Zenith 9-S-262 RESTORATION

Restoration of a Zenith console radio. The radio is a 1938 "robot" dial model with 3 bands and 9 tubes. The veneer is walnut with curly maple inlay.

The radio was stored in an out building with an earthen floor. Termites had colonized the cabinet, mice had made a home under the chassis and the high humidity of the mid Atlantic states had delaminated the cabinet. I started the restoration by removing the chassis, speaker, bezel and then I disassembled the cabinet. Once I had the cabinet apart I removed the exterior veneer, being careful to save the curly maple. The molding around the bottom of the cabinet was almost gone. I glued a one quarter inch thick piece of plywood to the back of the molding and started rebuilding the pieces using automobile body filler. I had an original cabinet and used it to make a pattern for a scrape for use in shaping the filler as I applied it.

A portion of the frame had to be replaced, the shelf the radio chassis sat on was delaminated, I was able to reglue it. The speaker board was to far gone, so I made a new one out of 3/4 inch plywood.

The chassis was glass bead blasted and repainted with gold hammered paint. I recapped the chassis, made 2 new drive belts, replaced the rectifier and tuning eye and away it went. This particular model Zenith is one of my favorites. The tone and on-off knobs were missing so I made a latex mold and made reproduction ones out of plastic. I will try and add a photo of the chassis.

Comments.....email Larry..