as a nice looking radio, I didn't give it much hope at the start. It should ge good for a few years yet 😀
That is one beautiful little radio. I really liked the symmetric layout of the original components. I guess they really tried to make it beautiful inside as it is on outside. I too thought it sounded tinny at first, I am glad you fixed that. I am seriously amazed at the quality of your restorations lately. That radio honestly does look lovely for 73 years old.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Raul. I hoped it would sound better in the case but no, It sounds pretty reasonable now. Thanks for the compliment, I am learning as I go along so it's nice that it shows in the videos. Cheers 😀
Great result. Mr. MagicMan 👍🤝
It is nice to be around, here in the comment section. Positive energy. Thank guys.
And I didn't mention it before, but I *love* the intro: the music, the brochures (soooo nice 💛)
Cheers 🤝
The comments are amazing Plons0Nard , so many nice people including you. Old radio advertisements are always interesting. Thanks 😀
Yet again. Very nice restoration.
Thank you Andrew 😀
43:05 I guess you need to buy a lottery ticket. It looks like your luck is in!
I truly enjoyed this restoration. You have the patience of Job. I would never have expected you to bring this one back, but I underestimated you.
I love the water slide decal you made up for the original rear panel stencil. That's a very clever idea.
The liquid electrical tape is also something that is sometimes suggested for patching holes in the bellows of old folding cameras (another interest of mine). Looks like it might be worth a try.
I'm curious-have you ever tried to fabricate a replacement for the (usually) missing backs for these radios? I'm not sure how you would go about it (laser cutting seems possible).
This video has been a real ray of sunshine during these gloomy times. Thank you so much for your efforts, both in restoring the radio and documenting it.
Hi Michael. thank you for your kind comment. The liquid tape works very well, good idea for the cameras too. Most Aussie radios of this period didn't have backs, I did make one out of perspex once for a display radio I made but not out of cardboard. The radio club and some individuals made them and they are laser cut I think. It would be good if I could. Cheers 😀
A real joy to watch with a very nice result... Thanks for sharing 👍
Thank you Paul VS Gold 😀
beautiful
Thank you John 😀
Another restoration so well done professionally, nice to learn from by all radio restorers
Thank you man on wong 🙂
Beautiful work again Dave, what a wonderful restoration. The broken cabinet looks fantastic now, and the chassis work is simply impeccable. I love the way to got all the original printing back on the chassis as close to the original as possible. What a fantastic craftsman you are sir, and a joy to watch.
Thank you Gregg for your very nice comment. Stay safe over there 👍😀
You’re a true craftsman David! I have watched about all your videos and have been always amazed at your attention to detail, skill, ingenuity and patience. I wish I had more time to do more radios. Right now I repair more guitar amps and sound reinforcement gear plus a lot of guitar repair. One of my clients I do amp work for just gave me 3 huge boxes of old radio and TV tubes as a gift. He got them cheap at an estate sale and wanted me to have them because I always take care of his amp issues and give a fair deal being a fellow guitarist. I told him a while ago I do a radio repair and restoration when time permits so I was lucky to get the tubes. Of course he picked any tubes that will work in guitar amps. 😝 I would have too. Some good old stuff like 80 rectifier tubes and output tubes from the 1930’s and miniature 7 and 9 pin stuff from more modern radios. I bet there are 1000 tubes in the lot. Just scratched the surface sorting them. Some had gone to air so they went in the trash. With tubes hard to buy now I am glad to have them.
Thank you SIXSTRING63. Well done with the tubes and at the right price too. You can never have too many tubes and the old 80, 42, 27s etc are very handy. I have a lot here but often not the one I'm looking for 🙄 I hope you get to do some old radios again soon. Cheers.
@@DavidTipton101 Thanks my friend. I’ve been binge watching your channel and Manuel’s channel picking up some of great tips and enjoyable restoration techniques. You two guys along with Mr. Carlsons Lab are my favorites. Paul is just crazy smart with the electronic stuff. He must have had a job with many years of school and years of training. I feel like a total rookie when he designs his test gear. When he restores radios he is meticulous like you on the electronic end. You are the best I’ve seen on cabinet work. When I hang up my music career I will definitely put my wood working shop back in order and try to replicate your level of restoration work. Been doing some old transistor portable radios after watching some of Shango066 videos with some good results, he is a funny dude and knows his stuff. Unorthodox methods but he makes it work, very ingenious guy. Love playing out with a band but age is making it harder to do so radios and repairs will be my future. Hopefully the states don’t go belly up😝 with the blundering babbling fool running things we are a bit worried. I was worried about you Aussies during Covid but you guys seem back on track now. Keep up the great work.
@@SIXSTRING63 Manual and Paul are my favorites also, both are electronics savvy. I enjoy my time in the workshop, put the radio on and potter around. I watch most of Shango's videos, I get a lot of clues from him as well. We are in our coved third wave with the flu added in for good measure, I'm not sure when it will end 🙂
That was nice of Carl to send you that nice Stromberg Carlson radio. The more I watch you David the more I see that you can repair just about any radio no matter what the condition. That epoxy enamel does a nice job on the rust I normally use evaporust Thanks for another Great and informative video.
Hi LUCKYLARRY, I'm always up for a challenge. Yes it was nice of Carl, I hope he doesn't want it back though. I have loads of rust removers but chose to media blast this one. Those paints are good as they inhibit the rust returning without removing all the rust beforehand. Evaporust is very expensive here 👍🙂
Just superb, another fantastic restoration to be proud of Dave.
Thank you ethicalfarmer 😀
The best guess I ever made....😂😂. The result was astonishing again...👍👍. Really enjoyed watching this David. Thanks again for sharing it with us.
Haha... it was, I forgot that the bottom end would be out but it landed right on the mark initially. Thanks K W 😄
I had a similar problem with a broken dial glass, I used emergency glazing (plastic sheet that is adhesive on one side) to hold the glass together until I could get it scanned for a replacement to be made up.
That was my next step if I had to get a copy made. I should do that in case someone want the artwork one day, thanks Christopher 😀
Does this mean there is a simple method to print water-slide transfers at home? I'd be very interested to learn about that! Cheers mate.
That was good David. I enjoy your radio rebuild videos because i always learn things, and sometimes i learn quite a bit. Your methods of cosmetic restoration for these old radios are really convincing. Thanks for posting them, we appreciate it.
Thanks Jeff. It's gratifying that folks enjoy watching what I enjoy doing, cheers 👍😀
Looks awesome! I will have to try that technique with cracks in bakelite. Stromberg Carlson was based in upstate NY, and still around until about 10 or 15 years ago as a subsidiary of Siemens I believe. Everything they made was over engineered and overbuilt. I've restored several from 1934-1938, and they were all amazing units with the neatest component layout ever, but also lots of electrolytics. Performance on all of them was stellar. Had no idea they were sold in Australia!
Hi a587g, as I showed in the video I was surprised at the careful and neat assembly. Stromberg-Carlson in Australia were a separate entity to the US and built and manufactured their own parts and radios independent of the parent company. I would doubt many US built sets were imported into Australia after local manufacturing was set up 🙂
That old saying came to mind as you were extracting the radio from it's packaging. "You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear !" Well, there ya go.. You've defied the laws of impossibility again .. Brilliant and inspiring viewing while we're all housebound. I'm looking forward to the lock-down being lifted as the better half is desperate to get back into the house ..
Thanks for your kind comments once again Pete but you must let you wife in, it's a lockDOWN not lockOUT 🤦♂️😉
Tonight I just finished up testing my home brew tube tester. It measures GM in umhos , transconductance. Setup is unique. One needs a tube manual. There are no switches, everything is done with color coded programmable jumpers. I measured all my stock tubes and compared results to my old EICO 625 tester. While I liked the EICO 625 it was useless in as far as accuracy of testing in concerned. My setup is not simple and takes some thought and math. However the results are spot on accuracy, after being compared to a calibrated Hickok tester I borrowed for Cal. I sold my EICO last month to a new beginner.
Your tester sounds the bee knees Cosimo. Well done 👍😀
Superb job David. At last something to enjoy in these dark times. Great attention to detail as usual with a lot of effort. I like how you put a piece of tape on the trim tool to keep track of how much it is adjusted. Pleased to hear you managed to get hold of a new glass, must have been a little frustrating not to get an exact replacement, but you solved the problem very well. You did well on the case too. All in all an excellent job.
Hope you and all your family are well.
Cheers
Lynton
Hi lynton, thank you. We are all well here thank you, the restrictions have eased a bit so we can go out for a drive or picnic which we did yesterday. The slightly different glass didn't worry me too much but it had me puzzled for a minute when the stations didn't line up. It came up quite nicely in the end though. Cheers! 👍😀
Great work as usual Dave! I didn't imagine it would come out this good.
Me neither but it's nice little radio. Thanks Eric 😀
This " patinho feio " ( ugly duck ) becames a sensacional project of restoration, not a simple restorarion but a deep restauration , i enjoyed very match !!!!
Stromberg Carlson has pedigree !!!!
Congratulation - Sao Paulo - Brazil
Thank you Fernando. It was amazing that it looked so good when finished, I was as surprised as anyone. Thank you Fernando and stay safe in Sao Paulo 👍🙂
@@DavidTipton101 You are very friendly, stay safe too !!!
What an absolute superb job!
Thank you Colin 👍😀
Dave, it might not have been worth the work, but it ended up being worthy of it! Great job! I wish I understood the inner workings better, but watching you and getting your information on what you do and why really helps!
Hi Greg, thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😀
Incredible work there Dave! If I were you I'd have just electrically fixed the radio and waited for a new case and glass to show up but you've gone above and beyond! One thing I've been seeing more and more lately is the general consensus that you shouldn't go too high with the voltage rating of electrolytics. Reason being that if the electrolytic isn't run at close to rated voltage it won't stay "formed up" and thus won't last as long. Take it with a pinch of salt but I only put 600v electrolytics in circuits where 450v ones don't cut it
Thank you BOE. I hadn't heard that before about the electro caps. Any suppliers I have dealt with only have 600V in the axial capacitors, I can get them in radial but I don't like using that format. I wonder how accurate the theory is? 🤔
Bloody Nora mate your done a cracking job of that old set, its a pleaser to watch you work.
Thanks Gypsy Geion, glad you enjoyed it 👍🙂
Well done yet again David! Sitting watching you work I thought "If anyone had told me I would enjoy watching someone sanding a bakalite case I would have told them not to be so stupid" but here I am hanging on every step you take. Certainly looks so good when finished compared to the rusty broken wreck you started with. As usual looking forward to the next project.
Thank you Kenneth. That is funny, watching someone sand a bit of Bakelite. I was surprised it came out so well, my wife helped me film the Green Hornet piece at the end and was shocked at how it looked compared to the day I took it out from the box 😲🙂
I was releived you found some glass for it. That was some tricky tuning too. Beautiful job!
Thanks Tyrone. I was lucky to get a glass 👍🙂
I enjoy the work you do show. A lot of people would just show the end result. That’s why I always come check out your channel. Your attention to detail is incredible!!
Thanks DirtyDon, I'm very happy you enjoy my work, cheers 👍😀
Davo,
Concise, precise, good narration, excellent video, & success too. As usual. Thoroughly enjoy all your restorations & I learn a lot too.
My origional impression with this project was, CRIKEY, WOTTS HE GUNNA DO HERE, and it worked out better than ever. Cheers.
Thanks John and thanks for your comment. You do realise we don't say crikey all the time, well... not ALL the time. Although I can see two wallabies on the front lawn as I type this, the place is crawling with them, Crikey! 👍😄
I am glad you took this "Average" radio on.......it is the sort of thing a beginner would have access to, and it shows it can be done.....and if they fail, its not to much of a financial loss......good stuff as always.....and as always a very high standard
That's a good point Harb's Electronics Lab. It is what a beginner could start out with and no biggie if it fails, thank 👍🙂
David Tipton however, what you ended up with was way above average ! I was amazed at how good it looked..... really a keeper
@@harbselectronicslab3551 Thanks, it looks better than I expected 🙂
What a well made radio, for an everyday set. From including a power transformer to the way the components were neatly lined up and installed underneath, exceptional quality.
Hi DEW409 Most Australian radios had transformers unlike the US and the UK and it was nicely put together, a lot of care went into that one 😀
What a super job...👍👍
Thanks MML 😀
David, thanks for another fantastic restoring on an old radio. With the top of the radio, there was the crack on the top gave me an idea on how to repair a crack on the dashboard of my car with the super glue on the top of my radio. A good share and good sounding radio. Cheers until next time mate.
Glad to be of assistance Dennis. Good luck with the Super Glue in your car 👍😀
Great job. I took your support of Carl and sourced caps from him. Great service to.
Thanks Bob, Yep, you won't be disappointed with Carl 👍🙂
Another excellent restoration ,it's great you got a transfer put back on,loved how the case was fixed and polished,it came out a real treat,a really nice little radio,well done Dave.I really like your videos.
Thank you Mick. It's a fine little radio alright 👍🙂
On 240V wiring Red and Black is still used, though officially we have moved to Brown and Blue, like UK and some areas of Europe use. I don't think the regulations are as strict with the colour coding here in Australia as in UK and Europe as you can still get red and black new. You were right about the US. Usually they have Black as the Hot/Active and White as Neutral. That has caused confusion with imported electronics, like pinball machines as an example, where they are wired in American black and white and have ended up with the black being wired to Neutral when in the UK or Europe. :) Thanks for another great video. I know this one is a couple of years old now, but I am just binge watching some of your videos.
Hi Brendan, I haven't seen red and black power wire for years, not new anyway. I can imagine being confused with American colour coded wire, when watching someone from the US on TH-cam wire a plug I think I would do that all wrong. Thanks for watching Brenden, cheers! 🙂
Excellent vid and quite the education. Especially about water-slide transfers! Thanks David.
Thank you Mark. The transfer work very well 👍🙂
Lovely restoration David and a beautifully produced episode 👏
Thank you Peter 🙂
Nice touch with The Green Hornet at the end. Vintage Radio out of your vintage radio. 👍
Hi Steven, thank you. I had several comments in the past saying they expect to hear old radio shows when I power them up. I thought it may bring back memories for some 😀
Brilliant work!
Thanks Charlie 😀
Hi David, another fantastic job. You really underestimate your super all round skills. From Nr Liverpool UK. Many thanks for all your videos, keep them coming ,PLEASE!
Hi Geof Ham in Liverpool, thank you, it's my pleasure 🙂
A pleasure to watch!
Thank you erik 😀
Yet again you set my weekend off splendidly. It's my turn to be on 24 hour call this weekend so this video helps me de-stress. Thank you for sharing David.
Hi Tim, glad to be of help 👍😄
Another fine restoration David. Your work is fantastic and the attention to detail second to none. Great 👍
Thank you Parlour Tunes 😀
Great work! It looks and sounds beautiful! Neat tip on coloring in the case repair as well.
That single bulb to light the dial didn’t look like it would do the job until the last image. Turns out it was fine. Well done!
Thanks Patrick 👍🙂
3XY. Where the wrinklies fly. Now I know I'm 63. I love valve driven gear. I own a Primaluna HP integrated amp. 6 12AU7s pre. 8 EL34s post. It sounds delicious.
Hi Andrew, I think you will find it was 3AK where no wrinklies fly. I can't remember what 3XY's catch phrase was. Wow... that is a lot of valves 😱 You won't need a heater with that running 😄
@@DavidTipton101 It was a while back...like 1975. No FM, no Dance music but boy we had it good. This current generation are pathetic. I was a gay club DJ for many years and now we have nothing except bailed morons. The quality of your work is the best I've seen...period. I also did night school to study audio visual engineering. I should have gone to tech school after year 12 but mum wanted me to be a "something". I am very much like you. If a friend wants me to look at their gear, after the first look I say "I've gotta rewire the whole lot". I do it properly and they can't believe it's the same system. I was very popular in Bali in the 80s. They're sound gear was abysmil and no earth or RCDs....SCARY. One shop I went into in Bali to buy cassettes, had pretty good equipment but sounded bad. I said to the owner that I could fix it. After about an hour I needed RCA leads. His mate came back with the leads and after a bloody good clean, I fired it up and it was chalk and cheese. They offered me money etc but I said "hows about you buy me some spaghetti and a can of Southern Comfort". All of his friends started rocking up to listen to his gear and were stunned. It ended up a party and after i said watch the volume, they gave me a lift back to my resort. They get excited easily but along Kuta Beach road now, the western cancer has taken over. McDonalds KFC Burger King etc. At 63 a 7 hour flight is all I can cope with now. Cheers Andrew Collins Mebourne.
Well done David
Hi Ronnie, thanks 😀
Wow, what a restoration! Again, your patience is incredible... And when you saw the broken glass, we all felt it :)
Hi jassenjj, thank you. When I watched it again I could feel it too, I was all yay 😀 then a deep depression set in 😞 It came out OK in the end which is the main thing 😄
Pessimism, then skilful fettling, finally another excellent radio is reborn. Thanks for sharing the video.
Haha... It was a rollercoaster ride alright, oh well it came out ok in the end. Thanks birdie399 😀
Impressive restoration and fantastic attention to details! I always enjoy watching your videos, David. They are warm and fuzzy and analog - something that we miss in our digital age.
Thanks Vincent, so glad you enjoy them 👍😀
"I have no idea why I'm doing it".
Addiction to the process - and the satisfaction of the end result.
And maybe a small hope it will come out even better than the last one you did.
- which personally I find it hard to achieve, seen the pile of beutifully radios of yours previously restored 👌
My usual saying is "I don't know what I'm doing" I must be getting better. I was a good decision to keep going with this one as it did looked very nice in the end. Thanks CXensation 🙂
It's a bit of a shame that you had to replace so many parts. It looked so neat with everything original. But it turned out really beautiful in the end and I loved how you managed to hide that crack in the case. Amazing as always! Thanks for posting.
I agree Jac, it would be wonderful to leave it as it was, I like to think of it as a part of its history though, like a hip replacement for us oldies, same person but with new parts 😉🙂
what a gorgeous little radio and what an amazing job you made of it after the setbacks you had with it. your dedication and patience is incredible. I love old radios but dont have the skills to fix them myself but do have a couple of working ones and want a nice old floor standing radio one day as well..hopefully an Art deco style Scharnberg Strauss from the mid 30's like I had when I was a teenager in the 70's.always enjoy watching your videos and seeing you turn what people would think is just junk into both beautiful and working items anyone would love to own.
Thanks catey62. I though it was a lost cause at first but I began to realise it was a very nice looking radio as it began to take shape. It looks very nice in my collection now 👍😀
Dave, I just could not take it any more! Watching the fun you have and the joy when the project is so very nice that it must look better then new, I just had to buy an old radio set to play with. I found a GE from the late 1950's and it is route, hopefully it will survive the trip from Iowa to South Dakota intact, and I hope the seller does a good job of packing. The add was for parts or repair, not working but that was sort of what I was looking for. Case looks good with no major breaks, just a few scratches so that will help, I hope it is just a recap project but, of course that will be left to the electronic gods above. I would never have got something like this without what I have learned from you and others on the Web.
Hi Jerry, well done, that's good place to start with a radio that doesn't matter if it survives the repair. Good luck with your project but be very careful with those AA5 hot chassis sets, an isolated power supply is a good investment to save yourself 🙂
@@DavidTipton101 I have been looking for a deal on an isolation transformer. I am quite aware of the danger, taking high voltage is an experience you long remember. When I was in the 4 grade of elementary school, we moved to a different farmstead that had power, something that was not available in the old home place that my grandfather built in 1910, the year dad was born. Well dad was as thrilled as we were, the first thing he bought was an floor model radio. It had am/SW and Police. Not knowing about antenna's and such I figured some button on the front was stuck. So when dad was in the field and mom and my sisters were picking eggs, I reached inside that old radio and tried to find that stuck button. I have no idea what the hell I touched but a few seconds after reaching back there I found my self laying up against the opposite wall with a hell of a headache and a burn on my finger and arm. I have always been careful when working chassis since, oh did get a hell of a shock out of an old Curtis Mathis television once as well.
Haha... the things we did as kids, I think most of us have had a wack at one stage or another. If you can get hold of a isolation transformer all the better.
Nice work
Thank you! Cheers HNIZAR45 😀
You shouldn't say that radio's not worth anything. It kept a quarantined old man in Alabama entertained for over an hour. (I'm not sick, just sort of confined by the situation.) And then just look at the finished product.
Hi Wayne in Alabama. I guess I meant monetary value. I am very happy it kept you entertained though, it was all worth it in that case, Cheers and be safe over there 👍🙂
Out standing work as usal David , radio looks brand new looking ,i like the look of this nice radio, Well done again and very much enjoyed watching this .
Hi Doc, thank you. I'm very happy with this one. It looked grim at first but now I'm happy to show it off to anyone interested and has a little story behind it 😀
Absolutely spot on restoration job on that radio Dave. It looked a bit of a sod when you first got it but it now barely looks to be the same radio.
Regards, Phil.
Hi Phil, thank you. I was amazed how well it came up too 😀
Nice job as always! Radio turned out very nice! I really enjoy watching the videos! Keep posting and restoring!
Thanks Jammerk40, I'll try 👍😄
Superb job, David! I never knew Stromberg Carlson made radios Down Under. They are a very respected make here in the US among vintage radio enthusiasts.
HI Super Het. thank you. According to Radio Museum Stromberg-Carlson were an Australian company tied to the US company but ran autonomously to it. They manufactured most the the components themselves in Australia and ran from 1927 into the 50s 👍🙂
Hi David glad to see that your are doing well. I enjoy your videos, the attention to the details is wonderful. I just bought a couple of sets, and one arrived shattered. I was not sure of how to go about the repair, but, watching your success , gives me a direction to go in. It came out great!
Hi David, we are all well at the moment and restrictions are lifting. Good luck with your repair, I hope you can bring them back to what it once was 😀
Very engaging montage of the reassembly sir! Nicely edited.
Thank you Ahtaimo, very glad you enjoyed it 😀
Looks like a great radio, I was impressed with the glue job. I used to use a similar process on broken rifle stocks (wood variety) Of course we used either a good wood glue or if it were at the narrow part of the stock. My dad used to like his Vodka, perhaps a little to much. One day while coming home from town (we lived 25 miles from town) he spotted a pheasant and decided that it would tasted good for supper. So he grabbed the Remington Targetmaster Jr. Rifle chambered in .22 LR, and took aim at the pheasant's head, well it went down but didn't stay down. Well dad didn't want to waste another shell on the bird, so clubbed it to death with the rifle, and in so doing broke the stock. Well dad just took some black friction tape and wrapped it around the pistol grip of the rifle stock many times and it held, it held for over 20 years. When I married and moved out of the family home, dad gave me the rifle. His health had detreated so badly that he would never go hunting again. About 18 years later, I took a gun smith course, and joined two professional gun smiths helping out around the barrel factory in our town. One of my first projects was to rejuvenate that old .22. So I took her down, stripped the finish off the stock and removed that black tape. I was amazed at the damage that had been done, the stock was barley held together by a few strings of wood and could flex it in all directions. This looked like a job for Epoxy and that was what I used, when I had it glued up and as it was beginning to solidify, I sanded all around the break and pushed the saw dust into the epoxy. When it had dried, another sanding, then a bit of light walnut stain, followed by about a dozen coats of Tung oil and the stock was. Now some 20 years later the stock still looks great and there isn't a hint of where the break had been. There are always tricks that, when applied correctly will fix things.
Thanks for the very funny story Jerry, not so funny for the pheasant though. Good repair on the stock, very similar to what I did to the radio. Thanks Jerry, take care 🙂
Great job restoring this radio, David!!
Thank you Edwin 😀
You sure do nice work David. That little radio is beautiful.
Thank you jggmobile, it was a bit of an ugly duckling to start 😀
Hi Dave, I love your work, you truly are an Artist - great job!!
Thank you Claude 👍🙂
Your eye for detail keeps amazing me. Like the outcome of this restoration amazes me. Wouldn’t have expected that when you showed it at first. Very well done Dave!
Hi Rene, thank you. I was doubtful at first but it turned out great, I'm very happy with it, cheers 😀
I sure wish I could do what you can do! I see radios all the time in shops that need love!
Hi Mark, thank you 👍🙂
Excellent work again!
Hi Mats B, thank you 😀
That was incredible.
Thanks The Guitologist 👍🙂
Wat a kool looking 1947 strmberg Carlson radio receiver tex me when you have the time I have a shortwave radio receiver it has air long wav SBS
The cabinet look nice when you fix the cabinet when you have the time tex me
I like your videos David Tipton
Nice work! and you can find the glass, Lucky man!
Yes, very lucky to get a glass lu9da. Thank you 😀