Howdy,
I'm trying to find some high-resolution, true-color photos of a Radiola 44 main escutcheon so I can restore my, apparently, dull piece properly.
I'd even visit someone around Oregon who has a museum, "mint" quality 44.
I'd just really like to know what it's really supposed to look like in all its glory.
Thanks.

Until someone posts an original, here's mine:

Where are my sunglasses?

I can post a photo later this afternoon when I get home.

Very funny, Alan - take this!

Is that a Henny Youngman joke? Take this radio -- please!

Anyhow, here's my (untouched, as far as I know) 44:"in person" there's a slight gold color in some areas. I could drag the radio into the sunlight but at the moment it's in a dark room so I used the flash.

Perhaps mine is not as bad as I thought. Still would like to know what this really looked like in 1929. Also am interested in TECHNIQUES to return it to that state.
I have questions such as "What's it made of?" "Should it be shiny?" "Should the yellow be a metallic gold?" "Should I dare do anything other than lightly clean it?" "Can I buy a like-new old piece."

This is my first pre-1930 radio restoration and my first Radiola, and it seems to have potential to be restored to showroom floor condition; the box is practically perfect.
I'll have lots more questions; will post as separate topics.

Thanks,
Ed

I think yours is essentially perfect as it is.

Like, "Why does the tuning condenser rotor plate rub on the stator? Or, "The volume control is all rusted"

Common problems for a 44 that has its entire tuner section mounted in a cast pot-metal base, that has now warped and bound the variable condenser. Also common for the volume control to rust and have an open winding. Oh, the radio uses a high impedance speaker either a horn or a cone, 1000 ohms is good...

Chas

I would hedge my bets that the coloring detail on that dial is pigmented, hand applied lacquer. That was one of the main methods of coloring artistic metalwork on radio escutcheons, lamps, cigar boxes, etc. It's translucent enough that it still shows the look of the metal underneath, with the color not being too faint either.

Originally, the colors would have been strong, but not bright and NOT opaque.
Krylon's "Stained Glass Paint" would be good to use in this case.

As far as the metal finish, I'd say something "bright and satin-y" would be very safe.

The escutcheon is metal?
I haven't probed it much, so you could easily fool me, but it appears to be cast from some plastic/plaster material.

I've already seen the tuning condenser defect and been researching methods used to remedy it; most entail shaving, planing or milling back to a level bed, or simply repositioning the screw holes (which I don't like so much). I like to learn about everyone else's mistakes or solutions before turning a screw; I'm too afraid of hurting something that's made it all these decades intact only for me to mangle it.
I'm HOPING that the condenser warping is what took the radio out of service so many decades ago and the radio might be otherwise good (except caps, of course).
The rheostat is, as you predicted, rusty but electrically intact. I probably would have rewound it if needed.
I have the original speaker in perfect condition.
At $50 for the set I thought I'd take the opportunity to work my way back into radio history. My first TRF, actually. Discovering details about both circuits and history; fun stuff.

As far as I know, the escutcheon is molded repwood. In other words, wood pulp and binder molded into a shape.

-Steve

A solution I have seen published by other ARF members (more than one) is to "egg" out the stator mounting holes and lightly ream the tuner shaft to reduce binding. That allows repositioning of the stator segments, which, for most of the RCA trf's of this era has to be done to achieve some sort of tracking for good sensitivity across the band...

The power pack is a triumph of good RCA engineering. Check only for open resistors and operate the set. Keep a careful watch on the total current B+ flow for the first 1/2 hour. If there are any capacitor problems they will show up at that time, however, this is very unlikely. The potted unit have quality wax paper capacitors that are know to pass the test of time. FWIW Do NOT shotgun the filter pack, unless your into personal punishment. If it does prove to have a problem finding a complete power pack would be a better choice than prying open and extracting the caps from the tar.



Well yes and um... The RCA tapestry model 103 was commonly paired with the 44, however, it could have been a buyers choice that many years ago. The whiskey colored grill cloth is the OEM for the speaker you have, a model 100. The floral tapestry print does look nice on it though.

G.L.

Chas

Seems a lot of these old RCA , Radiola , radios showing up , MY question is , Is there someone or someplace that has a list of each Model and what Speakers will work with them ?

Possibly not,, however, look for the ads for the radios, most are married to one of the four magnetic cone models and the two floor models that are AC powered F/C speakers. The is also at least four horn models that include the Vocarola. Generally, the horns are with the battery era radios. Though the impedances vary somewhat, the radios are configured for 1000 ohm impedance load either from a speaker or headphone. If it sees 500-2500 ohms it really won't matter much.

I used to run my Radiola 60 into an "Air Chrome" linen diaphragm speaker. Somewhere around 1500 ohms. Outstanding volume and some fidelity...

Later, I used a Burns Pyralin horn speaker. Looks great, sounds like crap...

Note, most of these early AC model RCA's have residual hum. Configuring a speaker that can reproduce 120 hz and lower will be disappointing.

YMMV

Chas

I'm not sure the speaker was originally paired or even contemporary with the Radiola, but it was with it in storage for decades.
I've seen this full-face floral pattern in pictures so I presumed it came from RCA, but I also have mostly seen the plain light brown cloth.

The enclosure is not a perfect 100%, but the speaker is 99.99% with a 2mm tear that I'll probably fix with H2O, massaging the fibers back together (worked a few times before, anyway).

Do the repair with a little PVA glue slightly diluted. Then the repair will hold up. On these pin drive speakers there is very little cone movement so a minimal tear is really of no significance.

I'm deep into a Zenith 53 and have been for many weeks. It was a basket case of four different radios. I've challenged myself to put a new chamois surround on the dynamic speaker. At the moment, I'm working on the "Automatic" tuner mechanism. I'll tackle the speaker in a week or so...

FYI In A. Ghiradi's Radio Troubleshoots Manual 1943, states the remedy for the growing base on the 46 (44) is to enlarge the stator mounting holes. The problem of the RCA pot-metal in the 44 has been going on at least since WWII.

Chas

1. I'll experiment with some dilute Elmer's and old speaker paper I have. What do you think about generic PVA white glue (like Elmer's) vs. the Archival quality PVA?
2. Good luck on the speaker chamois. Non-trivial planning & procedures to work out. And patience. I've repaired & replaced newer speaker cones, and the trickiest part was keeping it perfectly centered while attaching.
3. Good, I guess, to hear that the 1943 book describes the problem and the same fix that's in vogue now. Explains why this Radiola was put away not too long after that time, and give me hope that interstage transformers and such hard-to-replace parts are OK.
BTW, do you have a link to that manual?

All PVA glue is archival, in the sense that it contains no acids to deteriorate paper.

I don't have an exact release date for the 100 speaker but its design patent was filed on Nov. 14, 1925. The 44 dates from May 1929. It's certainly possible that the buyer liked the 100 more than the newer 103, or simply got a better deal at the time, but RCA advertised the 103 with the 44, so that's what collectors normally follow. Both use repwood parts also.

There is no link, the manual is in my library as a hard copy.

Chas