Stromberg Carlson Console radio near completion

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Stromberg Carlson Radio
But for the application of the decals which are on their way, the radio is complete. However, the lights are on but nobody is home....the radio lights up but all I hear is a 60hz hum. Do I leave it as it is or do I have it repaired? I don't know. I am inclined to stop here rather than pursue getting the radio fixed although there is probably not a lot wrong with it. As it sits it looks pretty good.

What have I learned? Finishing an old radio takes a lot of time and patience. Gluing and clamping took about a week as I glued and clamped one section at a time. Stripping is very time consuming but sanding is relatively easy. Lacquer thinner calls for good ventilation! I tried not to work any more that 45 minutes at a time and I wore a mask all the time.

When I did the stripping I discovered that the veneer was quite light, which surprised me. I probably strayed from the original factory finish by using a walnut stain. But I think the staining adds a certain richness to the finish.

I put on a number of final lacquer coats using a satin spray lacquer and found that I did not need to do a lot of sanding between coats because it dried so quickly. The speaker cloth was a challenge but in the end I went to my local fabric store for something that I think represents the period. Sadly I could not find anything close to the original herringbone pattern of the radio speaker cloth.

Lots of fun and yes I have a 40s Westinghouse console that needs some TLC.

A final note. The radio is not a 662. 662 refers to the radio chassis model which I learned found its home in a number of SC radios of the time. What is the model name? I haven't a clue! Perhaps someone could tell me.

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