Just got this done and figured I’d post the journey of restoring my ‘36 Zenith 9S55.... picked the radio up earlier this spring and got the cabinet done right away before the heat and humidity set in for the summer... spent the summer doing all the family stuff and then started on the chassis a month or so ago... just got it back in the cabinet and playing beautifully off the transmitter... happy thanksgiving to all!!

Here is what I started with when I went to pick it up...

Got the cabinet stripped and had to replace all the horizontally striped vertical veneer on the outer edges... then got it sanded, grain filled and sealed...

Then on to the toning...

Then got the clear sprayed and got the dial escutcheon and cloth in...

Then onto the chassis... had to send the speaker to Nick Dorazio at The Speaker Shop in Florida to rewind the field coil and recone it... turned out amazing and sounds beautiful. Thanks to Nick!! The chassis was complete and just needed a good cleaning. Then onto the basic recap and alignment. The dial was in great shape and still has good color for 84 years old... the green is a little faded but still has a green tint to it... it was still bright green on the back side so maybe this is the hue that was there originally... also made sure to install the dial lamp shades and installed the correct #40 bulbs so that there wasn’t too much heat...

Got the chassis installed yesterday and had it playing all night... sounds great and has great tone and volume... very sensitive and got all the local stations before I even got an antenna wire hooked up... definitely a stately model, tall and lean...

Hopefully someone here knows how to rotate all these pics. When I posted them all on my phone they where all right side up and then when I went on the computer they are all sideways...

Wow -- Great job . Looks terrific.

Whether the photos are oriented right or sideways can depend on your device and your browser. All of your photos are oriented correctly on this tablet I'm using.

Your radio is amazing! Incredibly well-done job on the whole thing! Looks fantastic!

A stunning job! Thanks for the full process, I really enjoy seeing a person's work.

Thanks,

I told Troy privately, and I'll tell him again in public. That is a great looking restoration and a beautiful model Zenith with some fine lines.

Let me know if you would like me to take a stab at turning a walnut tuning knob.

Very Nice!
Beautiful restoration job.

Very nice job !

Very nice!! Another ‘36 Zenith I’d be happy own! I have nice original finish 5 tube and 6 tube ‘36 Zenith consoles. This would be a good fit!

Very nice cabinet design. A design I had not noticed before. Great refinish.

You did an outstanding job. Every one of those 9S-55 I've seen have outstanding veneer on the front panel.

I can't add much to all the other comments.. A VERY good restoration
You have to be proud of this one
Dan in Calgary

Very nice job and one of my favorite consoles. I love that skyscraper look. I had to rewind the field coil on my speaker as well when I found mine. Unfortunately the dial belt recently broke and I need to pull the chassis to fix it.

AMEN

Beautiful job. I have always loved that set and the first time I saw one, was surprised at how small it is. Great job!