This all started a couple of years ago while searching on eBay for an old 1970s pocket transistor radio, the kind I’d taken apart many times as a kid. I happened upon a 1930s valve radio and was intrigued. It was a battery set, had three valves, no speaker, no make or model and loads of woodworm damage.

I already knew the basics of valve electronics but never studied it formally as it was long since obsolete by the time I was old enough to read. Now was the time to change all that so I dug into it, reverse engineering the chassis into a circuit diagram and discussing it’s design with others on vintage radio forums.

Eventually, I was able to validate all the components in it, make an appropriate power supply, add the missing speaker and transformer, and for the first time, actually hear radio broadcasts from this ancient piece of audio technology.

The cabinet took a bit more effort to fix, lots of wood filler, rubbing painting and further rubbing. Very therapeutic, I love this kind of woodwork. I think this might be my prettiest set so far, but I had decided to do some more advanced ones in future.

  • Riddled with woodworm flight holes