Restoring a Crosley grandfather clock radio

[radioguy41]

One of my hobbies is restoring/refurbing antique radios. This is my most recent project, a 1931 Crosley model M-1 Playtime grandfather clock radio with a model 124 chassis. The chassis is an 8 tuber with push-pull audio output. When I bought it there was a very distinct odor of nicotine. I scrubbed the case 5 times with 0000 steel wool and Go-Jo to get all the nicotine off (see the before and after photos of the clock mechanism). I refinished the base and then the rest of the case got 3 coats of Restore-A-Finish. I was able to save the grill cloth (washed it with detergent 3 times), which is a minor miracle. I disassembled the clock, cleaned all the gears, lubed them with sewing machine oil, and reassembled it. Everything is back together and the clock works fine but the radio chassis is an extra one (I have 3) I put in there just to fill the holes until I finish recapping the original chassis after the holidays.

Click on an image for a larger view.

[Slim140]

That's beautiful!

[Stanton]

Good job!!

[radioguy41]

Thanks. It's the second one I bought but the first turned out to be a bit of a nightmare. Someone "antiqued" it with some kind of green slop. In addition the photoprint tiger strip paper around the dial face was mostly missing as was the original clock mechanism. I used remover 4 times on that cabinet and still didn't get through all the layers so it went on the back burner when I found this one. Sometime down the line I'll start back on the earlier one.

This is the first one, still unfinished.

[mozer71]

Really nice work. It is a prettier clock now and is special by being a Crosley. I didn't know what I was going to see when opening this thread. I remember the Crosley automobiles and there was a rare version of a station wagon. It was good to see that clock instead of a wagon.