Can anyone tell me which vintage tube radios (pre-50's) generally are the best to restore as far as quality of parts, ease or restoring, schematic availability, parts availability. I have restored some zeniths in the past and consider them junk due to 1. Their use of rubber coated wires in the 40's 2. birds nest wiring 3. Use of odd and confusing parts like Micramold resistors and caps 4. Their use of proprietary parts like their multi-tap 1/16" shaft volume controls. Seems like Atwaters are really quality sets.

:Can anyone tell me which vintage tube radios (pre-50's) generally are the best to restore as far as quality of parts, ease or restoring, schematic availability, parts availability. I have restored some zeniths in the past and consider them junk due to 1. Their use of rubber coated wires in the 40's 2. birds nest wiring 3. Use of odd and confusing parts like Micramold resistors and caps 4. Their use of proprietary parts like their multi-tap 1/16" shaft volume controls. Seems like Atwaters are really quality sets.

Jim, I think it depends on your purpose for restoring. I personally like to work on radios from the late 30's thru mid-50's. Just for the joy and what I learn each time a chassis is set on the bench. Unless I'm sure I can get the missing knob, cabinet part, etc, and without spending lots $$ I no longer will start work. I do believe in the "count the cost" admonition...older now a tad smarter. As for as radios being an investment I don't see it as wise. However, if one does feel they are then go for the highly collectible high dollar ones as is generally the advice given with other types of collections. Radios with quality parts vary tremendously. Micramold gets a bad rap. Proprietary parts...you got to make some money. To adjust the fuel mixture screw on the newer Troybilt blowers you got to get a special tool. I think the best radios to restore are any you can handle including the aggravations. Check out Antique Radio Forum for Leigh's perspective on Atwater. Lots of others here will probably have some input.

Bill VA

Zenith is a fine brand. Most radios from the late 1930s and 1940s use rubber wiring. You just leave it alone unless it's falling apart. Then AES and Radio Daze sell nice cloth covered push-back wire, which looks fine. If you need a specific color, go for white. Soak it with the dye you require and let it dry. Then soak it in wax if you wish for the dye to be somewhat waterproof.

Regarding micamolds, I almost never have trouble with them. They should be tested and then left alone unless they are causing trouble. Then, the values are readily available in the schematics. Zenith sets have some of the highest quality reception and performance in my opinion. Their high fidelity sets (not to be confused with Philco high fidelity) have amazing tone and bass. I love the tone controls....forgot what they're called....something to do with an organ.

Regarding bird's nest wiring, the Zeniths I own all have orderly wiring. I guess it depends on what year you are working with, etc. Philco is also an excellent brand, though some of their sets can be bird's nests, too. Most of the more promenant brands are pretty nice. RCA, I find, can be rather cheap, using extra tubes where a multi-purpose would have worked well, but skimping where push-pull would have been rather nice. Who makes a consol without push-pull???? They did! They made plenty without push-pull. Still, most of their radios, with or without push-pull, will impress quite a bit.

T.

:Can anyone tell me which vintage tube radios (pre-50's) generally are the best to restore as far as quality of parts, ease or restoring, schematic availability, parts availability. I have restored some zeniths in the past and consider them junk due to 1. Their use of rubber coated wires in the 40's 2. birds nest wiring 3. Use of odd and confusing parts like Micramold resistors and caps 4. Their use of proprietary parts like their multi-tap 1/16" shaft volume controls. Seems like Atwaters are really quality sets.

Hi Jim,
The best radio to restore depends on what you eant from your repair experience and how much time you have to put in it.

If you want a fast easy fix, I recommend any AA5 AC/DC set. They are simple. Choose one form the 40's or early 50's, prefrrably on that has screwdriver tuned IFs, not slug tuned IFs. But do not turn them.
Re-cap it, replace a tube or two, and a radio that had been dead for decades comes to life. It great!
However, what you have may be pretty worthless. Even your most ardent fan of Rush Limbaugh will still want to have FM from time to time for music. People will only want an AM only radio if it looks good, so choosing a radio based on eshetic appeal is important. That 'Rush' fan my do without FM if the radio looks cool.
You may want to consider vintage AM/FM. These are common in the 1950's. Once restored it will work with today's FM. It won't have stero or AFC, but it will have the high fidelity of tubes. The down side is complexity, and silver mica disease. I can say that AM/FM radios are at least twice as complicated as AM radios. This is twice as many things to go wrong. Almost all of these radios are susceptible to Silver Mica disease, which is miserable to manage.
A good choice for restoration are wooden or bakelite radios from the 1930's. They were often excellently styled. Restoration is almost as strait forward as an AC/DC set. There is a little more there, which keeps it from getting boring, such as eye tubes, push buttons, and last but certainly not least, motorized dials. However wooden radios usually require wood repair or refinishing. Bakelite usually just needs polishing, but if you crack it, it is cracked forever.
When complete, such radios are impressive works of art. They have no FM, but they usually have short wave. Short wave can be interesting.
Anything made before 1930 can be a real headach, I have found. It took me years to recover from that Radiola 17. (groan)
As for brands I mainly have done Zenith and Wards-Airline. These are fine. Recently I took on my first Philco and was surprised at the quality. Philco marketed as low cost, so I expected junk. As it turned out construction quality was good, although they had left things out.

One last thing I have notice is that if the radio was well liked and prized when it was new, it is worth the trouble of restoration.

All the Best,

Bill Grimm