Airline Farm Radio Model 04WG-468 Episode #1 - Let the cleansing begin

This video is about Montgomery Ward Airline Farm Radio 04WG-468 Episode #1 - Let the cleansing begin

[oldgoat]

Hi Ron, rubber covered came out in the 30's, I had an RCA 87K radio that was loaded with rubber covered wire, that radio was made in 1938.
Nice job Ron.
That power supply looks like it will be great!

[LarryDeSilva]

True I replace wires in Old Radios but, sometimes I don't and just paint them with Liquid insulation especially if the wires are hard to get to. The cloth covered wire does suck it up pretty well. That sonic cleaner and the evapo-rust does a great job on those parts. Thanks for sharing Ron.

[OlegKostoglatov]

The battery sockets on that strip of wood will be very useful in connecting a battery eliminator to one of those sets, allowing one to use the original battery plugs rather then some other connector.

[joernone]

Ron,
Splendid, young fella. Nicely done thus far.
Regards,
John

[OlegKostoglatov]

It's a 1940 model, built by Wells Gardner. Montgomery Ward had a Model number code at that time that told you the year and the manufacturer of a radio, or T.V, chassis. The first two digits is the year, but reversed, so 04 is 1940, 14 would be 1941, and 93 would be 1939. the WG stands for Wells Gardner, BR would be Belmont Radio and Television. Rubber/gutta percha covered wire is all too common in radios from about 1939 through 42, early 40s Philcos and Zeniths are chalk full of the stuff, the 39 Philco even used it on the power transformers. I think it was a cost cutting measure, Grigsby Grunow and Atwater Kent were using yards of it years earlier. On the antenna leads it doesn't really matter, but if it's in the battery cables, and the speaker cable, then replacement is the only way really.

[jimkodysz]

You got a good start on the Airline project Ron! The plug on that "battery adapter" looks like the one Zenith used in their Transoceanics?

[johnsweda]

Don't want to be picky but you never grab the tube by its glass you can pull the glass out of its base, grab it by the base.
Just go over the cabinet with some fine medium steel wool soaked in mineral oil with the woodgrain only! clean off with a cloth then get some linseed oil and go in circular motions into the wood medium pressure, with a cloth repeat this 2week later if you want to apply some more linseed oil you have to wait 3 months, after this then if you want another coat you'll have to wait a year! otherwise it won't Harden you can heat up some shellac flakes stirred into the linseed oil if you want and then it becomes a French Polish, the more shellac you add the more gloss you will achieve if you want that mirror finish, but only after the two coats of linseed oil first, apply thinly not sickly. Put some cotton wool in the Cotton lint-free preferably, soak it well in the mix then squeeze the majority of it out just damp, applying circular motion medium to fastly not slow, give it two hours to dry first couple coats medium pressure, and then do it with lighter and lighter pressure you might need 7 to 10 coats if you want a mirror finish depends how absorbent the wood is. But only four to 5 coats in 36 hours. If you've got some old French polished furniture and it's cracking or you want it it's best just go over with raw linseed oil twice a year and the cracking will go away never use beeswax that can cause cracking can dry out some Woods and the French Polish, so clean your furniture with some mineral spirits first then go over with instead oil I should have said.

[littlejohnny]

Looks like it takes a lot of patience to work on those old radios.

[Rebel]

Hey Ron, I started watching last night, paused, got sidetracked and so here I am 8 hours later finishing up. Do you add any kind of chemical or detergent to your ultrasonic cleaner? I've seen powdered ultrasonic cleaner on Amazon and I've also heard of folks just using dish soap or even Simple Green. It sounds like your tuning cap is still rubbing when it's being closed or is that just a lack of lubricant on the bearings? What feels like felt to you may be flocking like the stuff I had to repair on Uncle Dan's Philco. With no light as it's a battery set, I wonder why they did it in brown as well though. Personally I'd re-do it in a light beige or egg shell or even a light gray depending on the replacement grill cloth I were going to use, just to make it easier to read in low light and easier to see the dial pointer. The Go-Jo works well, but if it's hard to find there's another brand called Goop that I've used that is the same stuff but a little cheaper. We've had Goop in the garage since I was a little kid. I think they're both just jellied kerosene with some fragrance and maybe some aloe in the modern stuff. Good progress :) Gary

[jodylaneyAAXT]

Does the inter loop couple a long wire to antenna? that's what I am thinking

[umajunkcollector]

I wonder if liquid vinyl tool dip painted on the antenna and bare wires would work, it dries faster than liquid tape.
A simple voltage drop for b+ could be an adjustable 10w rheostat, kinda like a line autotransformer (variac), turn it up to 90v.
The round ceramic speaker magnet may be more modern, the original could have a square yoke and alnico magnet.

[skycarl]

Ron, do you have the schematic for the 04WG-464?, , , seems they were made around the same time and the 464 looks just like your radio. I have the 464 but not the 468, , , , that would be in the Riders book #12. I don't have that one If you need the 464 let me know and I will send it to you., , , ps, , , I think I have your dial string diagram.