Valve Radio Restoration: AWA Radiolette

[Castaway]

I forgot to answer your reply - it does'nt take long for it to become an obsession. In my case that was 3 restorations now they follow me home. Another one today a HMV late 50s cabinet is junk but chassis is in good cond.

Your philips - could you tell me what is the model no ? I have not seen this one before. The cabinet is very similar to the 125. It also has the same colour style and it should come up very nice.
I wonder whether it has the same chassis but just a different dial drive. Incindentally
what did you finish the STC with - water based poly ? also the black.

Dont have the model number right now, but will get it to you soon. I think it would be the same chassis. As for the STC I did it in a everyday Wattyl Estopal brush on in Satin finish. Since I did the R27 in shellac I have now started my next project (Airzone Cub) in the same way, I like the ease of workability of shellac, very forgiving. The black on teh STC was a water based gloss black with a few coats of laquer to get the same sheen.

[Wood en I]

I must admit I have not had much experience using shellac. did buy some shellac a while back added Metho but could not get it disolve the shellac. I gave up and used a wood stain then applied a water based wipe on poly. have also used a spray gun to apply polyester all came out very nice. But I agree shellac is a great product and french polishers do some fantastic things with it I just do not know how to use it correctly. The phillips you own what do you think was the original timber finish.
timber stain and lacquer finish ??

[Castaway]

I must admit I have not had much experience using shellac. did buy some shellac a while back added Metho but could not get it disolve the shellac. I gave up and used a wood stain then applied a water based wipe on poly. have also used a spray gun to apply polyester all came out very nice. But I agree shellac is a great product and french polishers do some fantastic things with it I just do not know how to use it correctly. The phillips you own what do you think was the original timber finish.
timber stain and lacquer finish ??

The shellac is very easy to use, find yourself a good quality metho, you may find the metho you used was past its date or conatained too much water as I discovered on one of the treads here. Put some shellac in a screw top jar then add enough methoe to just cover the shellac. The shake the jar for a bit then let it sit then mix then rest until its all disolved. Thats the way I do it. Having it in the jar just makes it easy to keep without the metho evaporating. To apply dip a cotton rag in and then brush on to the surface making sure its even and with no runs. If your worried about runs dont put too much shellac on the rag. The more coats you put on the more careful you have to be about getting it on evenly. Thats my experience anyway. Wipe on poly is used the same way I think. Hav'nt used it but cant see how it would be different. I like the shellac as I can just make it up when I need it as well.

Not sure what the timber stain is yet but seeing as your set is in fair condition might not be a bad idea to hit it with a furniture polish first and see how that goes.

[hap97]

Check out this link to French Polish in the Wiki.
French Polish - Woodwork Forums - WoodiesWiki

Regards
Hap

[Wood en I]

Hi Castaway Sorry for the time it has taken me to respond to your post. Have been away.

Thank you for all the information. I think you hit the nail on the head in regards to the metho. I originally thought that it was the shellac flakes that were the problem. First chance I get I will practice on some scrap wood.

In regards to my Phillips 125 it is the only wooden cabinet in my radio collection. Unfortunately I don’t have the room for the wooden cabinets. This radio was bought as memory replacement for a radio that was stolen from my Mum and Dad some years ago who purchased it new in 1954. It was a very expensive radio in those days and it was Mum and Dad’s pride and joy. It was always kept in immaculate condition.


I will restore this sometime in the future. The wooden case itself is in quite good condition. The finish has been messed with but I would really like to bring this radio back to it’s original condition. However at this stage really all I am doing is finding out more about the radio for future restoration as at the moment I have a few other projects to complete. The radio is working but some of the repairs that have been done are not very neat, also has some other issues that need attention but these can wait till I do the whole thing.

[Wood en I]

Thank you for the link Hap, Sorry for the time it has taken me to respond to your post. Have been away. Lots of vaulable info I will make good use of it.

Cheers.

[Dengue]

ahhhh.... that brings back memories. I worked at the AWA factory in Ashfield in the 1960's as a trainee Engineer in their test department. I distinctly recall being given a radio that had no output sound, and was required to find the fault. What I didn't know was that on one of the valves, my senior colleagues had cut off the pins that gave the audio output, but left the power pins connected, so that to a mug learner like me there was nothing wrong with that valve, it was glowing perfectly

[Wood en I]

That was a bit of a nasty thing to do to you Jill, but I supose it makes one really think.

Funny in the sixties I would go past AWA every day on my motor cycle to work in the
city, I never ever realised what a truly amzing company AWA was untill now.

Watched a DVD called AWA during the war years - truly amazing it would or should make every Australian proud of the people that woked there.

Cheers

[Dengue]

Ashfield Park was named by Robert Campbell, whose father was the laird of Ashfield in Scotland. While never a noted industrial suburb, Ashfield has had a couple of important industries. On Parramatta Rd near Frederick St was the Australian Six motor car factory which opened in 1920. The site later became an AWA factory producing radio valves and other components. The site has since been turned into a marketable and suburban development.

[Castaway]

Hi Castaway Sorry for the time it has taken me to respond to your post. Have been away.

Thank you for all the information. I think you hit the nail on the head in regards to the metho. I originally thought that it was the shellac flakes that were the problem. First chance I get I will practice on some scrap wood.

In regards to my Phillips 125 it is the only wooden cabinet in my radio collection. Unfortunately I don’t have the room for the wooden cabinets. This radio was bought as memory replacement for a radio that was stolen from my Mum and Dad some years ago who purchased it new in 1954. It was a very expensive radio in those days and it was Mum and Dad’s pride and joy. It was always kept in immaculate condition.


I will restore this sometime in the future. The wooden case itself is in quite good condition. The finish has been messed with but I would really like to bring this radio back to it’s original condition. However at this stage really all I am doing is finding out more about the radio for future restoration as at the moment I have a few other projects to complete. The radio is working but some of the repairs that have been done are not very neat, also has some other issues that need attention but these can wait till I do the whole thing.

Finally got to my phillips, cant see a model number on it but will have a better look in the morning. I think that the original varnish was a cellulose based varnish, I think. I will let you know more about it in the morning. The brown I think is just a mission brown but again not 100%.

[Wood en I]

Found out a little more about the philips model 125 it is a super Hetrodyne reciever
according to the info I read the only other model that had the same chassis is the
philips model 140.
I will be going to my radio group metting tomorrow I will try and see what else I can find out, will also be on the lookout for some bits, and see what follows me home.

Cheers

[Castaway]

Found out a little more about the philips model 125 it is a super Hetrodyne reciever
according to the info I read the only other model that had the same chassis is the
philips model 140.
I will be going to my radio group metting tomorrow I will try and see what else I can find out, will also be on the lookout for some bits, and see what follows me home.

Cheers

So what followed you home this weekend. Anything interesting. I had a better look at my phillips and I think that the dark staining is either a walnut stain or its painted mission brown going to restore mine soon as I will be selling it, so will do some testing to see what it really is. Still cant find a model number on it.

[Wood en I]

I did not get a chance to find out anything in regards to the philips radios as I was a little late getting there. was a lot of stuff going at the auction, I bid on a AVO valve tester but it went to high.
However I did win a American Triplett 1503 valve tester in a lovley oak box. But I am still debating if I will restore this unit, it will require a lot of work.

Re: Philips one way to figure out model type is by valve type line up which can narrow it down quite a bit, but I must admit not a great deal of info on philips on the net.

[Castaway]

I did not get a chance to find out anything in regards to the philips radios as I was a little late getting there. was a lot of stuff going at the auction, I bid on a AVO valve tester but it went to high.
However I did win a American Triplett 1503 valve tester in a lovley oak box. But I am still debating if I will restore this unit, it will require a lot of work.

Re: Philips one way to figure out model type is by valve type line up which can narrow it down quite a bit, but I must admit not a great deal of info on philips on the net.

Which auction did you go to.

[Wood en I]

I am a member of the Historical Radio Society of Australia and we have 6 meetings per year. At these meetings members share their knowledge on various radios or other historic radios etc.

Members bring in radios, valves, electronics etc. - all stuff they no longer require which is auctioned off after the meetings.