Lost Treasures (was: Cray-1)

From: Charles E. Fox <foxvideo_at_wincom.net>
Date: Thu Apr 30 11:16:18 1998

At 08:16 AM 4/30/98 -0700, you wrote:
>> > >> Is the reason those old radio/phonograph boxes are not being thrown
>> > >> away is that noone notice the cover and thinks it's just a pretty
>> > >> dresser w/o drawers :)? Also hideaway sewing machines.
>
>As a collector of old radios from the 20s and 30s, I too have seen several
>beautiful old cabinets gutted and transformed into things like wine bottle
>holders.
>
>Our most recent find in this area was a King Radio cabinet, a 20s classic,
>with labelling still intact. The hinged top had been screwed down, the
>finish stripped, and the handles replaced by gaudy 70s wrought-iron ones.
>The interior had been made into a wine rack.
>
>I was able to un-fasten the lid, remove the "wine rack" bits, and with a
>little more work the cabinet now holds an Atwater-Kent model 10-B
>breadboard radio from 1923.
>
>It's nice to put these "modernizations" right when possible.
>
>Kevin
>
>--
>Kevin McQuiggin VE7ZD
>mcquiggi_at_sfu.ca
>
>
        Having been in the radio repair business back in the '40s and '50s, I had
many of those old relics dumped on my bench. The biggest problem was the
genuine rubber coated wire in the days before plastic. It would get brittle
and crumble off the conductor which, combined with the voltage used in
those days, resulted in some rather spectacular activity. Personally I was
happy when the owners decided to convert them to liquor cabinets.

                                                        Cheers

                                                        Charlie Fox
Received on Thu Apr 30 1998 - 11:16:18 BST