Admiral bakelite console restoration
 

A few days ago I saw this thread about a set of Admiral knobs for sale. I contacted the seller and it turns out he has the whole 20X122 set.
Well, sort of...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/...9b144358_b.jpg

I think it needs a tube or 2 or 3, and a power transformer and a flyback and a...

The previous owner had removed all those bits to save weight :tears:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/...d2f29297_b.jpg

The CRT has gone to air. The previous owner painted it so it would look OK in the cabinet :rolleyes:
Too bad - it looks like it was the original Admiral CRT.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/...478c5aa3_z.jpg

It does have the original FC speaker.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/...5ce0799b_z.jpg

The only thing that really bothers me is the optical distortion in the bezel :(
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/...bf5ba404_z.jpg

So why would I be interested in this basket case ? Well for one, there actually are a couple very hard to find parts I need for other sets on that rusty chassis. The IF shield for my other 20X122 and the combo power / volume / focus control for a 20X12.

As for the cabinet, I actually have a spare Admiral 30B1 chassis that might fit. I found it in some curbside garbage back in the mid 80s and have hung onto it all these years. It's in very condition and worked the last time I powered it up back in the 90s.

http://www.bobandersen.com/images/co...%20chassis.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4109/...a4f6cd41_z.jpg

So does it fit ?

Yes, it does :D
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/...4592a657_b.jpg

All the mounting holes seem to line up too. The 20X122 only has a single chassis so I was surprised to find holes down here.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/...cd6359fc_z.jpg

The only minor issue is that it protrudes about 3/4"
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/...7c7770f4_z.jpg

Looks pretty good from the front.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/...642e84a2_z.jpg

That only leaves the "sharp tuning" control and channel # plate.

I think I can enlarge the shaft hole and use this knob. I may try to fabricate the channel plate.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/...42bb9a60_z.jpg

...and it's got great decals!

It sure does. Those are missing from all my other sets. I think I'll scan them and make some reproductions. It's been so long since I looked at this chassis, I'd forgotten how clean it was.

That's great you were able to come up with a plan for it. I bet Admiral kept the same mold even with the one part chassis. I bet those molds were expensive to change. I like the two part chassis if for no other reason than the set isn't so top heavy.

These bakelite Admiral cabinets are my favorite. I love the style and the history they represent. I'd have no problem saving as many as I could from a landfill. Too bad they don't show up in the South. For a budget set they sure do look nice!

I even contacted the Siragusa Foundation several months ago to see if a relative would share photos from the Admiral plant. There are only a few photos of this TV from that time that I know of and I'd love to see more. A whole line of them in production, etc. I was hoping a relative would want to share high quality scans. No such luck. Here was my response:


Dear Mr. Jackson,

Thank you for you e-mail about Admiral and my grandfather. Sadly, we do not have any visual history of Admiral that I can tell you about. I can certainly keep your e-mail address in case I come across something.

Best regards,

Irene Siragusa Phelps


If I could take my Hasselblad and a DeLorean back in time I'd do a proper pictorial history of Admiral. I attached a photo of the press used to make the mold. Wouldn't it be amazing to see that thing in action? Apparently it was two stories tall.

The 20X122 with a single chassis is the earlier model, but maybe they already had plans to switch to a lower chassis :scratch2:

Bummer. I'd love to see some pictures of the massive bakelite press that made these huge cabinets :yes:


The 30B1 PS and audio amp are overkill for this set as they were meant to power larger speakers and AM/FM/Phono. So I might have to do some tinkering with that speaker.
I think I had the original 30B1 speaker years ago, but lost it somewhere along the way.

Bob, I attached a photo of the press before I saw your reply. I got that from another flickr member a few years ago and was glad to have it! I didn't realize the two part chassis came after the one part chassis. Now it makes absolutely no sense to me why there would be screw holes there unless it was in the works from the very beginning.

I suppose we keep better history these days but how cool would it be to have a documentary of a typical Admiral factory worker trying to make ends meet in 1949 Chicago while making these wonderful televisions all day.

I think I just romanticized the making of a television. :scratch2:

By the way, I've been refreshing this too much today. It won't make it get here any quicker but it looks like I'll see my 24A12 chassis Monday. My fingers are crossed hoping it arrives safely.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/...13a4402d_z.jpg

:eek: that's amazing!

The very first Admiral consoles in 1947/48 used the split 30A1 chassis, then came the single 20X1 sometime in '48, then the split 20A1 in '49. Maybe it's not so strange for there to be holes down there after all.

Hi Guys
Somewhere around here I've got an article from Popular Science back in 1949 about the making of those cabinet. I'll see if I can post in on flicker.
Terry

Thanks, that would be great.

M3-SRT8 picked up one of these sets recently and just today discovered all the original paperwork was at the bottom of the box! Operation instructions, warranty card, service guide, etc.

He sent me this picture from his phone. I can't wait to see some scans.
http://www.bobandersen.com/images/24...a12%20docs.jpg

I desperately need that field coil spkr. for my 20X122.
Any chance you'd get rid of it?
Mine is junk.
I want to re build my set, and, that's the main thing stopping me from doing it.
I've got a restoarable chassis, good case, and, knobs.
I need back cover, spkr.
and, shield for under chassis.
Bill Cahill

"We now return you to our regularly scheduled program.... "
Bill Cahill

OK, OK, I get it :) I need a back cover and three chassis shields too.

I hope to wrap up this set and my other 20X122 over the next few weeks. If I end up not needing the speaker, I'll be sure to let you know.

Terry that would be awesome! I'd certainly be grateful.

Wow! I'd love to see a scan of all that stuff.

Decals? aren't the letters engraved into the case and filled with paint?
That's how mine is anyway.