1946 STC 548 Timber Tube Radio Restoration Part 3 - Final

The only thing left is the radio case, it's in poor condition and is starting to pull apart. I need to repair and refinish it to a high standard. The plastic dial lens is a problem, how am I going to make a new one?
Check out Carl's Capacitors eBay store home of the all black capacitors and other vintage supplies. Once you've tried black you can't go back: www.ebay.com.a...
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[@nicholas790]

Actually glad that that brown wrinkled up! The black looks perfect! Matches the knobs and bezel perfectly And it even works well to boot! Bravo!

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha... I was non too pleased when it happened but I agree, the black looked better. Thanks Nicholas👍😀

[@brucepickess8097]

To say that you sounded ever so slightly "miffed" is possibly an understatement but in the end the black contrast with the other tones looked great. Well done for your perseverance, the final end result for the radio, speaker and cabinet was brilliant. 👍😏🇬🇧

[@paulerhard1252]

Dear Sir, I am in awe! “With what exactly?” You may ask. Well with everything... First of all your restorations, knowledge and skills. But equally important, your videos themselves. Your have a naturally “soothing voice.” This (a.o.) makes your uploads extremely relaxing to watch. Almost therapeutical. That is, obviously, in addition to the content of your videos. It is a real story, each and every time; An old broken radio enters the scene, which is then slowly converted in an excellent functional “piece of art.” I am not very knowledgeable in the “arts” but can make out the very distinct early 20th century styles. Art Deco, Bauhaus and post WW-2 Modernism, to name a few. Finally, in case “your shelf” has to make place for your latest masterpiece, please be advised that I would be very keen to purchase one of your “projects,” IF (!) you ever were inclined to part with one. Money is not really an issue. Neither are the shipping cost from Australia to Europe. Looking forward to your next upload, Yours sincerely, Paul P.s. I just read you are not selling your projects. I fully understand! “One does not sell one’s children...” Please disregard my enquiry in this respect.

[@DavidTipton101]

Paul, I don't know what to say except thank you and I am so happy that you and others get so much enjoyment from what I do. It is something I enjoy doing and to share it is a bonus. Thank you so much 🙂🙂

[@terryblackman6217]

Having watched all three episodes, it amazes me the time effort and love you put into restoring these wonderful old radios. You are probably getting fed up with me keep saying it but I do enjoy watching the process you go through to bring them back to as near perfect as you can. Even my wife enjoys watching. 🍻👍

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Terry, I appreciate it that you like my work and offer a comment of encouragement, I enjoy the to and fro. Thank you and Hi to Mrs Terry 😊

[@DaveJeffery]

My daughter's got some shampoo in the bathroom called Aussie Repair Miracle. I'm sure it was named after you. Another beautiful job.

[@DavidTipton101]

haha... it would be a miracle if it worked on my head, these days I use car polish. Thanks Dave 😄

[@GregAlanEdwardsEmmanuelRidge]

Mr. Tipton, I love restorations, but I never have watched radios. Thought I would be bored because I know nothing about them. You have a new fan. I sat through the first hour, waited patiently for part 2, and frantically waited for part 3! I had a blast learning and watching! Thanks so much for all your hard work. I feel your pain with the paint on the corners. Been there many times with other wood projects! Nice job hanging in there to find what works. Here's to many more!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Greg, thank you, I'm glad you enjoy what I do. The paint problems are just a setback although I hope it doesn't happen again 🙄 cheers Greg 😃

[@kushalbhaskar4401]

Watched through all the 3 parts of restoration of STC548... The only word come in my mind is WOOOOOW..... AMAZING.....

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Kushal 👍😀

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Amazing job again. A pleasure to see the cabinet work. I became exhausted with all the elbow-grease you put into it :)

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Manuel, you had better lay down for a bit till you recover 😄

[@kharakim]

All your restorations are great, but this one really is a one-of-a-kind gem. Would envy anyone lucky enough to have it for a desk accessory.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Moshe, it's now on display in a period home 🙂

[@billnicholson2470]

All I can say is WOW!! Your attention to detail is really refreshing. Still binge watching. Love em all. Nice touch with the old time radio shows. Groucho me thinks.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Bill. Yep, Groucho 😀

[@iangrange7124]

That was a joy to watch you restore that beautiful radio, give yourself a pat on the back for this one 🍺🍺🍺👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Ian, thank you. Consider myself patted on the back and thanks for the beer, cheers 😄👍

[@watersridge]

I doubt the radio looked this good when it was new from the factory!! Magnificent job.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Timothy 😃

[@DIlic-iz9tx]

*_This is invaluable. It's a little bit of a life for you. If I could rule the world, you David would live forever._*

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks D. Ilic 👍😃

[@greggsvintageworkshop8974]

What a beautiful cabinet restoration Dave, really really nice work. The entire chassis and cabinet look better than new in my opinion. I also know you wanted the brown, but the black looks amazing, such gorgeous contrast. Such a beautiful piece of history and sounds awesome.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Greeg, thank you. The black looks great but the brown was the original so... I have another radio with brown trim, I don't know what I'll do there 🤔🙄 Thanks again 👍

[@ManojKumar-mx7is]

I bet, it might not be so beautiful at the time of its manufacturing....beautifully restored..👍📻

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Manoj, It came out nicely, thanks 😃

[@dennispeake1877]

David, you wear so many hats and skills, Radio repairs, Woodwork, then a bit metalwork for and aerial. Another great video mate for showing how you can make your old radios look fantastic. Cheers David best to you and your wife and family.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Dennis, I don't know what to say except thank you. All the best to you and yours too 👍🙂

[@TheUltimateRecycler]

Well done Dave - your repair ability is only exceeded by your patience to get things right! Impressive!

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you The Ultimate Recycler 😃

[@chrisclark6192]

Hi David. Another great restoration to your very high standards. One of the reasons I like your channel so much is that you get to see a lot of interesting radio's that we never got here in the UK. Keep safe and well. Chris.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Christopher. It is interesting to see radios from other countries, I enjoy it too, thanks and cheers 👍😀

[@phillipyannone3195]

Well I must say that radio came out beautifully. You are the best restorer of radios on the net, in my opinion.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Phillip 😃

[@mustafaalaoglu6671]

Thanks for the therapy you applied to us. You created a very beautiful piece of art again, David.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you mustafa, my pleasure 😃

[@craignehring]

This cabinet is really beautiful and was so worthy of your expertise. David, Top job once again. "Just DO IT!!" I really enjoy your skills both in the shop and your editing.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Craig. thank you 😃

[@OIE82]

I like this radio. The design and the finish. Superb! 🎉

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you OIE 👍🙂

[@steelcity321pb6]

Your STC 548 is now a first class example of its kind. It has most certainly been a pleasure watching you restore this radio. Thank goodness there are more restorations to come, Here in the UK, STC manufactured the Kolster Brande marque. They became part of ITT. Theses days we no longer hear of STC, K B, or ITT. Cheers my friend, Phil.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Phil, thank you. STC were a major player here in Australia, I think they were taken over in the 80s not to be heard of again 🙂

[@kennethgibbons2487]

Smooth job David. I love your banter while you are working like "...well I didn't expect that..." My wife was watching "Call the Midwife" (not my sort of programme) so I came down to the computer and imagine my joy when I found that you had posted the last part of your current restoration. Looking forward to the next job.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Kenneth, I feel your pain, "Call the Midwife" should be "Call for an Anesthetic" Stat! Thanks, the radio came out pretty good. I hope to improve my cabinet skills as I get more experience, cheers 👍😃

[@tyronevanleyen9880]

I really love the look of that radio. You did a fantastic job. I,m learning a bit about finishes and little tricks you do. It,s fun to watch!

[@DavidTipton101]

It's a very nice radio. I'm glad you can learn from my mistakes, like I do 👍🙂

[@robbyxp1]

Now that is a lovely result. I'm amazed by your ability in all aspects of this restoration. Thank you for a lovely video series.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you robbyxp1 😃

[@RoughJustice2k18]

Dave once again a brilliant repair/restoration. A vintage wood cabinet tube radio brought back to life; it not only looks great, but sounds superb. 2 thumbs up. :-)

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks RoughJustice 2k18, two smiley faces for you 😃😃

[@cogidubnus1953]

I've had a great time catching up with this one...what a fabulous job...like a poster of over a year ago "I am in awe"...

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha... thanks cogidubnus1953 😀

[@LarryDeSilva64]

Very nice restoration work David. I could see you had many trials and tribulations getting that cabinet to look as nice as it does. Perseverance and hard work pays off every time. Thanks for a totally enjoyable series.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank LUCKYLARRY , yes I made hard work of it in places, as you say, just keep plowing on 😃

[@PaulinesPastimes]

How beautiful. What a difference that new acrylic has made to the dial, stunning. The black paint highlights match the knobs so it all ties in. It always amazes me how much labour must have gone into manufacturing these sets back then. They must have been very expensive to produce. Cheers.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Pauline, thank you. The acrylic turned out better that expected, I spent sleepless night wondering how I was going to do it but it turned out nearly perfect. I was thinking the same thing about the work involved to manufacture this set, it was clearly made for the top end of the market 👍🙂

[@johncengia]

Hi Dave, What a great job. And I reckon Dave Jeffery's comments are spot on too.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi John, thanks to you and Dave 😃

[@ronaldspencer547]

Wonderful radio. I can imagine someone will stick an antenna on the roof and listen all over the world in the evening. Great job. You almost gave me a heart attack when you said that if the video goes black the staple went through the cabinet and then you blacked out the video!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Ronald, thank you. I gave this to a friend, he is yet to connect it to an aerial but he keeps threatening to do it. Yeah, sorry about my little joke 😄

[@Darryl603]

Looks Great! The dial glass really made a huge difference! Thank you for taking the time to share...

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Darryl, it's unusual to get a glass in that good of a condition and so well designed. Thank you and my pleasure 😃

[@JerryEricsson]

Very cool! I love going back to some of your earlier videos to see how far you have come in refinishing. This one came out fantastic like most. Some of them look almost like dumpster candidates yet when you are done they look like they belong on the shelf of an old time radio shop for sale to my father and mother for our old farm home, now but a pile of lumber having been abandoned since 1962, built the year dad was born, 1910.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Jerry, thank you, that case come up very nice, I gave the radio to some friends who have it on display 🙂

[@johnblystone8781]

Beautiful job David. I especially liked the speaker repair and the new lense replacement. John

[@DavidTipton101]

That poor speaker, what I did to it 🤦‍♂️ The lens was a surprise to me too, thanks John 😀

[@johnc7642]

That is just beautiful. WOW. Great job. You should do a video where you build a radio from scratch. That would very cool to watch.

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha.. thanks John. I don't know about that 😄

[@johnlake6321]

The dial looks terrific Dave. I enjoyed watching this series.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks John 👍😀

[@waltman333]

This has got to be the most amazing restoration of a radio I have ever seen! Not only that but the radio works and sounds probably much better than when it was brand new! All I can say is "WOW" fantastic David.....what amount of work you have put into this radio! Walt in Miami

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Walt in sunny Miami, that cabinet was more work than I expected, striping and refinishing it twice. Thank you 😃

[@stewatson3922]

Looking a little bit better than when you got it is an understatement! This radio came out grand. As a matter of course I refuse to have a broadcast reciever in my shack but I would make an exception with this one. Bravo. 73's M0OMO

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Ste Watson. I gave this one away 🙂

[@johnwelch557]

Beautiful! I loved laying in front of my radio in the dark back in the day. Mesmerized by the bar movement. Say, maybe that explains some of my "quirks" today.... Ha!

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha... I know what you mean John. I always wondered why I stared at the radio speaker when listening to the radio in the old days, I still do it now 😀

[@GaitaPonto]

It is a pleasure to watch your meticulous restorations.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Gaita Ponto 😃

[@CraneofBoulogne]

David, i guess by now you must have one of the best radio collections of anyone. I guess museums have you beat but i suspect your collection stands above other private collectors and for good reason. They guy that refurbishes your radios is very good at his trade. This one is awesome. Great looking radios like this must stand out, even in your fabulous collection.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Jeff, I have a modest collection by collector standards and many of my early collected radios don't hold much value, I was just happy to get them working. My later collected radios are of a better standard and this one looks very nice. Thanks Jeff 🙂

[@danielthomas3057]

A fine restoration! Cabinet and chassis. So glad you decided to replace the electrolytic filter caps after all.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Daniel 😀

[@tubeDude48]

Lot'a work on the case...nice job David!

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you pi-duino 😃

[@Joe-KN4IFI]

Beautiful David. The Black trim may not be original but I think it looks much better then the brown, nice contrast. Well done. David you are a amazing for someone that calls himself a novice. Your a Woodworker, Machinist, Technician and Artist. Great work again. Joe

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Joe, I am still learning and trying to improve, most of what I do is trial and error, I hope to keep the error part as low as possible. Thanks again Joe 😃

[@AiMR]

Happy accidents! The black looks SO MUCH BETTER David. GJ, I'd be pulling my hair out with the unintentional wrinkle effect 😂

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Eric, I would have liked the brown but it wasn't to be. I would have pulled my hair out but that ship has sailed 😄

[@khankhan-ge6oi]

David you are best Radio Mechanic, Carpenter, Painter restore this Radio look new .Parts of old Radios easily available sir.🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Trafi for you.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi khan khan, thank you and thanks for the trophies ♥♥♥♥

[@robertgoodall4525]

Great job David. I really enjoy your restorations.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Robert 😃

[@mrlejones]

Excellent restoration David.. I am jealous.. wish it was my radio! Well Done!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Le, thanks. It was a good find 👍🙂

[@keithbrandaw7229]

Your best guess is better than my knowledge , Great Job Dave spot on. !

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha... thanks Keith 👍😄

[@docfoot316]

I take my Hat off to you David ,out standing high quality job as always ,The cabinet came up a real gem supper job, and always amazed by your excellent standards of workmanship,Well done .

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Doc, you are most kind 👍😃

[@hestheMaster]

Spectacular restoration there David. I like how the clear dial plate turned out. It is one heck of a fiddly bit that many under size and look odd. Yours fit perfectly! Restoring wood cabinets is best left to those who do woodwork, it doesn't matter to them if it's a radio,chair,or desk. Luckily I was doing woodworking before attempting electronics repairs and it does take a bit of a learning curve to excell at both. I say well done sir!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi he's the Master, Thank you. The lens come out great, I expected to have to do a few to get it right but this one worked so well I left well enough alone. I am learning the woodwork and just starting to get reasonable results 😃

[@geoffquickfall]

Excellent again. Love the Perspex fabrication! Personally I like the black, very contrasting to the brown stain and wood grain. You are a magician when it comes to the complete radio. I will also try out the smoother. Should save me applying many coats of varnish followed by sanding. On the speaker, I had a Westinghouse H-135 Refrigerator radio with many cracks and slices in the cone. I painted the entire speaker with rubber contact cement. The paper absorbed the glue and became a one piece cone again. Sounds fantastic also. Yes, hamster cage coarse cedar shavings. I use a very wet gel stripper. Leave it on for the requisite time. Use the cedar shavings like you would use steel wool. Scrape if necessary and then clean up with more cedar shavings. Rubbing them in with moderate force. The cedar is softer then the veneer so it doesn’t mar the surface, and very absorptive. Makes clean up easy. Follow it up with a lacquer or mineral spirits wipe Thanks again for the lessons and ideas!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Geoff, the perspex came out better that I expected. I wanted brown because that was its original colour, oh well. I have painted entire speaker cones with contact adhesive too, works pretty good to strengthen weak paper. I might stick to the plastic scraper for paint stripping, I'm still cleaning up sawdust from my last experiment, or turn off the air conditioner 😉😃

[@berniestep]

Absolutely superb; you're a multi-talented craftsman, David. Thank you for such an interesting video.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you berniestep , it is my pleasure 😃

[@trevorspice2122]

Well done David, its great you show mistakes in your video's so we can all learn by them:-) Keep up the great work and videos. Many thanks:-)

[@DavidTipton101]

I don't show all the mistakes or the video would run too long, thanks Trevor 😉😀

[@BoB4jjjjs]

Excellent restoration job sir.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Bob 😃

[@BoB4jjjjs]

@@DavidTipton101 You're welcome David, it was an excellent restoration.

[@Latuernich09]

Love the noise your tools make - nice soundtrack of your video

[@DavidTipton101]

I hadn't thought of that Latürnich, cheers 👍😃

[@waynethompson8416]

Another wonderful project! Thanks so very much for sharing with us David! As always, an excellent job!!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Wayne, as always, thank you 😃

[@willieyarger3217]

Another work of Art Dave !!! Anybody would be happy to have it in their collection !! Well done !!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Willie, thank you. It looks good on the display shelf 🙂

[@alanm2809]

Thanks David, to me this is the nicest table radio in your collection. A fantastic restoration and thanks for the dial shot, the glass and your lens looked fabulous!

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Alen, the lens came out great, I was over the moon. The dial is one of the best I've seen, cheers 😃

[@myfarawaytales]

Feels like I've waited longer for this third instalment than I did for Return of the Jedi :) Great job, that one was 'ratty', now it's a gem

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha, I'm looking forward to the prequel Paul 😄

[@donhall2759]

Just catching up on your catalog of videos. Your restorations look better on the inside than mine do on the outside!

[@DavidTipton101]

Haha... thanks Don 😄

[@PaulGantley]

Wow, I think this one is my favourite repair you have done up to now, the perspex idea was spot on. Deffo a good tip to try.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Paul, yes came out surprisingly well, thanks 😃

[@blackpoolbarmpot]

A wonderful job done. The set looks really nice and performs really well. Thanks for posting

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you blackpoolbarmpot 😀

[@wayneshirey6999]

Gorgeous! The black sets it off.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Wayne, that seems to be that consensus 😃

[@ottodydaktyk]

Very, very well done, David!

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you David 👍😃

[@jggmobile]

Really turned out nice David. Nice job.

[@DavidTipton101]

It did, thanks jggmobile 🙂

[@catey62]

Been waiting to see how the finished cabinet came out and you didn't disappoint with it as usual. you've done another wonderful job there and it looks and sounds beautiful. well done. look forward to your next project :-)

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi catey62, It came out very nice, thank you. Stay tuned 😃

[@GeorgeWMays]

Beautiful radio. You did a truly splendid job on it. I admire your patience and attention to the details. Hey - have you ever watched any of the videos by a KZbinr named "glasslinger?" Prepare for the unorthodox. But there are some very interesting and clever things to learn.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi George, I have seen some of his videos, I'll check him out again, thanks 🙂

[@americanmultigenic]

Superb "dial" on this one. Beautiful job!

[@DavidTipton101]

The dial is fantastic especially in the evening Mike. Thanks 😀

[@dougkubash8673]

The radio turned out great! Your videos are very entertaining.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Doug 🙂

[@mickspencer4171]

Fantastic restoration,I love how you made the new dial glass,excellent choice of speaker cloth. You had the patience of a saint with the cabinet,well done,love it.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Mick, thank you. The glass came out great to my suprise, it's something I have been dreading for some time. There are setbacks but I learn so I might as well get on with it 👍🙂

[@mickspencer4171]

@@DavidTipton101 Hi David,I've never seen that done before,an excellent tip,I'll definitely remember that one, fair play for even trying it,that made my morning.

[@DavidTipton101]

@@mickspencer4171 Haha... thanks Mark 😃

[@paulbache3940]

Another great restoration David, looking forward to the next

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Paul, thank you 😃

[@justicelut]

Beautiful job David, well done!

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you justicelut 🙂

[@quantumleap359]

Absolutely beautiful restoration. I am in awe of your talent and patience!

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Quantum Leap 😃

[@andrewpike2924]

Great restoration. A pleasure to watch.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Andrew 😀

[@skipwerk2251]

Great job David. I don't have the patience to deal with the peeling paint issue you had. I normally do the finishing work in the garage to keep people from hearing my foul language when I see the first results...LOL Excellent work sir!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Skip, thank you. My workshop is soundproof to a degree, I usually just go inside and calmly explain to my wife what has transpired, she know to just say something soothing and I go out and fix it. She knows me so well 👍🙂

[@grahamserle7930]

It certainly doesn’t look like a giant Easter egg anymore. What you did with the Perspex was genius. I know with today’s car headlights that have dulled you can bring them back to new by using different grades of wet and dry paper before polishing. Whether or not that would have worked with what you had, I’m not sure. Really nice job David.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Graham, and as always, thank you. I hope to improve on the perspex next time. The old lens would not have responded to headlight polish, an industrial chemist told me there is no cure for brown plastic and I have tried on several occasions, he was right. Thank you for the suggestion though 😃

[@grahamserle7930]

@@DavidTipton101 Yeah it was very brown now I think about it and I'm guessing not just on the surface. Thanks for the feedback. We sure do learn a lot by sharing info along life's journey. Take care mate.

[@berniken6511]

Excellent job David the radio looks really great.......................................................Berni

[@DavidTipton101]

Thanks Berni 😃

[@parlourtunes4155]

Great David, another fantastic restoration. I am really enjoying watching your dedication, skill and patience bringing these fine old radios back to life. Keep up the great work!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Parlour Tunes, thank you, I'm very happy you enjoy them 😃

[@MetalTrabant]

Baking a new scale glass from plexi with a home-made molding... that's a whole new level of restoration jobs! Amazing skills there! Beautiful outcome! Some would've just left the cracks and slight imperfections in the cabinet fittings as they are, but no, not you, you're a perfectionist! :D

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you MetalTrabant, I couldn't live with it otherwise 👍🙂

[@loricastro3772]

A restoration class, wonderful job! Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Lori, thank you, it's my pleasure 😃

[@ronniebrown8775]

That is a real beauty David!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Ronnie, thank you 😃

[@paulbennell3313]

Absoutely superb! Probably has a better finish than when it was new!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Paul, the finish is great, I'm very happy with it, cheers 😃

[@Sibbe2560]

What a beautiful restoration job you did on this one David, it really looks awesome. So much fun watching this...👍👍

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you K W 😃

[@MichaelBeeny]

Great job David, with just the right amount of editing. So many, otherwise good people show every single screw painfully fitted.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Michael, thanks for the feedback, cheers 😃

[@rakeshkumarsharma5037]

Excellent Sir .I have no words for appreciation.Great Job.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Rakesh 😃

[@bfrieske]

A truly stellar job! One of the best restorations I have seen on KZbin.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Bruce, thank you 😃

[@migsvensurfing6310]

Very nice restore. Thanks for sharing with us.

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you migsven surfing, it's my pleasure 😃

[@Ange1166]

great clean job always look forward to viewing your restorations

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Angelo, thank you 😃

[@ceebee23]

wow David.. what a beautiful radio..so 1940s down to its knobby knobs :) and as usual you do a fabulous job bring it back to life!!!

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Chris, thank you 😃

[@Raul_Gajadhar]

The completed piece looks really lovely. You know, I have often wondered if back when radio's cabinets were made from wood, if buyers would scrutinize the finishing of the cabinets for imperfections, I mean it was 40's after all. I also often usually think at the end of most restorations I see; it came out looking better than it did from the factory. Because these things were mass produced, I am sure they were never going for looks. But now that there's are so few left and to see them looking so perfect, makes me feel happy. And they say "Nostalgia isn't what it used to be." ...lol... I really liked this restoration a lot.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Raul. I imagine the finish was very good back in the day as that would make the difference in sales. It's good that some radios are being preserved for the future. Thank you 👍🙂

[@rossthompson1635]

A really good result! Colour and finish looks great on camera. Very interesting to see how you overcame the problems on the way, as well as the bits that worked first time.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Ross, I love the bits that work first time, not so much the problems but we get there in the end 😃

[@Wenlocktvdx]

Wow, that’s a marvellous restoration David. You’d never know the dial glass is now acrylic, the original was like a cataract. The description of that gain control sounds like AGC delay, unusual in AM radios but common in TVs. It basically sets where the the AGC starts to take effect and allows maximum gain for a slightly stronger signal.

[@DavidTipton101]

I was so amazed at how well the prototype dial glass came out I put it in the radio. Thanks for your explanation, It's better that anything I can come up with 👍😉

[@georgenearchou9390]

Hi David, I love wooden radios and am I slowly getting around to restoring the ones I have, I find your insights and experimentation are immensely valuable to me and mirror how I love to restore radios. I know you were concerned about having to go black on the trim, but I actually liked that finish and quite a few of the radio's I have in fact have the black rim as original from the factory of the era. I was not sure if those stc knobs were brown or black but they seemed to match, beautifully the trim from the video. Great Work and thank you for sharing. George

[@DavidTipton101]

Hello George, I'm happy to share my experimenting and steep learning curve, I hope I don't steer somebody in the wrong direction though. All my other radios with painted trim are black and look great, this had a bigger area of trim and was originally brown so I thought I'd try brown, it looks good in the black. The knobs are Bakelite brown, the lighting is poor, I'm working to fix that. Thanks George, good luck with your restores 👍😃

[@charlieb.4273]

With every one of your videos I learn something. That dial glass process, absolutely fabulous. Charlie in Virginia USA

[@DavidTipton101]

I learn something too Charlie, thank you. Hi to the good folk in Virginia 👋😃

[@Peugeot306]

Great result! Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Paul-Ivo B in the Netherlands, thank you 😃

[@Bumper3D]

That looks fantastic, as usual. I absolutely love these wooden case restorations, makes such a huge difference. Nice work on the perspex lens as well!

[@DavidTipton101]

Thank you Bumper3D, Wooden radios have a warmer feel and sound I think. The lens open up a whole new field of opportunity 😃

[@vihuelamig]

As usual, a first rate restoration job David. you certainly go more than the extra mile! The most recent radio cabinet (1947) I stripped it using kitchen roll doubled up and laid on the surface. I then thoroughly soaked it in alcohol and then covered it in plastic wrap. The plastic wrap prevents the alcohol from evaporating. Left it for an hour. I wasn't really expecting it to do much but I could scrape the old varnish off although it did take 2 attempts with the towel/alcohol. It would be more effective using acetone or brush cleaner but that stuff is a lot more expensive than strong bio ethanol. BTW i tried that grain filler a few years ago. Wasn't really to my liking but everyone finds grain filling a bit of a pain. It's worse when you come back to it a year later and find that it's all sunk a little.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi vihuelamig, interesting idea with the stripping, acetone would work better I agree. I am getting mixed results with the grain filler, I did this radio about 8 months ago and it looks good so far 👍🙂

[@TommyBoy7Heads]

For getting glue pulled all the way into cracks or gaps like you were doing on the corners, I like to use a vacuum cleaner on the back side of the crack to help pull the glue down through. Works like a charm.

[@DavidTipton101]

Good thinking Thomas, I'll keep that in mind, thanks 🙂

[@opus1952]

Great David, absolutely great. As always, the best bits saved for last! Thank you for another great video.

[@DavidTipton101]

Hi Graham, thank you, cheers 😃