EV 006 - Woodworking - Refinishing a 1940s RCA Victor A-23 Radio Cabinet

[@heru-deshet359]

It's sad that people today don't recognize the value and beauty of gems like this and don't want to pay what they are worth. Such beautiful work!

[@EngineeringVignettes]

I like the old wood radios myself and so I will continue to preserve them. Thanks for the comment and cheers:)

[@hestheMaster]

One thing I have learned as a model railroader is to apply decals to a shiny surface. A matte surface will make you see the cut edge all too easily. Spray a gloss lacquer over the area you are to apply a decal. You should wait 30 minutes for it to dry before putting the water slide decal on. I have been using a water wetted paintbrush to push the small decal in place and not a sharp Xacto knife blade. Use a straight edge to align the decal which is parallel to any nearby surface to guide your alignment. After placing the decal in the place you want add a drop of decal setting solution. It makes the decal set right down. Ask for it at a hobby store. After all that you then can spray lacquer over the whole piece and the decals look perfect! Your cabinet work is exceptionally good. Steve

[@EngineeringVignettes]

I was really out of practice, had not laid a decal for over 20 years! Next time should be much better. Good tips :) Cheers,

[@clirakis]

You have done an awesome job on this restoration and the video is very helpful.

[@fordmustanggtish]

Thank you sir. i am in the process of restoring an rca victor battery radio myself. great video and great job on the radio!

[@EngineeringVignettes]

Good luck with the restoration. I have a few old battery radios (AKA farm radios) kicking around. The portables from the 50's and 60's, using the 9-pin 1** series tubes, are nice units too. They tend to be more responsive than the AC units as the cathodes are usually directly heated. I have had good luck in powering them using series connected 9V batteries; you can get up to 70v with eight batteries. The amazon basic batteries are usually a good deal when bulk buying them. I am planning on another restoration this fall, on that radio's bigger brother. Cheers,

[@RadioFixer]

Such a beautiful radio, great job refinishing it! Have a great day!

[@maryrafuse3851]

My husbands grandfather had the slightly more advanced model with the station presets. Beautiful radio and fine refinishing work. All the best Cheers from Nova Scotia, Canada.

[@EngineeringVignettes]

Thanks, take care.

[@allthegearnoidea6752]

Great job on the cabinet and especially the new lettering

[@EngineeringVignettes]

Thanks! Cheers,

[@silviowel]

excelente trabalho de restauro da caixa de madeira do radio, parabens......por favor continue postando mais restaurações .......abraços brasileiros ao amigo

[@fathalkhairgalleryantiques7278]

Although it is 1 year old, it is indeed great restoration job

[@chriskowalski7038]

Nice job.. especially with the decals being that it's such a delicate job... I'm just wondering if l should put the lacquer on last and over the decals.

[@robertlewis4216]

Great work!

[@MartinSBrown-tp9ji]

To move decals on a glossy surface make the surface wet with water and use a toothpick or a brush to move it. Then blot the water off.

[@frumpeting]

Can make a clear template as he did and prop up on risers/spacers to get a general guide not touching the surface without trying to peel off decals as well.

[@harrybond007]

Removing the asbestos would have been the very first thing I would have done, rather than handling it over and over again, and the grill cloth!

[@pibbles-a-plenty1105]

First, for handling the wet decals you need a pair of needle point tweezers. You should create a template that has wider openings and tape it to the cabinet. You can create and print it from a mechanical drawing program on your computer or create it on a quadrille pad sheet or mechanical drawing vellum if you can still find it. Place all of the wet decals in place quickly first and then squeegee them down lightly so they don't move before removing your template. Remove the template and then do a final light squeegeeing.

[@ericklassen742]

Very nice job. Do you have a source for dial glasses if you get a job where a repplacement is required?

[@timmack2415]

I would have removed the grill cloth and I definitely would have used grain filler on the whole cabinet.

[@skullheadwater9839]

use a fine soft damp paint brush to move the decals off the paper and into place.

[@tomnorman5461]

I believe the RCA dog is named "Nipper".

[@timmack2415]

It was and it got that name because he was a nasty fellow that would nip people who tried to pet him.

[@chriskowalski7038]

@@timmack2415My grandparents bought an RCA cabinet stereo in the 50 s and got the life sized RCA dog with the purchase. It sat beside that old unit for many years in their front parlor . l'm not sure what became of " Nipper" but l'm sure it would be a collectable today.

[@timmack2415]

@@chriskowalski7038 And worth a small fortune

[@michaelmacdonald3408]

Yes restore it.

[@ohger1]

I wonder how many Sheckles it cost to buy those deckles?

[@LyudmilaRGVK]

Would you happen to know the name of the epoxy use to seal the Asbestos? I don't think I want to play with removing it. Is it difficult?

[@EngineeringVignettes]

I don't know the name of a product and have never used one myself. It would have to be a high heat and fire resistant epoxy or similar... My best advise would be to just not touch it. Asbestos, when disturbed, can cause fibres to become airborne; that's when it becomes dangerous (inhaling etc.). Left alone, it will not spontaneously generate airborne fibres. And the radio chassis covers it when its all back together, further reducing its exposure to the environment. I would recommend not cleaning the interior of the cabinet out at all, as there likely will be some fibres mixed in with dust and other debris. If you want to clean out the inside of the cabinet then you would be doing this at your own risk and I would hope you would be using a certified respirator, gloves, all body suit (eg. painter's overalls) and doing it outside and away from others. Good luck,

[@nzs316]

Does it not have a back cover?

[@makyhsmakyhs6766]

Please, what are the top historical 3 radio receiver wooden cabinet in USA

[@EngineeringVignettes]

There have been hundreds if not thousands released throughout the early radio days, up to the mid forties. "Top" depends on ones point of view. If you mean the most desired then I would say the "art deco" period radios but even narrowing it down there are so many.

[@makyhsmakyhs6766]

@@EngineeringVignettes thanks, as you said it depends on the point of view of the each other, but I was surprised when you said that thier was hundreds if not thousands, but I don't know, do you mean companies or models of certain brands, because somebody told me the the foremost brands were zineth, arc, philco, crosly, radiola, and air castle, sorry its, disturbing!

[@EngineeringVignettes]

@@makyhsmakyhs6766 - In your original question you said "cabinet". That implies a particular design. Radio designs have a "make" and a "model". The "make" is the manufacturer (RCA, Philco, GE, Strombug-Calson, Marconi, Etc.). Every year these manufacturers would release a line of radios consisting of one or more "models". So, doing the math, every year there would be many tens of Make/Model radio combinations released for sale. Multiply that by 20+ years and the result is hundreds of different styles. You can look at all of the different types online, for example at Radio Museum: www.radiomuseum.org

[@makyhsmakyhs6766]

@@EngineeringVignettes thank you dear, because I am an radio and audio Phil and, amature, so was my late fathea and my grand father but we have a lot of audio old device but belong the families of Grundig and philips brands , but the surprise is that I did not expect that the USA is a leading country in the history of radio manufacturing since the 40,s like Germany, Holland and Western Europe countries, but what I am sure of today that I most of the US companies of audio and radio recivers are made from - unfortunately - Chinese parts, componants like hadongrong 🙂 , sangean under commercial brands like b. crane and tucsun. in contrary to the vintage history of the audio industry you just mentioned ! ! Any way the world of the antique old radio is a independent big trade world wide now !

[@EngineeringVignettes]

@@makyhsmakyhs6766 - Your welcome. Yes the USA and to a lesser part Canada was a huge manufacturer. Prior to the early 1950's, radio was the only available household "broadcast" entertainment, hosting many radio shows. I have some German radios, they are usually very well made and of excellent design. If you like European radios than a good KZbin channel to watch is "Electronics Old and New by M Caldeira" who lives on an island near Portugal. He is always repairing them. Cheers,

[@azretroguy8364]

Did you use an electric sander or just by hand?

[@EngineeringVignettes]

All sanding is done by hand. Machines run the risk of sanding through the top veneer. Cheers,

[@azretroguy8364]

@@EngineeringVignettes Thanks.

[@jimburns348]

Dope.

[@1964corvan]

dekels dekels dekels

[@pibbles-a-plenty1105]

No, a license was just a way to collect taxes for the Dept. of Transport.

[@koldenrjk]

I mean cmon - you jump from unstained to applying decos......

[@lDotley]

Couldn't get past the 10 minute mark. Too much camera movement.

[@coreymcniel3390]

I have done very similar with Woodglut designs.

[@TV-js5zg]

스티커는 어디서 구할 수 있나요.

[@frankie-b-gud1343]

I believe he said "Radio Days"?