I picked this nice Admiral 30A16 set up in Indiana this morning. It's in pristine condition except for the two chips in the top veneer. Good thing too. Someone almost bought it before me so their son could turn it into a fish tank. He only passed on it because of those chips!

It's been in the same house since it was purchased back in 1948. The woman I got it from said it came with the house when she bought it.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-01.jpg http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-02.jpg http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-03.jpg

Decals are in great shape,
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-04.jpg

Here's the veneer damage :tears:
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-05.jpg

It extends down to the plywood base.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-06.jpg

All my other Admiral console sets from this era have metal backs. I wonder why this model has a masonite back ?
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-07.jpg

Here's the upper chassis. This model has the power supply and audio amp down below on a second chassis.
10BP4 CRT took a while to show some life on my tester. After about an hour, it tests about the same as all my other 10BP4s. I've yet to find a dead one. Maybe, I've just been lucky ?
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-09.jpg http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-10.jpg http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-11.jpg

Is this yellow/green coating is a Cadmium plate ? Odd - none of my other TVs or radios from this era have it. Or at least they haven't turned this color.
Almost looks like it's radioactive - nice for Halloween.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-12.jpg

Here's the lower chassis and speaker.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-13.jpg

Blurb about an upgrade inside the cabinet.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-14.jpg

I'm really happy to get this set. It makes a great addition to my Admiral collection. Time to open a new Admiral wing in my museum!
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/01-15.jpg

Wow!!!!!

Nice collection!

Thanks guys!
Any thoughts on that green coating?

Thanks guys!
Any thoughts on that green coating?

I think it's Cadmium Oxide, I'd use caution around it.

I had an Airline that was about that bad, I cleaned most of it off with Naval Jelly and water, I couldn't clean the underside this way so I left it alone.
It stunk pretty badly.

The stuff is very toxic (and Carcinogenic) don't wire brush it or create dust, probably not a good idea to get it on your skin.

Wikipedia has some info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmium_oxide

You can wear a rubber glove and clean it off with metal polish. I believe the transformer cases in this radio are cadmium plated.

Phil

http://antiqueradio.org/art/Midwest18-3605.jpg

Wow....Just "Wow".....

Just an incredible save from Indiana:banana: No fishtanker is wrecking this TV. I can't believe a fishtanker would even think of ruining a 1948 blond Admiral roundie:no: That's an awesome save and I'm very glad that TV is now safe in your collection safe and sound in good ol' Chicago now to be appreciated for many years to come:thmbsp: Awesome save and incredible work on saving this awesome 1948 blond Admiral roundie:banana:

Nice Save!!:banana::banana::banana:

That is really an Admirable collection ! :thmbsp:

Do you have a plan for fixing the "patches" ?

When I was a kid, I had an old Emerson console that had a front overhang like that set... it used a ton of 25Z6s.

jr

I always liked this model, even with the chips it still steals the show.

Is this type of blondie veneer gone the way of cobalt blue art deco mirrors, and NLA? I see that my CTC-9 and Olympic Console use the exact same finish, so there must have only been one or two manufacturers of this stuff.

Although this guy on the antique furniture restoration board describes it as a process unto itself:

"...Usually they were made of good quality Oak/ Oak Veneer, but the white finish was part of a white grain filler tecnique that involved smearing plaster of paris all over the surface and sanding the top layer back off. then a white stain and lacquer was applied, some were just stained..."

Some of that does make sense, it certainly is, or is made to look like, oak. Luckily, Oak is one of the cheapest veneers out there. But wood filling with plaster of paris? Just the thought makes me cringe, after having filled the grain on a couple of console radios.

I started a conversation over at Antique Radio awhile ago about blond finishes. It's easy to find search for 50's blond finishes.

http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=119378&sid=6bb1e767171da78ead82d34fd82df611

I think this is the thread you were talking about...

Nice Save!!:banana::banana::banana:

That is really an Admirable collection ! :thmbsp:

Do you have a plan for fixing the "patches" ?

When I was a kid, I had an old Emerson console that had a front overhang like that set... it used a ton of 25Z6s.

jr

Thanks, LOL.


I have a Sentinel 430 that looks very similar. According to the ads they used Korina/Limba.

My plan so far is to do as little as possible :D
I'll try to find some veneer that matches and glue down a couple patches. Then maybe wash down the cabinet with a mild detergent and mineral spirits. Finally, a couple coats of lacquer to protect it. I really don't want to strip it and lose those decals.

Here's a closeup of the damage. Perhaps oak would be close enough :scratch2:

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/02-01.jpg

Just an incredible save from Indiana:banana: No fishtanker is wrecking this TV. I can't believe a fishtanker would even think of ruining a 1948 blond Admiral roundie:no: That's an awesome save and I'm very glad that TV is now safe in your collection safe and sound in good ol' Chicago now to be appreciated for many years to come:thmbsp: Awesome save and incredible work on saving this awesome 1948 blond Admiral roundie:banana:

Thanks! It was quite a chore to haul it home during that torrential downpour we had all day.

Great save!

Looks like cadmium to me too. Phosphoric acid was the only stuff I tried that had an effect. But I worried about neutralizing it, etc. and decided that it wasn't bad enough in my case to worry about.

I like some chassis, like Phil's radio, when they're polished. But I prefer the original look if it's achievable.

John

Just a thought: to fix the chipped out parts you might be able to make your own photofinish. Take several good closeup photos of the good veneer in different places, different lightings. Print out and compare by the damaged areas, adjust, experiment. Get printed out on a good color printer. There are articles on line giving different ideas about photofinish.

Reece

Great save!

Looks like cadmium to me too. Phosphoric acid was the only stuff I tried that had an effect. But I worried about neutralizing it, etc. and decided that it wasn't bad enough in my case to worry about.

I like some chassis, like Phil's radio, when they're polished. But I prefer the original look if it's achievable.

John

Phil's radio does look amazing, but I think I'll leave this set like it is. It would be a ton of work to clean up both chassis. Even the speaker frame is greenish.

Leaving it alone should be fine. The green coating won't jump off the chassis and bite you. I don't bother trying to make TV chassis beautiful. Except for Radio Craftsman, they weren't shiny leaving the factory. Something like that Midwest radio chassis was made shiny to compete with radios that had real chrome -- a poor man's E.H. Scott.

Phil

Wow Bandersen... Now all you need is a neon sign saying "Authorized Admiral Dealer" to hang up above those sets! :D

Good idea. I'll setup a search for vintage Admiral signs on eBay :)

I dug through my veneer scraps and found some Oak. It's close but needs to be more yellow.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/03-01.jpg http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/03-02.jpg

I know I said I wasn't going to mess with it, but I couldn't resist doing a little cleaning test on the tuner cover plate.

First I tried Naval Jelly with some success, but then I tried Rust-oleum rust stripper. Wow - it instantly turned from yellow to brilliant silver :D Just like a TarnX commercial.

I think I just might have to polish the whole chassis if it's really that easy.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/04-01.jpg http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/04-02.jpg


I took a peek under the chassis. Nothing too bad. Just the usual oozing wax caps and one has already blown. The seller had turned it on several times :(
She was about to plug it in again when I came to pick it up. :no:
I nicely pointed out the hazards of doing that.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/04-03.jpg http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/04-04.jpg http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/04-05.jpg

I have one of these but it looks really rough. The finish is pretty well gone. I did recap mine and got it sorta working...gotta dig into it again one of these days.

I bought a maroon bakelite Admiral rabbit-ear antenna at an auction Saturday that would be a perfect match for that television.

I bought a maroon bakelite Admiral rabbit-ear antenna at an auction Saturday that would be a perfect match for that television.

Cool, could you post a picture of it ? Maybe I could find one of my own :)

I've been examining the finish more closely and it is weird. I think leadlike is right - some sort of filler and stain. I found a worn area where you can see 3 distinct layers. Wood, pinkish/white and a yellowish top layer. That topmost layer may have yellowed with age. Hard to say.

I hope I can just touch it up a little with oil paint and clearcoat it with lacquer to protect it.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/05-01.jpg

I took a closer look at another blond set that is supposedly Korina wood (http://www.tvhistory.tv/1951-Sentinel-Brochure.jpg)

It sure looks like the same type of filler/stain surface though. Why use Korina if you're just gonna cover it up ?

Anyhow, the Sentinel is in fantastic shape so I'll use it for my benchmark of what it should look like.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/05-02.jpg



Switching topics - here's the lower chassis with a huge coke bottle 5U4. All the tubes test good :)

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/05-03.jpg

Should I be concerned about the wax oozing out of the main power transformer? I've seen melted wax in several areas of this set. Perhaps it spent some time in a really warm environment?

Would it be worth opening up that xfrmr and repacking the wax?

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/05-04.jpg

A little wipe down with mild phosphoric acid cleaned it right up. Stinky but not too messy at all.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/05-05.jpg

I'll get a pic of the antenna up tonight. I didn't even notice it was an Admiral until I got it home. I just like the old TV rabbit ears for cool-looking FM antennas.

Here's some pics - I didn't get one of the whole thing, but it has marble-sized matching bakelite balls at the tips of the arms. I think the base is on backwards, my guess is that the logo should be under the thumbscrew that locks the arms in place.

White Korina a.k.a. Limba... I have a notpad I made out of limba back in High School shop. This makes it about 45 years old. Where the paper from the roll covers it the wood is much lighter than where it was exposed to the light. We used "Deft" for the finish, so I don't know if it's the finish that's darkened or the wood. It is as dark there as where you have some finish missing. But I don't remember it ever looking as white as in your photos. If anything, I remember it having a slightly greenish tint.

It looks like they used a semitransparent finish and a filler as leadlike suggested. Maybe to make the sets look more uniform. Maybe to protect it from changing color due to light exposure like happened to my notepad.

John

White Korina a.k.a. Limba... I have a notpad I made out of limba back in High School shop. This makes it about 45 years old. Where the paper from the roll covers it the wood is much lighter than where it was exposed to the light. We used "Deft" for the finish, so I don't know if it's the finish that's darkened or the wood. It is as dark there as where you have some finish missing. But I don't remember it ever looking as white as in your photos. If anything, I remember it having a slightly greenish tint.

It looks like they used a semitransparent finish and a filler as leadlike suggested. Maybe to make the sets look more uniform. Maybe to protect it from changing color due to light exposure like happened to my notepad.

John


Sorry, my post was a little confusing. The Korina/Limba cabinet is from my Sentinel 430 while that worn spot is from my new Admiral. The Sentinel is very light all over.

I've been studying the link that leadlike provided (http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=119378&sid=6bb1e767171da78ead82d34fd82df611) and I believe that the 'limed' process eb2jim describes matches what I've got. I'm pretty sure my base veneer is red oak and that's the dark color. Then I think it has a think coat of white making it look pinkish. Finally, a coat of something to make it yellowish.

So, I think I'll experiment with some red oak, white oil paint and amber shellac or lacquer.

Gah - I've been spending way more time on refinishing than electrical restoration lately :drool:

Here's some pics - I didn't get one of the whole thing, but it has marble-sized matching bakelite balls at the tips of the arms. I think the base is on backwards, my guess is that the logo should be under the thumbscrew that locks the arms in place.

Hey, wadayaknow I picked up almost the same antenna a few months ago, but mine isn't marked Admiral. It's a 'Radeon' and slightly different in style and black not brown.

You're right, it does look good next to the blond finish :) Prolly even better if it was brown like yours.

Nah, I'm just easily confused.

Now that I look at it again, and the right photos, my notepad that's made of solid limba looks similar in color and grain to the top of your set. At least after being translated by your camera and my monitor.

John

Hey, wadayaknow I picked up almost the same antenna a few months ago, but mine isn't marked Admiral. It's a 'Radeon' and slightly different in style and black not brown.

You're right, it does look good next to the blond finish :) Prolly even better if it was brown like yours.

That's exactly the same antenna, except that mine is the same reddish-brown as the knobs on that set appear to be. It's the second vintage antenna I've found in the same color.

I put my two blonde cabinets side by side and the difference became really noticeable.
The limba Sentinel on the left is a much finer grain and creamier looking.

I picked up a few supplies today and conducted a little experiment.
First, I glued down four strips of red oak veneer.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/06-01.jpg

Then, painted a thin coat of various paints and wiped it off after a few minutes going across the grain.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/06-02.jpg

After it dried, a coat of amber shellac. It came out better than I expected.
My camera isn't doing a very good job, but this is kinda what it looks like.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/06-03.jpg

One of them is actually pretty close. I think the main problem is the veneer I used. It's not as dark and the grain isn't as pronounced. A little more tinkering and I'll get there.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/Admiral%2030A16/06-04.jpg

Hi,
As I remember right, this console was seen in a garage in one of the
old b/w PERRY MASON episodes!:thmbsp:
My Admiral console is the same, with the seperate power supply chassis!:tresbon: