Making a modern "Old time Radio"

[Dave Lehnert]

Was wondering if anyone ever made a modern day old time radio like the one in the pic below. My first thought was to use a standard car radio and speakers. Any other ideas welcome.
Just thought it could be an interesting project.

http://www.radioblvd.com/hampix/rca10k.jpg

[Mark Maleski]

Dave,It's on my list of projects to get around to, but not sure I'll ever get to it (know how that goes?). I have a nice Kloss radio on my desk, nice except it has an anemic looking walnut chasis. I have been tempted to take the very nice, quality guts from this radio and move into a nicer body that I build. OTOH, I'm a comms engineer and if I'm worth my salt I'll build the receiver myself too.

I've not had any luck finding ww plans for radios - know of any? Could be as simple as a fancy box (no plans needed), or as elaborate as what you've pictured.

[Dave Lehnert]

Dave,It's on my list of projects to get around to, but not sure I'll ever get to it (know how that goes?). I have a nice Kloss radio on my desk, nice except it has an anemic looking walnut chasis. I have been tempted to take the very nice, quality guts from this radio and move into a nicer body that I build. OTOH, I'm a comms engineer and if I'm worth my salt I'll build the receiver myself too.

I've not had any luck finding ww plans for radios - know of any? Could be as simple as a fancy box (no plans needed), or as elaborate as what you've pictured.

The October 1985 issue of wood magazine has a plan for a "wireless"

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/woodstore_2094_181006024

[Darnell Hagen]

Cool idea, you need to find an old timey dial and some bakelite knobs.

My folks have one almost exactly that that one. It has a huge speaker and a very distinctive hum.

[Dave Lehnert]

Cool idea, you need to find an old timey dial and some bakelite knobs.

My folks have one almost exactly that that one. It has a huge speaker and a very distinctive hum.

Got that covered
http://www.oldradioparts.net/dials_intro.html
http://www.oldradioparts.net/images/dial_27-5098.jpg

[george wilson]

The dial is very important. A car radio dial wouldn't look right. If you couldn't get the controld,dial(above id nice),but also the NEEDLE to work with that dial,it wouldn't look authentic.

What you COULD do,is buy one of the several RETRO radios out there,and use the parts to make your large cabinet model. I have a retro style radio with a true wooden box on it,and a BACK also. The 4" speaker,made in Korea,makes a very surprisingly good sound. Some of it is due to being in that wooden box with a back on it.

Darnell,if your humming radio is old enough,it could have a field coil speaker instead of a permanent magnet speaker. The field coil uses an electromagnet that carries the 60 cycle hum to the speaker. they were like that in the 30's,maybe 40's. My first guitar amp had a field coil speaker. It hummed.

[Darnell Hagen]

Nice, Deco!

Ditch that first model and go more Empire State Building. Need inspiration? Google Brooks Stevens or Chicago Art Deco.