Radioman\woodworking shop rebuild, pic heavy

[willy3486]

I thought I would post my shop. I have a 30x52 shop. Here is a little about it and myself. I am heavy into recycling and I built it from at least 5 buildings I demolished. The largest was at least 100x100. I wound up having around 2200 in it not counting labor. Anyway it has a concrete floor on the original 24x40 part. I then added a overhang of 6 feet on the back and then I added a 12 x30 foot section on the side. It has heat,concrete floor,insulation,water and electric. As far as myself I am a electrical/computer tech. When I was a teen and into my early twenties I got into old tube radios. I started collecting them and a lot of the old time "radiomen" as they were called when radios first came out were retiring. So I was able to get and save a lot of the old stuff. No one wanted the old manuals so I save a lot of them. I have thousands of old manuals. Some are extremely rare and may be the only copies around.

So here is my situation as it is now. In front of our house the state has taken over for a road widening project. We lost a big part of the front yard but not the house. But my BIL and MIL has to move,the BIL already has. So for the last couple of years I have been preparing for it. I have been clearing the land so we can move items into storage in a barn on the property. So I have let my shop go so to speak. Also after getting addicted to this site so to speak I have some new ideas. So I plan to do is to redo my shop in a few months. I have to get the MIL moved probably in the next few months and I can do a overhaul. So here are some pictures and such. If you have any suggestions of things to do I would like to hear them. I have got some great ideas from OccupantRJs post and also from bb767s rebuild of his shop. I have a few pictures to give you an idea.

Here is the outside of the shop. Overlook the mess as I have to clean it up from the new pup we have that has been messing things up. I hope to either locate me or make a sign for out front. I would love one of the old gas signs but I don't expect to get one due to price. I am thinking of fabricating one of my own and make a custom sign. I am thinking of putting it either in front of my door somewhere or to one of the corners. I also am hinking of putting lights on it to come on and shine in the yard.

Here is my electronics work area. Its about 6 feet long and piled up. I have some test instruments there somewhere. I had to just pile it up.

To give you an idea of the types of stuff I have in the garage here is a sample. These are manuals I have. This particular is the repair info on a buick car radio from the 30s . I also have many other types.

Here is some of the original chevrolet radio manuals from the 50s and 60s.

Here is a bookshelf I have full of books. They range from the 20s to today for the most part. Most are electrical in nature but I do have some auto and some woodworking as well.

This is looking from the front door to inside the shop. The cyclone dust collector I plan on moving it out at some point and to put it in the added section and put a more powerful motor on it.

This is a picture to the right when you are at the front door.

This section is down the hall as I call it. It is a small area behind the book shelf in the other area. I plan on putting wood trim at the top of the ceiling to help seal it where the tin and wood meet. I then plan on taking a lot of these old radios and mounting them at the top like i have done some already. To the left you don't see is books and tubes.

Here are a few old radios I restored years ago, can you spot the old 50s wonderbar radio?

And a few boxes of old radios I have yet to go through again. Yes thats a 60s factory chevy tape deck.

A look back towards the wall again. If you look closely you will see my latest project. I told the BIL to leave anything on his place he didn't want and I would get rid of it. I sanfordtized all of it. I got enough of the steel gas pipes to make a pipe along the wall from my car area to the work area these pictures are on to the side area where the tractor is. I have been wanting that for a long time.

This is my mobil drum. Its smaller than a 55 gallon one and makes a perfect trash can. IT had been my FIL who passed away and my MIL gave it to me when she found out I liked it so well.

This is my added area where I keep my tractor. I plan on moving my powermatic 18 inch planer in here about where the riding mower is. I am going to redo this area as well. I have a lot of stuff I need to take to the recycler.

And lastly for my auto area of my shop. This area is roughly 12x24. The woodworking/electrical repair is roughly 24x24. so it is kind of tight in here with the truck in. The old sign is from a old store I use to hang out and go to as a kidand then in my teens. I helped out a fellow haul some stuff to the trash and he gave it to me. No way I am getting rid if it, to many good memories of that place. You can see the pipe I put in for the air line. I have my compressor there as well. I hope to upgrade at some time. I may get a newer pump for the tank and put it on like others have here as well. The red box is my parts washer. I rebuild a lot of stuff so I redid this tank my dad had. After he passed away I saved it from the trash pile.

So that's my shop. Here are some of my plans. I plan on tomorrow to pull the AC out of the wall and replace with a new window I have. The AC works but the shop is too big for a 110 ac unit. I plan on getting a fan and use it at the window. I plan on putting the planer in the shops added section. I will pour a concrete pad for it. I may at a later time build a new shed for the tractor. I intend to ask the state if I can have the inlaws old barn that is to be removed. It will have to be torn down and will cost them otherwise. I also plan on some type of sign outside. I got bit by the sign bug after seening so many here with them. I intend or cleaning out,washing down and organizing it all. I am sorting out as I can now. I have boxes of hand tools,hammers,etc. I plan on making holders like occupantRJ and others have made and posted here. I want ot organize the power tools better. I have so many I have redone I need to figure out a good way to place them. I am thinking of stuff all the time to do to it. If anyone has any ideas it might be helpfull let me know. I am open to ideas and there are lots of good ones here. Sorry for the long post and many pictures but someone here might be into old tools and electronics so I thought I would post them. Thanks for looking.

 

[Call me the Breeze]

Good luck with the move of the MIL. It would be cool if the state would let you have their old barn.

 

[willy3486]

I am hoping they will let me have it. I can get it down quickly. I have torn down so many I have learned a lot of the ins and outs to do it. One of the lasts ones I could burn the waste. It didn't have any stuff you can't burn in it just old wood. I was able to start on one end and take off what I wanted. Then I just pulled the next section down on that area then the last on that area. I had it to cave in on itself so I had little to pickup. I am hoping a lot of the family will pitch in to help her move, the most will be on me since she is right here and moving to the other side of up. That makes it nice, I have a dirt road around the place I have set up so we don't have to get on the main road with stuff. So I will be glad when I am done. djdieter I sent you a message on the question you had. Send me a PM if it doesn't get to you or post here.

 

[sscustom]

looks good be even better when its done keep on goin

 

[toolchanger777]

Very cool. Love old audio equipment. Where is your garage located?

 

[willy3486]

Very cool. Love old audio equipment. Where is your garage located?

I am in Tennessee. I was able to put in my window today.I expected to get it in by lunch but it took all day. Its really nice but I will have to get use to it. I wasout there tonight some and it was kind of spooky. I caught my reflection in the glass a few times and thought someone was in there. Tomorrow we plan on digging up the last of the plants in our front yard tomorrow hopefully. I was out there today and saw two filing cabinets full of manuals I had forgot about. I had them covered up.

 

[willy3486]

I have been working in improvements into my shop as I am working to get things moved. I put in a window in my shop. I had a small AC unit in my wall that wasn't big enough to cool the shop. I never used it so I took it out. I had to take out the frame it was in and made a new one. I got one at a surplus place and I really like it. It added a lot of light room. I put along the back wall and it lets the air flow across from the window and door on the front. You can also see faintly the air line I put up. I ran a pipe across the back wall all along the wall. I have it up just below the window. Here it is in the wall.

 

[willy3486]

My latest update. I am almost finished with the move of the mother in law. I have the barn mostly cleaned up except for a few items the MIL wanted to leave for now. The state will not let me tear it down for the lumber. I even asked them is I could take about 4 feet off to be off the new property line. I think I could but the MIL said let them have it. I did get a few things from her. She has given me some tools my FIL had. She gave me a Craftsman 110 welder and a wire welder he had. She also gave me a old workbench that was used in a H.G. Hills supermarket. Its 6 feet long and has a lot of drawers that will be great for storage.

As far as the shop I insulated the ceiling. I filled it up so I hope that helps with the heating and cooling. I have old roofing tin on it for the ceiling. Its a great ceiling but not much for insulation. could feel the heat off of it in the summer and cold off it in the winter. I plan on putting a new wall up in my shop to spit the woodworking area and electronics area. In the electronics area I plan to make shelves for the 2x4 wall studs so I can store parts in them. On the woodworking side I plan to put up some used shelves and some pegboards I have to hold tools. I am planning to get back in electronic repair on the side again. Anyway that is the latest. I hope to be done with the wall next week as its only going to be about 16 feet wide and hopefully I can get the shelves up as well. Then I hope to get the tools all places and such. The BIL has to get some tools out of the basement the workbench is and then I can get it. My MIL is also giving me a radial saw as well and I can get it then as well.

 

[willy3486]

I split the main part of the shop into two pieces by adding a wall. I plan on using the wall side on the woodworking area to hold hand tools and some cabinets. The other side is in the electronics area. On that side I put up shelves on most of the walls. I have a lot of parts to put on the shelves. I also have a few parts cabinets to put in that area also.

Here is the shelves. I just have to clean up that area and put the stuff in the floor on the shelves.

Here is the wall with the paint on. I had almost a gallon of that color. Since most of my tools are from the 50s I thought this color would fit in.

Here is a couple of my tools against the wall. The old drill is a 30s walker turner I rebuilt. It works great. The sander is one I pieced together. The stand is the one I had my old scroll saw on before I sold the saw. It was a homemade stand, I saved it from going to the scrapper when I was cleaning my dads stuff after he died. The motor is from the 30s I think and it as a old delco motor. The sander itself is one the sander you could buy and add your own motor that you could get from the 60s and before. The motor was up in the inlaws barn and the sander was my father in laws as well. I still am figuring out where to put everything so the sander may move somewhere else. The drill I think I will leave there .

 

[theoldwizard1]

I just found this thread.

Where is the Tektronix 555 ? It will help heat the place in the winter !

 

[Stuart in MN]

Where is the Tektronix 555 ? It will help heat the place in the winter !

At my first job out of school we had four of those things in the lab...first thing we'd do on cold mornings was turn them on, and lean on them to warm up.

 

[oldgoaly]

I love old radios and such... I had most of my stuff in the basement, then my wife and boy moved everything to a out building, still need to set up repair bench reorganize things but it isn't too bad. Here is some pics of the radios.

 

[TONE]

Are those 24" Skyway mag wheels in the one picture?

 

[Coyote Red]

I love old radios and such... I had most of my stuff in the basement, then my wife and boy moved everything to a out building, still need to set up repair bench reorganize things but it isn't too bad. Here is some pics of the radios.

It's really cool all the different interests that come together on this forum.

Goaly, you might want to check out 98TJ's build thread for an interesting "radio" if you haven't already seen it.

 

[willy3486]

Oldgoaly you have some nice radios there. I spied a Charlie McCarthy radio,hallicrafters 38 and another model just to name a few. Is that a old Philco sign or light there I saw? I use to buy out anything dealing with radios I could find. But the odd thing is I never got advertising like signs and such. One thing I hope to find is one of the old signs used outside with the name of the shop. I don't care if its just the sign as long as the plastic is good, I could make a case for it. You probably have resources but if you need any pm me. I have tens of thousands of repair diagrams and service info.

As far as the skyway mags if you are refering to the photo up towards the top with the picture that has the green saw and dust collector in it the wheels are bandsaw wheels on my homemade bandsaw mill. It runs good but I just have to make the rails for it to ride on.

 

[Red Leader]

Oooh do I spy a 1950s Craftsman belt sander and a Delta 24" scroll saw with variable speed control???

 

[oldgoaly]

When I started buying old radios at auctions, the auctioneers saved the for me cause they didn't bring anything. One time I was a couple hundred feet from the truck and the Auctioneer says over the speaker "it's about time you got here the da*n truck is so full we can't move around. 30-40 radios of all styles 20-40's for 35$ such a deal! then it started going up and up. My wife and I were arguing how many radios I had, I thought 150-160, she said 300, well I counted 297....then she came home from an auction 3 more radios....... Well she was right, I admitted it, wish she would when she is wrong! tt

 

[willy3486]

Oooh do I spy a 1950s Craftsman belt sander and a Delta 24" scroll saw with variable speed control???

You talking about this one?

I got that one a while back. It runs good but it just has a weird size of belt, something like 27 inches. I need to find a place to custom order them.

If you are talking about this one its one of those sanders that reminds me of the old Johny Cash song about his Cadillac. The stand was homemade, I got it from the scraps at my parents house when my dad passed away. The actual sander my Mother in law gave me, it was my father in laws. The motor was also my father in laws. The motor is a old delco. This thing sands and works better than the new stuff out there. It came together great.

As far as the delta scroll saw goes I bought it and rebuilt it. The old stuff is workhorses . I had one of the newer dremel scroll saws but it wasn't that good. I put a add in the local craigslist type sites and a guy had it. Someone had taken a bolt and hammered it in to hold the head. I took that **** off and made a new lock for it. I found pictures then made the pieces for that.

As far as old tools I have a few. I have a powermatic tablesaw.powermatic 18 inch planer,walker turner drill,delta lathe and delta shaper. . I also as far as craftsman have a bandsaw and one of the 109 metal lathes. I also have a lot of hand power tools.


As far as Auctions I never had luck at them. I got into radios back in the late 70s early 80s. I got a lot at yard sales and junk stores. I think the highest I ever paid for a table top was five bucks and twenty five for the consoles. I had a old guy I had a deal with. I was going to school on electronics then. He had a second hand store and bought up lots of stuff in lots. I would look at his TVs in exchange for the old radios. Most of the TVs were junk but I would get one going every now and then. He made money off of them and I got the old parts from tvs,the old radios and the experience. People use to ask me how many I have and I use to say I quit counting at 150. At one time I had a lot more. But I sold some of them that didn't work and I didn't care much for. I probably had between 500 and 1000 if that includes the old transistor type.I have no idea.Now I am probably down to maybe 300.

 

[Red Leader]

You talking about this one?

I got that one a while back. It runs good but it just has a weird size of belt, something like 27 inches. I need to find a place to custom order them.

If you are talking about this one its one of those sanders that reminds me of the old Johny Cash song about his Cadillac. The stand was homemade, I got it from the scraps at my parents house when my dad passed away. The actual sander my Mother in law gave me, it was my father in laws. The motor was also my father in laws. The motor is a old delco. This thing sands and works better than the new stuff out there. It came together great.

As far as the delta scroll saw goes I bought it and rebuilt it. The old stuff is workhorses . I had one of the newer dremel scroll saws but it wasn't that good. I put a add in the local craigslist type sites and a guy had it. Someone had taken a bolt and hammered it in to hold the head. I took that **** off and made a new lock for it. I found pictures then made the pieces for that.

As far as old tools I have a few. I have a powermatic tablesaw.powermatic 18 inch planer,walker turner drill,delta lathe and delta shaper. . I also as far as craftsman have a bandsaw and one of the 109 metal lathes. I also have a lot of hand power tools.


As far as Auctions I never had luck at them. I got into radios back in the late 70s early 80s. I got a lot at yard sales and junk stores. I think the highest I ever paid for a table top was five bucks and twenty five for the consoles. I had a old guy I had a deal with. I was going to school on electronics then. He had a second hand store and bought up lots of stuff in lots. I would look at his TVs in exchange for the old radios. Most of the TVs were junk but I would get one going every now and then. He made money off of them and I got the old parts from tvs,the old radios and the experience. People use to ask me how many I have and I use to say I quit counting at 150. At one time I had a lot more. But I sold some of them that didn't work and I didn't care much for. I probably had between 500 and 1000 if that includes the old transistor type.I have no idea.Now I am probably down to maybe 300.

Powermatic 65, 66? Or one of the larger 12" models? Sounds like you have a VERY nice collection of old tools. We are kindred spirits My garage build has centered around old 1950s (and 1930s-1940s too, I'm not one to be discriminatory) power tools, with a slight emphasis on Craftsman tools.

That is a cool collection of radios you have. Here is mine:

By daveamy at 2011-08-01

By daveamy at 2011-08-01

1950s Crosley dashboard. How did I get it? Fellow Garage Journal member Wingnut65 (his build here) GAVE (I repeat, GAVE) this radio to me because he thought it would fit better with my build than what he was using it for. Kinda gives you hope for humanity, ya know, to know that there are still people like that out in the world

I hear you on the auctions - over on OWWM (Old Wood Working Machines forum), most of the guys who go to auctions to look at big power tools report the same thing - very, very high prices.

As far as radios go, I wouldn't mind picking up a few more, they are just so cool. There is an old Motorola I like (can't think of the model, reminds me of a '57 Chevy), and of course, Crosleys (like the E15). Similar to radios, I'd also like to pick up an old working wallbox (like a Seeburg or something similar) and get an adapter for it so it can play off of an ipod or memory card.

So far, really like your garage and what you've got. What would you say your long term plans are for it? Reorganization? New theme? Do tell

 

[willy3486]

As far as the powermatic tablesaw its either a 65 or 66. I do not remember which. As far as powermatic goes I live close to the original factory. I have a lot of family members that worked there and have access to some of the old info. I am a member over at OWWM but I don't go there much . All I use it for is the service manuals. One of the mods there jumped me at almost every post so I quit going. I was going to upload a lot of the older powermatic stuff I can get but will not now.

I let a wurlitzer wallbox in perfect shape get by me for 50 bucks once. As far as Seeburg jukeboxes goes I have two of them. Here they are
1939 seeburg

and a 1948 seeburg

As far as walboxes goes and a ipod don't forget about the speaker boxes. If you can luck up on one you could adapt it for a ipod. I would love to get some original speakers for my seeburg but I don't see putting that much money in one.

AS far as long range plans I am not like the majority here who work on cars. The older I get the less I like working on cars. I do like tools and such. What I am doing with my shop is to split the main area. I have two other areas in it. One for cars that I have a pit in it so I can drive over and work on cars and the other that has a dirt floor. I use that to house the planer and my tractor.

The area I am working on has my radio repair shop stuff and the woodworking area. The wall I put in does two things. It splits it in half to keep the two seperate so I can control the woodworking area dust. And the other is that it gives me another 32 feet of wall space inside. I have 16 feet of space on the radio side with new shelves and wall space for drawers and the woodworking side will have mostly tools hung on the wall. Occupant RJ here did some posts on tool holders he made and I want to do some similar as well. I have been saving all the nifty tool holder pictures people post to make my own. My plans are to get back into repairs on the side. My daughter is in college now so I have a lot more free time and I can used the extra I make to help pay the college. If you need info or diagrams on the radio let me know.

 

[Red Leader]

As far as the powermatic tablesaw its either a 65 or 66. I do not remember which. As far as powermatic goes I live close to the original factory. I have a lot of family members that worked there and have access to some of the old info. I am a member over at OWWM but I don't go there much . All I use it for is the service manuals. One of the mods there jumped me at almost every post so I quit going. I was going to upload a lot of the older powermatic stuff I can get but will not now.

I let a wurlitzer wallbox in perfect shape get by me for 50 bucks once. As far as Seeburg jukeboxes goes I have two of them. Here they are
1939 seeburg

and a 1948 seeburg

As far as walboxes goes and a ipod don't forget about the speaker boxes. If you can luck up on one you could adapt it for a ipod. I would love to get some original speakers for my seeburg but I don't see putting that much money in one.

AS far as long range plans I am not like the majority here who work on cars. The older I get the less I like working on cars. I do like tools and such. What I am doing with my shop is to split the main area. I have two other areas in it. One for cars that I have a pit in it so I can drive over and work on cars and the other that has a dirt floor. I use that to house the planer and my tractor.

The area I am working on has my radio repair shop stuff and the woodworking area. The wall I put in does two things. It splits it in half to keep the two seperate so I can control the woodworking area dust. And the other is that it gives me another 32 feet of wall space inside. I have 16 feet of space on the radio side with new shelves and wall space for drawers and the woodworking side will have mostly tools hung on the wall. Occupant RJ here did some posts on tool holders he made and I want to do some similar as well. I have been saving all the nifty tool holder pictures people post to make my own. My plans are to get back into repairs on the side. My daughter is in college now so I have a lot more free time and I can used the extra I make to help pay the college. If you need info or diagrams on the radio let me know.

Willy,

Have you seen the website www.cdadapter.com? They sell kits that couple to the wall box in the form of a ipod adapter or mp3 card reader adapter. Honestly, I think it is totally cool. Just can't afford the $200 asking price right now

Since you are a radioman, do you think a homebrew solution can be designed?

Btw that is a super nice collection of radios/jukeboxes you have.

Also, let me know if anyone 'round the area gets tired of looking at all that plain jane, regular, boring Powermatic machinery - I'm sure I can help them out with their problem

-RL

 

[willy3486]

Willy,

Have you seen the website www.cdadapter.com? They sell kits that couple to the wall box in the form of a ipod adapter or mp3 card reader adapter. Honestly, I think it is totally cool. Just can't afford the $200 asking price right now

Since you are a radioman, do you think a homebrew solution can be designed?

Btw that is a super nice collection of radios/jukeboxes you have.

Also, let me know if anyone 'round the area gets tired of looking at all that plain jane, regular, boring Powermatic machinery - I'm sure I can help them out with their problem


-RL

As far as the cdadapter site I believe I have seen it before. A homemade setup for a wallbox probably could be made at home. I worked in a amusement business for a while but that was way back in 86 so I don't remember what is in the wallboxes. I will have to look up in my books to see if I can find anything. If I remember mainly they are a selector. It might could be done. I got into computers in the late 80s for a living and got out of old radios around 94 so I am a little rusty on the tube stuff.

What I want to do is take a old touch screen point of sale computer I have and make a case for it. I want to make a case that looks like one of the late 40s/early 50s tabletop TVs for it. That way it will be portable. I am not really into gutting a complete radio and putting in a newer system. They loose all value. I have been in the radio business for way too long and seen that way too many times. A better solution would be to find a empty cabinet and retrofit a radio into it. I have seen radios worth hundreds and people gut them,get bored with the radio and then wind up lucky if they can get 25 bucks.

As far as powermatic stuff unless its the smaller items like the tablesaw or scroll saw their stuff is way to big for a hobbyist to me. My planer is a workhorse but its a huge 18 inch model. This thing weigh in as much as a car. I think for most the pre 60s Delta,Craftsman,Atlas type stuff is a better fit. I put out bids to move the planer and the lowest I got was about fifteen hundred bucks. I moved it myself. Keep a eye in classified places like cragislist. Or better yet put a ad there on exactly what you want. Old planers are dirt cheap these days. No one wants these big ones and businesses buy the wood already planed. Only people really interested in them are small production cabinet shops. My dad gave me the powermatics so I wouldn't part with them. Otherwise due to the size I probably would. Now if you can find one of the smaller,older 12 inch planers that would be the ones to have,

 

[flybefree]

Wow...that is some radio stuff dude...and some great old tools, I like!

Shaun

 

[willy3486]

Here is a few more pics. I put up some of my cabinets that holds bolts and a few shelves. I now have one area for bolts and there not all over the place. The stuff in the picture all piled up with stuff is the tablesaw,stove and my workbench.

Here s more of the new wall. I have the two drills on the end. The red cabinet is my drill bit cabinet. I really like it all sorted and right there. I have the peg board between the drills and bolts.

Here is thee back wall I have my bandsaw,mitre saw,scroll saw, and shaper there.
I put up a shelf on the wall I got from the road move. I had to take it down. I have a lot of my older tools on it. I still use them. I have more than these you see that are aluminum bodied power tools.

Here is the shelf in more detail. It was dark but hopefully you can see the tools. I have rebuilt most of them.

 

[jwillis]

Cool place. I used to have a Hallicrafters S-120 short wave radio when I was in high school back in the 60s. I traded it in for a Sonar Model E Citizens Band Radio. Eventually, I sold that, too. A few years ago I got on EBAY and bought another S-120. It still works pretty good, but I got a Yaesu short wave that is a lot better. But you really have a lot of nice radios. Take care.

 

[willy3486]

I got a lot more done this week. I was able to go through a lot of my parts and organize them. I also moved a lot more tubes over to the area where I have my tools. I also put a majority of my hand tools on my pegboard and the wall. I had a box 2x3x3 that was full of wires that I have been able to sort over half of them. Anyway if you are like me you enjoy seeing other shops so here is some new ones of mine.

Here is my some of my clamps.I use a piece of paneling and have a hole drilled in it. I can hang it on a screw on the wall.then just take the paneling with you to thee project with all the claps.

Here is the pegboard on the wall. I have my tools on the board now. You can see the clamps below. I also have some clamps to the left as well. I still have some holders to make for my pipe clamps and smaller c clamps.

Here is one with a few old tools I collected. I have a old saw for cutting trees at the top.

I needed a cabinet for larger drill bits. I had this old floppy drive case and mounted it under the red drill bits. I made a shelf and mounted it on the shelf.

Here is the right side of my shelf area. I moved some more tubes into the area on the shelves after it was taken, Before this weekend I could only go about half way in.

Here is some of the new shelves with parts. The shelf with the orange box is full of small capacitors. The only box that is not capacitors is the small resistor box on the left. I also mounted all my electronic plastic cabinets on the wall. I have almost all shelves full at this point.

Here is next weeks project. I plan to clean it up so I can start to fix stuff. All I like is this area and a little picking up and putting away in the woodworking area. I also have to move my new workbench and radial arm saw as well. I have a wood press I dreamed up last night in bed as I was half asleep. It just came to me so to say. I see a lot of radios that have some of the plywood coming off and warped. I can steam it and put it in the press and then just tighten the press so it compresses the plywood. I plan on trying this out on a old early 30s philco.

 

[willy3486]

Well for the most part the shop is done and I am starting to redo radios now. I have the workbench done and I still have a small mess there. I am thinking about redoing the bench and making a new one next spring. Maybe to look like a old shop. I have a few pictures of shops before 1960 to go by. Here is my bench , I have a small amp,a 40s trutone and a harmon Kardon a 300 amp I am restoring on it. The box on the wall is a old TV repairmans tube box and on the other wall is a early 50s tv plastic cover that went on the picture tube.

In this picture you can see the window I put in. The glass shelves I bought over the weekend for two bucks. I plan to put a few tube radios on it. To the left is a second tube box I had and a old Packard auto wiring tool box.

Here is the picture of my new workbench. It is on the other side of my shop. It came out of a old H.G. Hills store. Its probably made before 1950 and heavy as everything. It has lots of drawers and I have most filled with tools.

Here is a picture of the RAS my MIL gave me. It had been my FIL. She also gave me the workbench. To the left you can see the hammer rack I made to hold my hammers. I got the idea from some of OccupantRJs posts. IF you need to make holders check his out. I still have to find a place to put my mallets and to make a couple of holders for them. On the right in the other room the object that is shiny is my old stereo cabinet. I made it from some reclaimed lumber and a door from a 40s seeburg jukebox. I plan on moving into the shop when I get a few projects moved out.

A more direct shot of the hammer rack.

Here is a picture of the type of stuff I work on. I just went to a vintage Radio club over the weekend and bough these. I have so many radios I was only going to buy parts. But I was able to buy the three on the left for 5 bucks each and the one under the speaker for 20. I got the speaker for a buck at a yard sale going home. The little white heathkit works perfect and needs nothing .The Truetone was a basket case but I can get it going like new.

Here is what I found after I removed the mouse motel from the truetone.

This is what it looks like now. I have it apart and almost ready to put back together. The volume control was rusted and wouldn't turn. The tuning capacitor was rusted as well. Then the tod the pushbuttons turn was also rusted. I got some brake fluid and put on the shaft. I then used scotchbrite and cleaned it. I then put the brake on it again and used a soldering gun to heat the outside of the volume control and I tried to get the shaft to turn. After a few minutes the vise grips I had on the volume control would move. I got the volume control, tuner and the rod all to move. Now all I have to do is to clean them and remount them. I will have to replace the speaker but that won't be too much of a problem.

Well I hope you enjoyed my small overhaul. If you ever see the show Ricks restorations you get an idea of what I do to radios. The more of a basket case the more I like redoing them. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it.

 

[jeffmoss26]

This is a really cool thread and you have an awesome shop!

 

[BoostAddiction]

When I see threads like this, I wonder what will become of the stuff that was so lovingly accumulated over the years when the curator passes away. What are the odds that the heirs will want any of it, or be willing to store it in such a way that it does not deteriorate into mold, dust and iron oxide?

When a collection can't be monetized, my experience is that the next stop is the trash-especially when the collection occupies a significant amount of space.

But as a society, we lose a part of our heritage when the knowledge and experience of old stuff passes through the hands of the collector to the maw of the recycling yards.

Most people nowadays have never seen a tube, or even a discrete transistor, for that matter. Perhaps their lives are no worse for that, but sometimes I think that we are too willing to discard the old in the name of the new. Isn't there something to learn from the old ways- if only to put the present into perspective?

Of course, I'm not an acolyte of the Cult of Old Stuff- I have lived in old houses where there wasn't a right angle anywhere, and hated it. And I like technology, generally. I just think that sometimes there is something interesting, and worth saving, in some old things, if only for the enjoyment of the history of the objects, and the time that created them.

Does this collection represent the last cache of such stuff? I hope not, but I wonder what we lose when it disappears?

 

[willy3486]

thanks for the replies. As far as the old radios goes they are probably more popular than ever before. I got into them when no one wanted them. Then the 20s radios were thee hot ones,then the catilin radios were popular. Now the portable transistor radios have a following. As far as the hobby goes there is a group of 20 somethings who have found them. So there is a new generation that are into them now. As far as my daughter time will tell if she will be into them. she is going into electrical and mechanical engineering in college now so she may get into them at one point. But as far as they go they have been a good investment. The value has probably went up 100 fold since the 80s on most of what I have. I was buying cases of tubes then for what one tube sells for now.

Here is a few pictures to look at.

This is the radio that was all to pieces. The volume control,tuner ,and the shaft that the pushbuttons turn were all rusted up. I used brake fluid to loosen the rust off. I then cleaned and did repairs as needed. I got it to play great.

Here is the radio all together again.

I had it playing and listening to it this morning. It really has a good sound. I like this style and size the best.

Here is the shelf with some radios on it. I plan on putting radios all over the shop. I think I am going to get some shelving boards to put up some new shelves around my shop. I can put quite a few radios on a 8 ft board.

 

[willy3486]

Its been a while since I have posted new stuff. Here is a radio I just restored in my shop. I have had it for over 25 years and just got it going. I have so many that some like this were stored back.

One of the people I get parts gave me a rare TV banner from the early 50s. I had a old plastic surround from a TV of that era so I made this shadow box. The banner is at least 8 feet tall but due to its condition and lack of space I made this to protect it.

Here is a shelf I put up. I got two boards ten feet long. I have about twenty radios on it. It didn't make a dent in the ones I have packed up. I have so many I found some the other day and don't remember packing them away. I am making shelves along the top of my shop just to be able to store them.

Looking down the other way. The shelf is so long its hard to get them all in one shot.

I also made a screen door for the front. I use to go to one old shop to get help from a old guy who had a shop that had been a small store. You know the ones with a blue handle and the bread sign on the front. So I wanted one like that on mine. Being that original stuff is sometimes impossible to find and cost prohibitable if you do I made a door pull. The ones that use to be around here had the oversize chrome door handle mounted on a blue metal back. I had some stainless steel rod so I threaded one end. Then I bent it in my metal brake to make the classic shape. I then cut the other end the length the other side was and threaded it as well. I then drilled holes in the blue back and put nuts on it to hold. It really is nice to be able to open up the oversize handle by bumping into it if your hands are full. I use to have to put down what I had then open the door. It has that classic "slap " the old doors did. Here is a shot a few months back when we had snow.

I want to find or make a copy of one of the door pieces like the bread signs. But I want it to be a repair shop themed one. I saw this picture and I think I can fab one up.

One of the old shops I went to had some cardboard drawers for shelves you folded up. I worked at a place about 25 years ago that threw some out and I grabbed some. They are extremely brittle now but I wanted some more. So I took one that still had a good shape. I then laid it out on a piece of thin luan plywood and drew out a pattern on one side. The one I had was about two inches wide but I wanted four. So I did one side,moved it to 4 inches wide and drew the other side. I then cut the pattern out of the plywood. I now just lay it on cardboard,trace it out,cut and fold. I got some new IMac boxes at work. I can cut 4 out of each box, I have 38 pieces stacked up to be traced and cut. I trace each one and cut it out. It folds up great like that. I tried to lay a few on top of each other but they tend to slide and get off. Here is a picture of some folded up and the pattern.

Plans on the horizion I have are as follows. I plan on going to a ham show in a couple of weeks to see if I can find some goodies like advertising stuff and parts. I really don't want to get more radios. If I fixed one a week it would probably take five years at least to go through them. The big thing I plan to do is to take out my workbench and build a new one. I plan to make one on the style of the alemite auto benches of the 30s to 50s. I will make it a little different as I need a different style of bench. If I can find a old metal desk I can redesign it to work like I want. Well thats the latest for now.

 

[MBfreak]

Willy 3486
This is about the most fascinating thread I have seen on GJ. Great stuff.
I am into old radios too, and my education goes back to the time when vacuum tubes was the stuff to use.
I am a total amateur by your standards, and only have six old radios, that all work. But I try to help out repairing , and the oldest was a 1928 radio that was built from a kit by a locksmith. This was the time when capacitors were measured in cm ( centimetres according to an old definition) and triodes were all that existed . The tuning capacitor is a work of art. Ball bearings and gold plated sliding contact.

I have also repaired a heap of old car radios. The coolest circuit design was th capacitor-free output stage in a 1971 Corvett radio, the cutest was a transistor radio built in Germany around 1967 to match Ford Mustang factory color schemes.

I attach a photo of the 1928 radio.

Ola

 

[jeffmoss26]

Thanks for the update. So cool!

 

[willy3486]

Thanks folks for the nice comments. I didn't expect for anyone to get into my shop since it doesn't deal with auto related stuff. I have some auto stuff. The only reason I have so much radio stuff is because I got into so long ago when they were not many into them. I also have made my living in electronics and computers. I like that 1928 radio. I repaired a amp back at the end of the year . The guy I fixed it for had this radio and I knocked some off the repair bill . I wasn't looking for any more but it is a atwater kent from the late 20s. I had always wanted a AK radio and I had wanted a 20s tube radio as well. I had a 1930 RCA and a 20s crystal but no tube radio from then.

I plan on rebuilding it and make a new case similar to yours. I also plan to make a speaker cabinet if I don't find one. With this radio I now have a tube radio from each decade from the 20s to the 60s.


My next shop project is to build a new bench. I found a guy who has a old Dukane pa system that was in a school. It is mounted in a table and has sides that go up. If we can reach a price we both can agree on I will get it. The only thing is because its old I am afraid he will want a lot. The cabinet though is not valuable other than scrap value. There is no collectors market for these beasts. Its about 4 feet wide as a little over 2 feet deep. If I do get it I can gut it and fabricate a door where the radio was. The side going up I think I can fabricate shelves for my test items. So I hope we can reach a deal.

If anyone would like to see more pictures I have more on the web at http://community.webshots.com/user/willy3486
If you have questions on anything in the pictures let me know. I will post more when I get the bench started. I hope t get the one I found as It would take a lot less time than a scratch built one. I want to make one in similar style of the old alemite work stations.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I really like the work you do. I'm fascinated by old phones, sound equipment, electronics etc.
We had an old Dukane PA system at my college. It was from the late 60s-early 70s and built into a console/desk.

 

[flybefree]

Keep posting, I don't know anything about old radios but I like to learn.

Shaun

 

[willy3486]

Here is my latest rebuild for the shop. Its a old 1930s-1950s fan. It was used by my fil and it was in bad shape. I completely took it apart and cleaned it. I used the electrolitic rust removal described over at the stovebolt site.

Here is what it looked like.

and

I took it apart and it cleaned up really well. All I had to do was scrub a little with a scotchbrite pad as I was washing it off. Here is one of the parts, it was almost as clean as it had just been made. I really like that method, no sanding or dust. It had a better shine than what it looks like in the picture.

After all the parts are put together here is a couple of views.

And another side.

I plan on putting it on my new workbench. I plan on making something to the style of the old alemite workbenches but designed for a radio shop of the same time. I have some old national radio institute manuals from the study at home course. In the news letters there are shops in them each month. I have seen some in there and plan on something like that. The really fixed up shops had streamlined benches and work area. Most didn't but a few did.

I hope to be able to work some but I think some of my time will be ******* soon. The state is meeting with the MIL next week to buy her place for the road project. I expect for a month or so to be ******* with that moving plants and other stuff. Spring looks to be here so that will take some of my time as well. So hopefully I will get some shop time in. I do plan on clearing out and cleaning up my area in the shop where I have my tractor. I hope to get my planer wired in there and get some type of organiziation of my lumber in there as well. I also plan on cleaning the garage on the other side as well. I don't think that will take long though as there is not as much in there. I also cleaned it out a few years ago.

I am going to a hamfest next weekend so maybe I will find some good items to add to the shop. I have been told that sometimes there is some good picks at the hamfests as many that go are only into ham radios. I have a shop full of test equipment but I would love to pick up a signal generator and a signal tracer from the 40s. I would love to find a set from the National radio institute. One of the old TV guys I thought so much of gave me the books and he graduated twice from their schools, once on radios in the 40s and once on TVs in the early 70s.

 

[onething]

My Dad was a radioman in WWII and then the chief engineer at a radio station until '54 when he and a couple of guys built the first TV station in our area. The first time I burned my finger was on a soldering iron when I was 6 or 7 pulling parts out of an old chasis for him.
I just discovered your thread and it brings back lots of memories! Thank you for hanging onto the good old stuff and sharing with us. Please keep posting when you can.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Do you have pics of what these benches look like?

 

[willy3486]

Do you have pics of what these benches look like?

Onething, a lot of the old guys from WWII are the ones who helped me. A lot of them got into radio in the military and doing repairs there and then did it for a living. If you have any pictures of his benches or setups ,post them . I would love to see them.



The alemite bench has a good post on here at http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38602

The poly on that page is similar to what I want to do. I want a main bench like it has and then under the bench area I want it open,the alemites have storage cabinets. In the center area of the workbench above the work area I want to put adjustable shelves. I want to make cabinets on each side like it has but I want a drawer that slides out in the bottom of each. So I can put a computer on one side and a printer on the other. That way I can leave them out of view when I am not using them. I also want to mount a hidden keyboard drawer I have in the center. Then the top area would be shelves to store items.

If you are taking about the radio workbenches that are original I do have pictures I have saved. I just have to scan them. I have to set up my scanner as I moved it out to my shop. I will try to post them as soon as I find some in my books and magazines similar to what I want.