The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

In ancient days when I was a tyke, my grandfather got me a small crystal set kit to construct in an included small metal cabinet and a set of earphones. He helped me build it. Alas it is long gone now. Wish I still had it.

I expect his motivation was that he wouldn't have to hear whatever it was I liked to listen to on the radio because of the earphones.

Clay

A lot of old 78 Shellac records were repurposed to make home brew regenerative radio receivers back in the day. They were cut to make the front panels to mount the binding post and controls. I had one. Don't forget when radio came about seriously in the mid 1920's it was by-by to the acoustic crank phonographs. Even old man Edison gave his son a rash of crap about making a radio-phonograph ( I once collected the early battery 1920 era battery radio sets )

If you beat up your old 78's that are no good and soak them in alcohol in a warm to almost hot place for a few weeks or a month, then strain it through and old nylon stocking and add some shellac, you'll have the blackest non fading paint you can imagine for the insides of cabinets et. The more shellac you add, the more 'shine' it will have and is probably a bit more durable. It sure looks almost exactly like the flat black paint I've seen inside old clock cases, pump organs and other stuff that has a cheap kind of sealer paint on the inside. It's not durable like oil paint is, but it really does work well. And it washes right off like shellac does if you need to.

I've re-purposed old cracked broken records that way. I've never seen one employed for radio work! Kind of ironic really... That record was certainly new and fascinating technology and it was made, and it got a second go at it in the 20's when that kid got the radio bug at his local radio shop. They probably sold Panatrope/Radiolas so they encouraged you to use up your old Victor stuff this way. Ha!

That photograph, albeit interesting, makes me mildly nauseous to see such an early and rare record be destroyed like that.

-Steve

Repurposed horns on Ebay now will make you even more nauseous !

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/picturemusic2 ... 7675.l2562