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Alex Inspired

Creative minds are rarely tidy

Broadcast diy

It’s been awhile since I have blogged about any current DIY Projects, so I figured I would share/give you a glimpse of what I’ve been restoring.

Here are your hints: It’s vintage, it was my grandpa’s and it’s in the photo below.

vintage photo - copyright alex inspired, vintage radio on christmas morning

(ps. That’s my mum in the picture on Christmas morning!)

I won’t get into full details because…

  • a. I have been working on this project since last summer (this was embarrassing to type)
  • b. I seemed to have misplaced my high-res photos from the beginning of this project (this was equally embarrassing to type)
  • c. It’s taking awhile to complete and I don’t have a final photo for you of a completed piece

Have you guessed what it is?

Ta Da! Broadcast diy: My grandpa’s radio!

I have attached a few sneak peeks of what I’ve been rambling on about.

A vintage Hudson's Bay, Baycrest radio. B-637A

This is beautiful Hudson’s Bay Company, Baycrest “Radio-Phonograph Combination” model B-627A (Purchased at the Winnipeg Hudson’s Bay Store) was rescued from being thrown in the dump, given to me.
Hurray, my own Golden family treasure!

Of course, it’s old. I am guessing late 1930s early 1940s… side note: finding any information on a Canadian made radio seems impossible.

Hudson's Bay, Baycrest radio-phonograph model B637-A

This is somewhat how my first experience went with my newly acquired radio.

Me: “Ma, why did Grandpa stop listening to this amazing radio?”

Mum: “Umm, I can’t really remember?”

*Meanwhile my dad is puttering, plugging in the radio*

Mum: “I think it started to smell funny… kind of like burning.”

This is about the point where all at once, not only could we smell burning, a small fire developed.
SUPER!

After the small fire was extinguished, my dad concluded that not only were the tubes finished, so was the transformer.
SUPER!

Hudson's Bay Baycrest vintage radio

Just a few minor setbacks.

HOWEVER, I am an eternal optimist and my dad has an electrical background… and he has already thought of a way to “fix/restore” this small blazing problem.

As of right now, I have it scraped and sanded (it looks pretty amazing). I’ve picked a pretty dark cherry stain, and have already recovered the speaker covers.

Stay tuned! (Ha ha, this actually is punny) my next post will be the finished product.

Comments

  1. northern style says

    September 1, 2014 at 4:31 pm

    such a great find, and sentimental too

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Restored! Hudson’s Bay Baycrest Radio Console - Alex Inspired says:
    August 20, 2016 at 11:35 am

    […] Grandpa Stan’s Radio was sitting at my parents’ house, on my dad’s workbench. To read my mildly entertaining story about why no one used the radio, click here! […]

    Reply

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Alex Inspired NYC

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I love local stories, historic drama, and swearing at my laptop while redesigning this site for the 18th time.
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