As Isaias raged outside, I finished the electrical repair and modification of the Zenith radio I got locally a week ago Thursday. Power went out just as I finished my last solder connection.
Need to make a new back and get proper knobs to replace those God-awful things on there now.
For those interested, the modification was to add a power resistor to the chassis to lower modern AC voltage to the ~115 VAC the radio was designed for. I also added an inrush current limiter to minimize stress on components (mainly the power transformer) upon power-up.
Yes, I have a schematic and also what the factory-specified test voltages should be at various points in the circuit. Using those and my tube tester, I was able to verify an internal short in the rectifier tube, which can be replaced with two modern silicon diodes and a resistor, and are installed in the old tube base. The radio fired right up after this, even at about 4-6 volts over spec. The prior owner had given up after replacing the capacitors and an owner before him had replaced one of the tube sockets. So I had to check the wiring and replace out-of-tolerance resistors (which was most of them). The only lingering issue is one of the four preset tuners doesn't work. I know what's wrong, but the risk of breaking it worse during repair is high, so I figured the better part of valor was to leave it alone.
I also did some repair to the cabinet as it had a nasty crack across the bottom and just below the beehive.
So, the originality ship sailed long ago; it's just nice to save something 80+ years old from an uncertain fate and get it working again.
A regulated power supply will to what you want, as long as it can be adjusted to the lower voltage.
Here is a discussion of changing the output voltage of an APC UPS:
https://www.apc.com/us/en/faqs/FA161943/
Sorry to say, but that isnt anything special. Light dity only, fairly flimsy.
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Sorry to say, but that isnt anything special. Light duty only, fairly flimsy.

No, the correct knobs ooze more Art Deco. The present knobs look more 1950s-ish to me.Are those not original? They look era-correct to me.
No worries. Basically you need to know what the current draw of the device is. You can use a clamp ammeter or the rating on the back panel, if present.Hi again Tym. Apologies I wasn't clear about my ask - I was looking for the Schematic and Parts list for the Modification for the resistor and inrush current limiter addition. - I could see potentially making this a stand alone unit for several pieces (to be shared) since I would only run one at a time...
The color combo is the same as Rem-Line, but the handles are knobs instead. Is that what you are thinking of?
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Nice haul for a guy that was lamenting no Wright finds just this morning. You have to like that stylish Barcalo adjustable. No sale finds for me but I did receive a care package from Tennessee. A WW2 1944 wire cutter from HK Porter, an excellent Thorsen DOE set, a Plomb chisel, a mysterious 10mm plain finish S-K combo and an even more mysterious repack wrench for my cosmoline box.I couldn't spend another minute locked in my secret COVID hideaway today so I went to a used tool store and came away with a few good bits. Barcalo 12” adjustable. Wright 52+ short 1/2” extension. P&C WF-17. 7 sockets including a S-K, Bonney, Williams, Wards Master Quality, and Blackhawk, and Firestone.
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Bill
I wonder what special purpose that tool was designed for?
Good summary, Jock. The WWII GMTK had four (4) chisels. Two cold chisels (1/2 cut - 6" OAL; 3/4" cut - 8" OAL), a cape chisel (1/4" cut - 7" OAL), and a diamond point chisel (3/8" cut - 6" OAL). Two points to make out of all this relative to Don's half-round nose... One is, see why I still carry my own pocket guide with me? It's enough to make your head hurt keeping those straight from memory! Two is, I admit to having snuck a half-round nose chisel into a few of my GMTK's over the years, precisely because they look like (an essentially are) a cape chisel, and because it's hard enough to get the 4-chisel set just right.That is a "round nose" chisel, according to the catalog. It has the form of a Cape chisel, with the cutting edge rounded on the bottom. It is intended to gouge a round-bottom channel.
A Cape chisel has a straight edge that is centered. It is sort of a narrow, heavy-duty cold chisel. Another version with the same form is a Diamond chisel, which cuts a V-groove.
The color combo is the same as Rem-Line, but the handles are knobs instead. Is that what you are thinking of?
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This is an 83-1/2, Shifty. And it's got all kinds of problems beyond a questionably original screw. It may be broken, the swivel base is split, the swivel lock handle is bent, and the slide is rusted frozen. As I said, free, and probably an ornament or parts. More of a curiosity. Additional photos will have to wait. I posted that from work. I'm home now and no power here.
I was thinking Jules Verne. Free up the slide, stick a feeler gauge mast (with unfurled blade sails) in the jaws. The spindle is the prop. The Nina, the Pinta, and the Sci-Fi Santa Parkeria.That "streamliner 83-1/2 " maybe a repurposed candidate for light duty bookends.


Nice! I hit up a farm estate auction on a Wednesday night.I hit a farm estate sale this AM, spending about $40:
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A bunch of misc. US sockets - Snap-on, Plomb, SK, Craftsman, Indestro, Thorsen, P&C and so on. Proto 5450 ratchet, Indestro Ratchet (needs selector) and a WardsMaster set, missing the breaker bar and a couple sockets, but the tommy bar was there... And this was included:
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A 20" Kennedy roller. It looks much worse than it is, as the drawers all slide well. Mostly it is just dirty, and it looks horrible as it was out in the rain. Inside I found a Thosrsen ratchet, a small lectrolite DBE and a SK wayne driver. Along with some decent hardware, and a lot of garbage.
















I hit a farm estate sale this AM, spending about $40:
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A bunch of misc. US sockets - Snap-on, Plomb, SK, Craftsman, Indestro, Thorsen, P&C and so on. Proto 5450 ratchet, Indestro Ratchet (needs selector) and a WardsMaster set, missing the breaker bar and a couple sockets, but the tommy bar was there... And this was included:
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A 20" Kennedy roller. It looks much worse than it is, as the drawers all slide well. Mostly it is just dirty, and it looks horrible as it was out in the rain. Inside I found a Thosrsen ratchet, a small lectrolite DBE and a SK wayne driver. Along with some decent hardware, and a lot of garbage.


They are somewhat common around here but Covid has pushed all the auctions into a shorter window this year requiring more auctions per week (my opinion). Weekday auctions usually do not have the turn out as weekend auctions do and can get some buys.Nice haul, Roy. I assume Wednesday night sales are rare in SD? I’ve never seen one in OH. Every auction here seems to go way high in my opinion.
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Thanks. It does have some rash on the one side but it is a good replacement for the the one that went your way.That is the older model! No sticker on it but for $25 you ****!
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Nice hauls, beemer and Roy! You both ****!
I went to two sales today and came away with just a single ball peen hammer--but I like it! It's a 16 oz PLUMB. I did some research but can't find any definitive info on age--just that Plumb started using their name inside the rectangle in 1917 and stopped in the '80s. I've seen photos of the mark 90 degrees off from mine but don't know if that's an indication of when it was made. I've also seen the weight stamped along with the logo and assume those are later than mine. The handle seems original as does the steel wedge. No "Permabond" over the wedge so that places it prior to 1955 and since the wedge is not a screw type that pushes it back an unspecified "many years" prior to 1955. I'm getting all this info from YesterYearsTools.com.
If anyone has any more definitive info, I'd like to hear it! Thanks!
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