GE Model F-80 Restoration
 

This is a three-band radio produced in 1937 and 1938. The GE Model F-85 is the same radio in a console. I don’t particularly like the design--it looks to me like a highly ornamented wooden box. But it did clean up nicely.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F...%252520005.jpg

In this photo I’m getting ready to replace the plastic dial cover. See the tone control at the lower right? It says, “normal,” “bass,” “foreign,” and “speech.” Well, I tuned in a shortwave station and they were speaking French. I can understand some French if it’s spoken slowly and deliberately, but I could only catch a few words from this broadcast. So, I turned the switch to “foreign,” and guess what?…they’re STILL speaking French! So what good is that?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m...%252520118.jpg

Actually, I have a well-captioned 56-photo series of the restoration which shows a new (new to me) way to remove old lacquer…

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5...%252520143.jpg

…fabrication of the missing vertical-slide dial indicator…

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q...52520183-3.jpg

…replacement of the Candohm resistor…

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--...52520194-4.jpg

…and much more. If interested, here’s a direct link to the whole 56-photo series.

https://picasaweb.google.com/coldrb/...eat=directlink

I’m posting this here because some day someone else might have a GE F-80 or F-85 to restore, and they might stumble onto this post and get some help from it. Even so, I hope someone on this forum may find this useful.

I dig your style. :thmbsp:

Very nice!