The Fine Things are Always Hand Made
I have a cousin in Arizona who has an E H Scott console that he wants me to restore. He says there is no model number on it. Can anyone ID the radio from the Photo? I'd like to get a schematic downloaded, get a tube count and get him an estimate.
Any help greatly appreciated!
Mike
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You have a Scott Allwave Fifteen in the Tasman console. Considerable information about this model can be found by clicking on "Scott Info Archive" at the right end of the menu ruler at the top of this page, selecting set folders then Allwave-15. There were many production changes during the run of Allwave Fifteen receivers hence it is unlikely you will find an exactly correct schematic but you should find one that is pretty close.
Norman
It is an Allwave Fifteen Scott from 1934 or early 1935 - 12 tube receiver and 3 tube amp. Correct speaker is a 12 inch pedestal speaker. aka AW-15. You will find 5 receiver diagrams in this archive, the most recent two of which are from Riders. The diagrams are dated and reflect the evolution of the Model 15. You may find your example seems to straddle two of the diagrams. Scott was a custom set builder, meaning built upon receipt of an order. Scott was chasing performance and audio quality. If you find some anomaly that does not exactly agree with a diagram but appears to be original construction, don't change it.
Initially, the AW-15 1) used the blue glass Arcturus Wunderlich tube as 2nd detector (third tube back on the left) and 2) had two additional red antenna posts for a special short wave antenna. Later 1934, Scott changed to the 55 tube for 2nd detector and dropped the red antenna posts. Some Model 15's were subsequently converted to use the 55 tube when the Wunderlich tube became unavailable.
The dial graphics display on the dial escutcheon's multicolor insert, as does the pointer of the tuning meter. Inside you will see there is a second cover over the elegant shortwave coil changing wheel. You will need to remove that 2nd cover to dismount the coil wheel to access some caps - CAUTION - before you remove the coil wheel, turn the band switch full counter clockwise to broadcast band and do NOT move that band switch control shaft until the coil wheel is re-mounted, lest you break the antenna switch in the antenna coil can above the gear box.
FYI - the Scott speaker ( a special version Jensen) has 2 field coils and the voice coil is 38 ohms. Output transformer is mounted in the speaker pedestal.
Read an owners manual and the factory Technical Service Data manual from the Archive's Set Folder before proceeding. A proper electrical restoration yields a superb radio. Good Luck.
Hi, Norman and David:
Wowsers! Thank you for taking the time to provide all that information! If I get my hands on it, this will be my first Scott restoration. I have heard a lot of great things about them, so I hope my cousin will be ok with my bid and I get the job. (Then I have to get it here from AZ.) He has several radios, including a nice Zenith chairside, so we might have to work out a visit to MO.
I have not used the Scott forum very much, and I was not able to find the schematics with minimum effort. My sweetheart just called down on the intercom that supper is ready. I will have another go at it tomorrow.
Again, thanks so much for the help!
Best
Mike
Michael - At the top of this page, click on Scott Archive Info.
Then select Set Folders.
Then select Alwave 15. Explore the various documentation items for the AW-15 model. All Printable.
Explore documentation for other models as well.
And then, go back to the Info Archive for SCOTT NEWS. Find and select SN-2-34 for the Feb 1934 issue of Scott News for Scott's announcement of the new AW-15 model with extensive features and benefits of the new model.
Scott News was a multipage promotional that Scott published sporadically for both past customers and prospective customers about the latest Scott developments throughout the 1930's.
Scott built the radios with leading edge technology. Separately, Scott offered a number of exclusive furniture quality cabinets at prices ranging from about $20 to over $100, mostly by Rockford Peerless Furniture of Rockford IL. Your TASMAN cabinet is the most commonly seen for the mid 1930's Scott models.
Go back to the Info Archive, then select CABINETS for a curated presentation of cabinet photos in full color. Presented in alpha order, find TASMAN and click for get a good look at a TASMAN with the later 23 tube model of 1936. The veneers are Walnut on this cabinet - the front veneers are laid out bookmarked.
Good Morning, Gentlemen:
Got it. I downloaded the Riders version, and the cabinet photos for reference. Especially of interest, what knobs and knob escutcheons are supposed to look like, and the veneers on the front. The 2 cabinets on the web site both seem to have more exotic veneers in the center, recessed area, whereas Frank's looks like plain Walnut.
Kudos to whomever designed the web site. It is intuitive and comprehensive. If I can navigate it, anyone can.
To emphasize, I don't have this radio in hand yet, and if I get it, it will probably be quite some time, as it has to come to MO from AZ. Being a 15 tuber, and having a lot of veneer damage on the front, the repair estimate is likely to be a bit scary, and he may decide not to restore it. I work a lot cheaper than most, as I am not in it for the money. I just want to save as many of these beautiful artifacts of a bygone era as I can and find them good homes. I hope he will give me a shot at it.
Again, appreciate the help.
Best Regards
Mike
Knobs & Escutcheons reference from my AW-15 (in a different cabinet): see photo attached.
Your control escutcheons are correct, but missing the left bronze one for VOLUME. Hope it is in the cabinet.
The band switch knob is cast metal and some have broken from pot metal fatigue.
The dial escutcheon color insert is rather sun faded, but replacement is available from RADIODAZE. The four colors of the dial insert correspond to the 4 colors on the band switch escutcheon. Look closely. White is broadcast band.
The walnut knobs with set screws do turn up on eBay.
The inset wood panel/speaker grill finish looks pretty tired. The cabinet top is hinged, so you can unscrew the panel and pull it up out of the cabinet. Try cleaning and polishing it first. The speaker cloth look original.
As for veneer, if your sub strata is decent, scrape off the remnants of old veneer and then iron on some new walnut veneer. Finish with several thinned coats of shellac and rub out with 0000 steel wool, then polish with rubbing compound. Look at Antique Radio Form topic Cabinets and study some of the work Fred Taylor does. Fred does what I do - rough cut the veneer, and apply a thin coat of Titebond 1 or 2 to the veneer and to the cabinet. Let dry about 40 minutes till somewhat dry to touch. Use a hot iron (best politely ask wife about hers if you don't have an old one - no steam). Use a layer of old tee shirt between the iron and veneer ... and work slowly to melt the glue to bond the veneer to the cabinet. (practice with some veneer scraps to get the feel) After surface has cooled down, then trim as needed and proceed to apply finish.
The TASMAN cabinet does have nice Walnut veneer, but not as fancy as on more expensive Scott cabinets. For the TASMAN right and left front, the veneer is laid out horizontal not vertical. Right and left on the front are booked for some symmetry. Maybe this is a more helpful Tasman photo:
Walnut veneer is available adhesive backed or paper back needing your own glue. Contact cement is not advisable as it grabs permanently which is why I prefer to iron it on for better control. Try a Woodcraft store.
There are some u-tube videos showing the iron on method for veneer.
Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxUKc4JWBaI
And it will lead to another.
Hi, David:
that is a beautiful radio you have! What is that veneer in the middle? Some kind of maple?
I have never heard of this ironing method. I usually use contact cement, but you are correct I hate that stuff.
I have this gallon of tight bond veneer glue that I ordered thinking it was contact cement, but apparently you have to apply it like regular glue and then find some way to apply uniform pressure to the entire surface. That's pretty darn hard to do, especially on a big radio like this. Do you think this stuff would work for the iron on method? I will watch the video. I might try it with this stuff on a test piece. I need to find some way to use it.
I have used shellac a few times, especially when I have radios that have silicone furniture polish in the wood. I normally use nitrocellulose lacquer. That is probably what I will do on this one.
Every picture I have seen of this Tasman cabinet seems to have something besides walnut on the front. Franks looks for all the world to me like walnut. That is probably what I will go with.
Frank has decided to let me restore the radio. Now we have to just get it and three others here from Arizona.
I'm sure I will be in touch once I get my hands on it. I believe he has told me the band switch knob is broken, but he said the wood knobs are there. I don't know if those missing knob escutcheons are around or not. I guess I'll find out when it gets here.
Thanks again for all the help.
Best regards
Mike
Try your glue on veneer scraps to see how it seems to work.
My experience with the iron on method was with Titebond 2 and more recently Titebond "Original" both being yellow glues (which I use only on new wood, or old substrata scraped and sanded to remove traces of old glue).
I have done cabinet tops and sides. After ironing while each section of veneer is still very warm, I use both a veneer roller and/or a veneer hammer (which I made from a wide brick chisel after careful touching up the edge for smoothness to be sure it would not leave any gouge marks). For a handle, a short length of black pipe that fits over the handle of the chisel handle.)
I do not use a brush to try to spread glue out as seen in the video. Rather, I found a very fine tooth adhesive trowel which I ground down a bit more. It quickly readily spreads the glue to a uniformly moderate coat on both the substrata and on the the veneer - avoiding uneven glue thickness.
For glueing down old loose veneer, I use Franklin Liquid Hide Glue because it is compatible with and somewhat rejuvenates the the old glue, avoiding the need to remove the original glues - but does require some moderate clamping. But for joint repair in old furniture, the old hide glue type you have to heat is great and grabs quickly as it cools and with maybe brief clamping.
AS for the cast metal band switch, some reproductions were made some years ago, so let me know after you have the radio restored and working.
Again, upscale cabinets were available exclusive to Scott buyers.
The Scott cabinet on my photo is the LEDO. The beautiful and very curly veneer is Dao wood, according to my Scott cabinet brochure. It is also featured in a couple other Scott cabinets in the mid 1930's. It is a striking veneer indeed. From southern Asian as I recall. Some very exotic veneers in some Scott cabinets. Another veneer of similar character and beauty is Laurel, used in the Laureate Grande and the Imperial Grande.
Even the Walnut of some cabinets featured crotch and other choice figured veneers.
I have mostly used shellac over the years. But have added lacquer on cabinet tops for the additional protection, which is the original finish method according to Scott documentation. Here is the hinged top of my MILTON GRANDE (original figured Laurel veneer) which I refinished in shellac and then lacquer over shellac:
The enlarged TASMAN cabinet photo I attached yesterday (with the big green dial is a 30 tube Scott Philharmonic of 1938) and was a major cabinet restoration effort having sat in a foot of water before I acquired it for my Philly. You are seeing original figured Walnut veneers, and the recessed wood control panel is booked veneer too.
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