The 1940 Hallicrafters radio restoration project has already been quite interesting. Like an old motorcycle, old radios were often modified by their owners, and this radio was no different. The toggle switch at the upper right of the radio was added at some point. Other wiring modifications were made to the rear of the chassis. The radio case can no longer be considered “original”, but that now frees me to repaint the unit. I’ve ordered a set of reproduction lettering for this exact unit, and will sand, prime and repaint the unit in the original color. The hole that was drilled in the case for the non-original toggle switch will be filled with an epoxy to return the case to its original appearance.
I’ve already ordered 77 new parts so far, including modern replacements for the ancient electrolytic and paper capacitors. I’ve ordered replacements for all 9 tubes, although many of the originals are still likely to be good. The tubes were inexpensive. The tube in the picture below is a full-wave rectifier. Even the 4 rubber feet are being replaced since the originals are as hard as a rock.
The wiring will be corrected to match the schematic using period-correct cloth-insulated solid wire. I’ve noticed tiny hand-written paper tags on many of the wires from the original owner. That adds a bit of charm, so I will retain those tags.
The chassis was quite dusty, so I removed as much dust as I could with compressed air. I’ll clean the chassis with a small brush, which will be tedious work. I’d like to avoid touching the dial cords and pulleys as much as possible. The dial faces are made of phenolic resin, which oxidizes and reacts to UV light, turning an orange-brown over time. I have cleaned the dial faces and will retain the originals.
The work on the chassis and the replacement of the electrical components will begin in early December.
