• Radio Alteration
    26 replies, posted
So, I recently found a new hobby in finding old radios and re-purposing or modernizing them. So far I've just done 2, but I plan on having way more. My newest one of the 2 is a 1951 Airline Bakelite Tube Radio. IT is made of a pre-plastic called bakelite that is mostly formaldahyde. The stuff is strong and hard to cut. Originally I wanted to turn it into a mini PC case, but due to it being virtually uncuttable I decided to remove its innards, revamp the exterior and turn it into a right surround sound speaker housing that sits on top of my htpc by my couch. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/RMqv0.jpg[/IMG] This is what I started with when I ordered it off E-bay for $15.00 (sorry only have a stock photo, forgot to take pictures when I actually got it). I removed all the tubes which were non-functional, and the radio itself, which was more than fried, taking care to save the dials, knobs and exterior pieces. Once it was apart, the speaker grille cloth fell off and was mostly deteriorated. The knobs and everything else was still good, including the cardboard it was mounted to. I cut up an old black T-shirt, stretched it out and hot glued it to the face. Then mounted the display and dial. I also left one hole that I stuck a potentiometer in so that the knob could mount and still spin. Then I added $8.00 worth of gold 3m car molding trim in a classy fashion. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/271931_10150244285349320_664544319_7162042_2437169_o.jpg[/IMG] Quick test fit to cut the rest of the edges off with a razor. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/264770_10150244285424320_664544319_7162045_2661117_n.jpg[/IMG] Sorry for the junky Android pictures, but I'll have my nice camera working again someday... Went to the Hardware store to find a suitable 1950's color, debated for about 20 minutes between glossy vintage baby blue, and dark Hot rod Red, red won out, sanded the exterior down to a fine 400 to remove all the surface imperfections and cuts. 6 coats of red, a good wet sand and polish, and a coat of carnuba wax, and it turned out great. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/272087_10150245968404320_664544319_7179772_5889404_o.jpg[/IMG] IT almost looks like it came that way... Kinda. Set a small surround sound satelite inside behind the old speaker hole along with a blue LED and it creates a cool effect - decoration and function sitting on top of my HTPC. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/273015_10150253441749320_664544319_7256323_1867706_o.jpg[/IMG] IF the photos don't show up well I'm sorry, they don't do it justice, I'll have the actual camera fixed soon... [editline]11th July 2011[/editline] MY project from 6 months ago - still in progress. A 1974 Golden Voice Victrola - Project - Turn into a more modern full stereo, bass-driven boom-box. Lucked out because the record player and original switch and radio were already removed and got it for free on Craigslist. (This was when the decent camera worked) First got rid of the rainbow colored grille cloth, and replaced with black burlap. THen I sized up where the newer Yamaha A/V receiver would go. It's 5.1 but this was only going to use a channel A left and right side, with a single 10" woofer that had its own enclosure inside the cabinet. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/33583_445507229319_664544319_5071551_2537630_n2.jpg[/IMG] Lots of empty space to work with [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/40897_445507204319_664544319_5071550_4958431_n.jpg[/IMG] Replaced the old speakers with a 6.5" Coaxial set, a single 10" woofer (on the left) in its own enclosure, and got rid of the old speakers (comparison, new left-old right) [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/33648_445507284319_664544319_5071553_7611694_n.jpg[/IMG] Got the exterior sanded down, and got rid of the gold, found a really nice Rose-y, purplish stain (since this will be in my daughter's room) and finished it off. Then mounted the receiver the only way I could to save the structure - diagonally. Added fake carbon fiber fabric to pieces of cardboard to trim the face off (shown unfinished) and routed the AUX cables up so an Ipod or game system, or computer could be plugged in later. Functions awesomely. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/221814_10150168102199320_664544319_6592195_486150_n.jpg[/IMG] Then wet-sanded and re-stained, still trying to get the perfect set-up and deciding what to do with the rest of the space that's still inside on top of the subwoofer enclosure... [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/207519_10150168102144320_664544319_6592193_4786466_n.jpg[/IMG] Now I'm looking for another small radio project, like the small bakelite i have, and an idea of what to turn it into. I like to keep my budget around $40 or less. I have lots of stuff to work with.
These are really fucking cool
[QUOTE=Netsc;31051148]These are really fucking cool[/QUOTE] Thanks, I thought someone would enjoy them.
These are really fucking cool! [editline]11th July 2011[/editline] do you sell them?
[QUOTE=k00lwhip;31051859]These are really fucking cool! [editline]11th July 2011[/editline] do you sell them?[/QUOTE] These are the only two I have made so far. Since I was 12 I've been restoring antique Chris-Craft's and Garwoods, as well as Hacker-craft, but this is a new hobby and the only two I've done. I could imagine selling them as custom 1-off's if someone had a project they wanted done.
Managed to find a 1940s bakelite am radio in nice shape on ebay for 16.50. Total steal since the description left the name out so no other bidders could find it. Also non functional. I justhave to think of something to do with it. Maybe turn it into a cover for my left surround or something entirely new... [url]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220808993283&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url] More research pins it as a Knight A-100. Made in 1945 out of a pure Bakelite case, no paint added. It reminds me of something from Bioshock, and it's really flipping cool looking. Right after WWII. The fathering company was Arkay, and they actually offered it as a kit that you put together. Literally you'd buy a big box with all the electrical components, all the tubes in their own individual boxes, etc... and you'd assemble it when you brought it home and solder everything together based on included instructions. Super popular around 1950.
Would you mind if I made a 3D model of the red radio? I need something else to post in the 3D Digital Art thread.
[QUOTE=woolio1;31091947]Would you mind if I made a 3D model of the red radio? I need something else to post in the 3D Digital Art thread.[/QUOTE] its fine with me. I'd like to se e it when it's done
Consider yourself lucky. I made a few minor alterations (Most notably, I made it feel a bit more retro with the colorscheme). I think I did a pretty decent job, although it's more imagination than reference now. Anyway, enjoy. I'd say this actually belongs to you, given that you created the inspiration for it. (Although it doesn't, because I made it. Feel free to use it however you wish, though.) [img]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4010779/radiopartdeux.png[/img]
It's nice, but it's hard to tell where the speaker would be. American radio mfg.s did not put knobs so off-center. Everything followed a very simple X axis, and everything's center would be on the X, or Y vertice of the grid. Also there's no volume knob. But it still looks really cool.
So, finished this little project. Still wish my other camera worked, but I left it in the car and the lcd screen appears to have melted... oops... Anyway, got the knob mounted on the potentiometer, and painted it (took 3 tries to get paint to stick and stay hard). Waxed the knob and cleaned it up, mounted a fan to blow on the HTPC, and relocated the blue led to hit the dial display evenly. I'd say it turned out good. Total Cost: $35.00 [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/278538_10150258284459320_664544319_7291861_4312452_o.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/272415_10150258284284320_664544319_7291856_4591578_o.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/277544_10150258284054320_664544319_7291850_720405_o.jpg[/IMG] Now I'm just waiting on my next project to arrive in the mail... still not sure what to do with it yet... maybe turn the dial into a clock... or something. Or maybe a USB charging station
[QUOTE=Serj22;31182610]So, finished this little project. Still wish my other camera worked, but I left it in the car and the lcd screen appears to have melted... oops... Anyway, got the knob mounted on the potentiometer, and painted it (took 3 tries to get paint to stick and stay hard). Waxed the knob and cleaned it up, mounted a fan to blow on the HTPC, and relocated the blue led to hit the dial display evenly. I'd say it turned out good. Total Cost: $35.00 [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/278538_10150258284459320_664544319_7291861_4312452_o.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/272415_10150258284284320_664544319_7291856_4591578_o.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/277544_10150258284054320_664544319_7291850_720405_o.jpg[/IMG] Now I'm just waiting on my next project to arrive in the mail... still not sure what to do with it yet... maybe turn the dial into a clock... or something. Or maybe a USB charging station[/QUOTE] Why not both? Dial as a clock, knob to set the alarm, and a USB charging station. Heck, throw an iPod dock and some speakers in for good measure.
Still not 100% on the idea of this radio's function, but so far i have disasembled it, cleaned it up and started dust coating it. The radio was just plain bakelite, and as such with no paint, suffered a lot of discoloration and wear. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_111848.jpg[/IMG] Looks ok, till you get it into the light: [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_130317.jpg[/IMG] Now, this is very important for if you EVER work with bakelite, DO NOT EVER USE DRY SANDPAPER. Even if you are hand sanding, it will get into the air and when you breathe it in, you will feel it. It is very harmful and hurts. Learned from experience many years ago. Use wet-dry sandpaper and always keep the radio wet as well as the paper. I find it especially helpful to hold it under a sink with the faucet on, while sanding it. keeps it cleaner as well. Remember, bakelite is made of formaldahyde.... So, I dulled it up even further, got rid of all the surface imperfections, heated up the crevices to try to melt them together which worked for 98% of them, there is one crack I fought with that would not fill, I may leave it or deal with it after painting. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_130055.jpg[/IMG] Make sure all the dust is gone, and thoroughly wash any kind of plastic before you paint, I.E. Soap and water. If you do not, the paint will hit the dust, bubble up, and just become a runny-cavernous mess - it will look like the moon basically. Saved the main parts, took the actual radio out.... [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_130111.jpg[/IMG] You always like to paint plastic with something i like to call "dust coating" basically each coat is a light dusting of the plastic. The paint will absorb into the porous material a little, fill up the holes, and then layer out to the surface. Your initial coat will just look like the object is dusty with whatever color you are using. After each coat, wait 20 minutes and hit it with another dust coat. This is 3 dusting coats. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_130437.jpg[/IMG] Looks weird and the paint doesn't look smooth right? Well, then keep going, if it looks messy, as long as it isn't alternating textures, you're doing it right and you washed it properly. Once it starts to reflect light more, the orange peel will show up. There is nothing you can do about orange peel till the very end, where you will wet sand it with 4000, then steel wool #000. That gets rid of the imperfections and then a buff will pull the color back out and keep it from looking dull after you sand it. 5 coats: [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_130911.jpg[/IMG] At 6 the crack I'm fightign with starts to show. I may leave it. It shows character and makes it look like i just fixed the paint, rather than did a full repaint. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_130459.jpg[/IMG] so far... so good... [editline]22nd July 2011[/editline] 7 coats, time to stop since that is as thick as it should ever be. It's already kinda pushing it. Test fit of the dial. BTW, the paint I used for both of these is Rustoleum Painter's Touch. It's about $6.00 a can. I like it because the coat it leaves on plastic is real tough, and makes it feel like a solid appliance, like your stove or fridge. Real nice, and super glossy. Spreads thick, and dries fast. I bring my creations inside so they don't get dust on them during the final drying period... nothing like working real hard then having a gnat land on your project and ruin the whole thing because it's stuck to it... Also test fit my dial assembly that I made of the various pieces from the radio and cleaned them up real nice. Fits good... and looks good. With a spot for an LED set up... thinking blue again... or red... we'll see. Knobs can't be touched yet because there's nowhere to grab em without ruining em... [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_144320.jpg[/IMG] Looks pretty good so far even without the final sand, scrub, and wax... [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_144329.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_144346.jpg[/IMG] Left (if you were the radio facing forward/ Radio's left) [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110723_162832.jpg[/IMG] Right: [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110723_162845.jpg[/IMG] Front: [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110723_162819-Copy.jpg[/IMG] Top: [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110723_162901.jpg[/IMG] Angle detail: [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110723_162908.jpg[/IMG] It's also about 9" wide, 4 1/2" deep, and 6" tall if that helps.
[QUOTE=Serj22;31275820]Still not 100% on the idea of this radio's function, but so far i have disasembled it, cleaned it up and started dust coating it. The radio was just plain bakelite, and as such with no paint, suffered a lot of discoloration and wear. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110722_144346.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] You, sir, continue providing excellent inspiration for my art. Can you take some better perspective shots along the standard axes for me? Front, back, sides, top, and bottom, if you wouldn't mind. You have no idea how much I'd love to make a model of this. I'm reworking the original radio right now to be a picture perfect representation, and I'd love to do the same. I'd also like to buy one, but I doubt you'll let me.
[QUOTE=woolio1;31280393]You, sir, continue providing excellent inspiration for my art. Can you take some better perspective shots along the standard axes for me? Front, back, sides, top, and bottom, if you wouldn't mind. You have no idea how much I'd love to make a model of this. I'm reworking the original radio right now to be a picture perfect representation, and I'd love to do the same. I'd also like to buy one, but I doubt you'll let me.[/QUOTE] I'll get some more pics up tomorrow, and i can get those seperate vertice shots for you. My next project will be for sale. I'm still trying to perfect the art of how these go together and then I have to figure out how much they're worth sorta thing, but i have no issue selling them.
If you're going to be doing many more of these perhaps it would be a good idea for you to buy a respirator so you don't have to wet-sand.
[QUOTE=Serj22;31284649]I'll get some more pics up tomorrow, and i can get those seperate vertice shots for you. My next project will be for sale. I'm still trying to perfect the art of how these go together and then I have to figure out how much they're worth sorta thing, but i have no issue selling them.[/QUOTE] Brilliant. I look forward to more of your work, and wish you the best of luck. Thanks for the vertice shots as well. Maybe I can figure out how to run these through a CNC machine and make miniatures.
[QUOTE=Jack_Thompson;31284701]If you're going to be doing many more of these perhaps it would be a good idea for you to buy a respirator so you don't have to wet-sand.[/QUOTE] Respirators work well and I have a few charcoal ones, but the real issue is also keeping the dust in control. It will leave the airspace and stick to things. I find wet sanding has never been an issue for me in the past. Keep in mind, these are my smallest projects... my real profession is wood... not plastic. and when I mean wood... I mean a lot of it. But trust me, I know how to keep safe about it. Current other project, 1942 Hacker Streamliner. Only one of this size ever made, the other was a 60+ called thunderbird in Lake Tahoe. Look it up if you want a basic idea of what it will look like... Doesn't really deserve its own thread... [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110707_152752.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110707_152716.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/I3D_20110707_153035_00.jpg[/IMG] So far 6 months in. AS for the radio views mate, I added them to the previous post.
I am incredibly grateful for the help. Hope to have something out shortly. Also, you build boats? Love boats. Best of luck with your boats. EDIT: The radio doesn't seem like it has that much complex geometry. That's a good thing, means I'll be able to finish it quicker, and have something else to put in my portfolio.
[QUOTE=woolio1;31298230]I am incredibly grateful for the help. Hope to have something out shortly. Also, you build boats? Love boats. Best of luck with your boats. ....[/QUOTE] I technically restore them, but I am having to remake about 85% of this boat, so it's kinda like building. THe radio thing is just a hobby for now. I do one boat a year usually, and I also work part time as a Security Enforcement Officer. Lots of things to do...
I may be getting another radio here soon if the deal is right. This one has much more brass coloration than the previous two, and the gold parts are in good shape, the rest is not so it will be a fun restore, and will also be the most functional one I'll have gotten, considering it's bakelite case is cracked and needs restoration, but that's the fun part. If they were perfect, I'd leave them alone. Wouldn't make any sense to mess with a perfect piece. Once I get another one in I will consider selling the original. Keep in mind, it is an empty bakelite shell with a computer fan to be set on top of a HTPC that I have to blow air away from it, the fan is a blue led, hooks up to the motherboard and us quiet, but i can alter it another way if someone likes. Depending on the offer it will be up to debate. I have an upscaling DVD player that I could turn it into as well... if that fancies anyone. Make me an offer and we'll see what I can do...
[QUOTE=Serj22;31308900]I may be getting another radio here soon if the deal is right. This one has much more brass coloration than the previous two, and the gold parts are in good shape, the rest is not so it will be a fun restore, and will also be the most functional one I'll have gotten, considering it's bakelite case is cracked and needs restoration, but that's the fun part. If they were perfect, I'd leave them alone. Wouldn't make any sense to mess with a perfect piece. Once I get another one in I will consider selling the original. Keep in mind, it is an empty bakelite shell with a computer fan to be set on top of a HTPC that I have to blow air away from it, the fan is a blue led, hooks up to the motherboard and us quiet, but i can alter it another way if someone likes. Depending on the offer it will be up to debate. I have an upscaling DVD player that I could turn it into as well... if that fancies anyone. Make me an offer and we'll see what I can do...[/QUOTE] I'd recommend an amber LED instead. Easier on the eyes, and they'd fit better with the build. EDIT: I've got the base mesh done... Now I just need to figure out how to do the front panel. I'll figure it out, even if it's a separate mesh I have to tack on.
That front part is the best part. 1940's and 50's was the whole Atomic era, right before the cold war took place. It was a whole "Space age" or "Home of the future" kind of deal, you don't see CD players that look this freaking cool ever. Ever since the 70's, they've just been square, or kind of round. Note how the arc on the right side of the dial actually continues to the left side, and then each arc is brought to a stop shorter than the next one till it meets the base. Very very sexy lines. Even the sides and top match the rest of it, which is very uncommon. Here's the other one I bought by the way... should be in in a while: [IMG]http://www.radiomuseum.org/images/radio/admiral_continental/6a22_375494.jpg[/IMG]
Remodeled my 1950s red Wards radio. Pulled the fabric back, made some adjustments, and put the radio iteslf back in, minus the speaker with nicer looking (but still broken) tubes from the other radio. The blue light on all the tubes seen from the speaker hole is pretty cool.
Sorry for no pictures yet. Been real busy with work and the baby. Anyway, got my 6a22 in. The one that looks like it has a car grill on the front. It's very nice, and didn't require any paint. The bakelite polished up nicely and it's reflective and brand new looking. The radio did not work as they all do, but I managed to get two of the tubes to light eventually and it produces a loud grumbling hum, so I'm on to something. It basically needs those two tubes replaced because the vacuum seal is broken on them (they wiggle). After that, I'll have a working radio. The small white one still sits as I have not figured out what will be in it. My thoughts are on a mini-pc for my bedroom or just in general, turn it into a mini-pc with perhaps a 250gig hard drive or more and make it a media player of sorts. I'd be trying to keep the build at around $150 and the only access on the front will be one of the knobs replaced with a power button, and the back panel will have all the USB etc... I DO NOT want to drill or cut any holes in the front of it for USB or anything else. So if anyone has any ideas on how to build a cost-effective mini-pc, with a micro (I think they're called) board, I'd be super happy to hear it.
In the goad of being simple, the smallest radio is currently transforming into a modern MPs dock player, with classic roots. Only one speaker, a well weighted Sonfy SSF series, and a nice Sony dome tweeter. The tweeter will be mounted directly in front of the speaker and the whole thing is being loaded into an ABS enclosure surround that will seal the two air spaces indefinitly and mount it right behind the original speaker grille. This will be interesting... Pictures later tonight
So, started with the SSF cone, and made a small standing bracket for it out of ABS waffle-cone which is easily "welded" together with a soldering iron and a wide-junky tip. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110808_111825.jpg[/IMG] Then Built up the bracket to surround more of the speaker, bent the edges of the surround forward (to fit in the radio) and then cut those off later before assembly. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110808_111832.jpg[/IMG] Cut out a back from the ABS, and mounted some scrap pieces just for support, then attached the tweeter in the only place it would fit, tilted the whole bracket at an angle so both speakers would point at the sound hole. Mounted in the bakelite case this thing will sound clean, but due to the nature of the material, will still sound like an old radio - which may be kinda fun once the ipod dock setup is all done. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110808_113502.jpg[/IMG] Looks decent enough to work, still room to mount the small amp from whichever ipod radio I will butcher. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110808_114418.jpg[/IMG] Test fit with some cheap leftover screws, will be mounted solid with 4 later, maybe sanded and painted white, or bonded to the body of the rest of the radio completely. Looks good. [IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/serj22/IMG_20110808_115117.jpg[/IMG] Messed up and cracked in the bottom right a bit, but that won't matter in the final product.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.