About the service
I restore antique vacuum-tube (valve) radio receivers back to full working order, focusing on units from the 1930s through the 1960s with wooden, bakelite or catalin cabinets. Many old sets were switched off decades ago because a handful of failed capacitors, a leaking rectifier or a burnt-out tube killed the reception, and the cabinet has since gathered dust in an attic or basement. My work brings such a receiver back to life safely and carefully, without damaging the original chassis or the printed markings on the dial.
The process starts with a full electrical inspection of the chassis: every paper and electrolytic capacitor is tested and, where necessary, replaced with modern equivalents hidden inside the original cardboard shells so the underside keeps its authentic look. Tubes are checked on a tester for emission and microphonics, resistors are measured against tolerance, and the power transformer and output transformer are checked for shorts before the set is ever plugged into mains again. A slow variac-controlled reformation of old capacitors and a careful mains-safety check are done before any test listening, because powering up a decades-old chassis at full voltage without preparation is how fuses blow and transformers die.
Once the electronics are sound, I align the intermediate-frequency and RF stages with a signal generator so the set actually tunes broadcast and shortwave bands cleanly, clean and lubricate the tuning gang and dial-cord mechanism, and replace dry-rotted dial cords and perished drive belts. The cabinet receives attention too: loose veneer is reglued, cracked bakelite is filled and colour-matched, metal knobs are polished, and grille cloth is cleaned or carefully replaced with a period-appropriate weave when the original is beyond saving.
Each commission includes clear photos of the chassis before and after work, a written note of every part replaced, and basic instructions on safe long-term use, including how often to let the set rest and why sudden humidity changes can be hard on old paper capacitors. I am happy to work from a written description and photographs first to give an honest estimate of what a specific receiver needs, since a set that only needs new capacitors is a very different job from one with a cracked cabinet and missing tubes. Please share the model, its current condition and any known history before we agree on scope, so the quoted price and timeline actually match the work involved.
The process starts with a full electrical inspection of the chassis: every paper and electrolytic capacitor is tested and, where necessary, replaced with modern equivalents hidden inside the original cardboard shells so the underside keeps its authentic look. Tubes are checked on a tester for emission and microphonics, resistors are measured against tolerance, and the power transformer and output transformer are checked for shorts before the set is ever plugged into mains again. A slow variac-controlled reformation of old capacitors and a careful mains-safety check are done before any test listening, because powering up a decades-old chassis at full voltage without preparation is how fuses blow and transformers die.
Once the electronics are sound, I align the intermediate-frequency and RF stages with a signal generator so the set actually tunes broadcast and shortwave bands cleanly, clean and lubricate the tuning gang and dial-cord mechanism, and replace dry-rotted dial cords and perished drive belts. The cabinet receives attention too: loose veneer is reglued, cracked bakelite is filled and colour-matched, metal knobs are polished, and grille cloth is cleaned or carefully replaced with a period-appropriate weave when the original is beyond saving.
Each commission includes clear photos of the chassis before and after work, a written note of every part replaced, and basic instructions on safe long-term use, including how often to let the set rest and why sudden humidity changes can be hard on old paper capacitors. I am happy to work from a written description and photographs first to give an honest estimate of what a specific receiver needs, since a set that only needs new capacitors is a very different job from one with a cracked cabinet and missing tubes. Please share the model, its current condition and any known history before we agree on scope, so the quoted price and timeline actually match the work involved.
