[Reece]

Thanks, Droptop. I read a lot about bias cells and some people I respect just say jump 'em, an "X"SQ7 will operate fine that way. Others say put a cap in place of the cell and then a 10 meg resistor from grid to ground. I couldn't hear any difference with just using a cap so that's the way I went. You've had excellent results using a watch battery. Every component can go bad, but I figure a cap will last longer than any cell and has no guts to leak out eventually.

Bias cells weren't used very long, from the mid thirties to about when this radio was made (and then The War came along and all domestic production ceased.) I don't think they were used at all from 1946 on. They had maybe a 10- or 15-cent price advantage over using a cap and resistor to obtain bias, and were supposed to be quieter than a resistor, but who could really tell on a consumer product playing Benny Goodman nice and loud. Yes, it is sort of surprising to see one this late in this high end (for a table set) of a radio.

Using the iron-on method for veneer allows you to buy raw veneer with no backing, which is the least expensive. The veneer itself is fine but takes more work on your part than other types of veneer which have had a backing applied, etc. My post on the Firestone explains about how to flatten pieces with ripples in them before application. I only thinned the glue a little with water to make it brushable. I found that right out of the bottle it didn't spead well. You don't want it too thin as it might soak through. You want to try to keep any glue from the outer (visible) surface of the veneer as it wouldn't take stain properly there. Then I applied about three coats to each surface, the back of the veneer and the top of the radio plywood, letting them dry in between for an hour or more and finally dry overnight. You wouldn't have to apply the veneer the next day; you could wait until ready. The veneer will have a tendency to curl up on you as you apply the glue. I put mine on a piece of cardboard and held the edges with clothespins. Move the clothespins for the next gluing so every part gets glued.