Atwater Kent 44 colour - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

60 oldjohn · 27th Oct 2007, 10:09 am

Hi all, I won an Atwater Kent 44 radio and speaker in the auction at Cowbit. This set had been sprayed with red oxide the small area that has not been sprayed seems to be black crackel paint. Can any one confirm this, and would It be best to use gloss, matt or satin finish?

Thanks for looking John C.

mickjjo · 27th Oct 2007, 10:24 am

Hi John, I think most Atwater-Kent stuff from this period was finished in a dark brown crackle effect:-

http://www.ca.astro.it/web-1/web-gal.../A-K-44-04.jpg

http://www.ca.astro.it/web-1/web-gal.../A-K-44-05.jpg

I have a 1926 Atwater-Kent 35 and that is the same.

Regards, Mick.

60 oldjohn · 29th Oct 2007, 12:27 am

Thank you Mick for your help. I have now bought two tins of brown paint from Halfords. It looks like the middle of the top is a lighter colour than the sides (similar to the tin box inside)
My 44 set has a brass post under the left hand tuning knob. In the picture it looks like slow motion tuning. Does any one know if it is it spring loaded or fitted with a rubber washer? Thank you John.

jgj6331 · 29th Oct 2007, 1:48 am

The middle section of the top is a dark antique gold. The there should be a knurled brass knob on the post you mention - an early example of a vernier - and the knob should have a thick rubber "O" ring at its base.

batterymaker1 · 29th Oct 2007, 1:52 am

That's wrinkle, not crackle. Crackle looks like the effects of a dry lake bed. That stuff's the wrinkle material. Lay it on thick and stick a heat source on it. Doing the latter just right will give you a luscious wrinkle.

Mike Phelan · 29th Oct 2007, 9:18 am

John
You can actually get wrinkle paint as an aerosol; colours are quite limited, but I have used it, then sprayed a normal aerosol can over it for an exact colour.

jgj6331 · 29th Oct 2007, 3:42 pm

I have used the technique Mike mentions with good result - you can do a base layer in crackle or - in your case - wrinkle to achieve the desired texture and then paint over it with the proper color. The key is patience - let the wrinkle or crackle cure for a week before putting on the topcoat and keep the topcoat light - just enough to cover the texture. Putting anything on the base coat too early or too thick can flatten out the wrinkling or fill the crackle. Also, you can speed and enhance the wrinkle or crackle process by using a hair dryer or heat gun - start at one corner and slowly work your way over the entire cabinet as the wrinkle "blooms". This may take 30 minutes or more on a cabinet the size of an AK 44. Letting the wrinkle develop on its own often gives less-than-satisfactory results. This is an AK 35 rust bucket I bought for less than a pound (actually $1 US) - the finish was crackle in this case. After sandblasting the surface clean, I used a base of black crackle and the proper brown topcoat along with a satin laquer overcoat at the finish. All finishes were from spray can (aerosol) products. A good surface preparation is essential for a quality result. Hope this helps.... Bill

FrankB · 31st Oct 2007, 11:20 pm

John,
I am not familiar with the AK44, but I have a bunch of 55's.

On them the tuning was done by a special bit of rubber over the tuning shaft , and that engaged a serrated gear for the tuning.

If yours is the same, I went to a local auto parts store and got a piece of fuel line and "gently" slipped ( Translation: forced

) it over the shaft.

It worked great to replace the original. Its held up for 6+ years now of use.

60 oldjohn · 1st Nov 2007, 10:58 pm

Thank you Gents for all your help. I will have to get some dark antique gold paint and over spray the lighter brown that I used. I have also found a knob for the tuning. I still have the A.K round metal loud speaker to paint was it originally the same dark brown?
John C.

jgj6331 · 3rd Nov 2007, 3:49 am

Old John,
I'll need a model number (of the speaker) from you to be exact as there was some variation between them. Generally the body was the same dark brown as your radio. On some, the pedestal is a dark antique gold and on some the central grillwork is the same antique gold.
Bill

60 oldjohn · 4th Nov 2007, 3:35 pm

Hi Bill The Model number is E3 the serial number is 467244. I only have the case, the speaker is long gone replaced by a moving-coil loud-speaker any information would be appreciated. John C.

jgj6331 · 4th Nov 2007, 6:11 pm

John, See this page: http://suertenich.com/html/radios/ak_page.html

There is a fairly good restoration of an AK E3 there. Please note, you will have to use a matching transformer to use the modern moving coil speaker replacement in place of the high-impedence original. Bill

60 oldjohn · 6th Nov 2007, 9:14 pm

Hi Bill thank you for your help I should be able to get it finished now. John C

27th Oct 2007, 10:09 am	#1
60 oldjohn Dekatron Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 3,986	Atwater Kent 44 colour Hi all, I won an Atwater Kent 44 radio and speaker in the auction at Cowbit. This set had been sprayed with red oxide the small area that has not been sprayed seems to be black crackel paint. Can any one confirm this, and would It be best to use gloss, matt or satin finish? Thanks for looking John C.

27th Oct 2007, 10:24 am	#2
mickjjo Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dartford, Kent, UK. Posts: 1,661	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour Hi John, I think most Atwater-Kent stuff from this period was finished in a dark brown crackle effect:- http://www.ca.astro.it/web-1/web-gal.../A-K-44-04.jpg http://www.ca.astro.it/web-1/web-gal.../A-K-44-05.jpg I have a 1926 Atwater-Kent 35 and that is the same. Regards, Mick.

29th Oct 2007, 12:27 am	#3
60 oldjohn Dekatron Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 3,986	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour Thank you Mick for your help. I have now bought two tins of brown paint from Halfords. It looks like the middle of the top is a lighter colour than the sides (similar to the tin box inside) My 44 set has a brass post under the left hand tuning knob. In the picture it looks like slow motion tuning. Does any one know if it is it spring loaded or fitted with a rubber washer? Thank you John.

29th Oct 2007, 1:48 am	#4
jgj6331 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Macon, Georgia, USA. Posts: 30	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour The middle section of the top is a dark antique gold. The there should be a knurled brass knob on the post you mention - an early example of a vernier - and the knob should have a thick rubber "O" ring at its base.

29th Oct 2007, 1:52 am	#5
batterymaker1 Heptode Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Posts: 674	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour That's wrinkle, not crackle. Crackle looks like the effects of a dry lake bed. That stuff's the wrinkle material. Lay it on thick and stick a heat source on it. Doing the latter just right will give you a luscious wrinkle. __________________ Just playing with high voltage....

29th Oct 2007, 9:18 am	#6
Mike Phelan Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Near Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK Posts: 4,609	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour John You can actually get wrinkle paint as an aerosol; colours are quite limited, but I have used it, then sprayed a normal aerosol can over it for an exact colour. __________________ Mike.

29th Oct 2007, 3:42 pm	#7
jgj6331 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Macon, Georgia, USA. Posts: 30	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour I have used the technique Mike mentions with good result - you can do a base layer in crackle or - in your case - wrinkle to achieve the desired texture and then paint over it with the proper color. The key is patience - let the wrinkle or crackle cure for a week before putting on the topcoat and keep the topcoat light - just enough to cover the texture. Putting anything on the base coat too early or too thick can flatten out the wrinkling or fill the crackle. Also, you can speed and enhance the wrinkle or crackle process by using a hair dryer or heat gun - start at one corner and slowly work your way over the entire cabinet as the wrinkle "blooms". This may take 30 minutes or more on a cabinet the size of an AK 44. Letting the wrinkle develop on its own often gives less-than-satisfactory results. This is an AK 35 rust bucket I bought for less than a pound (actually $1 US) - the finish was crackle in this case. After sandblasting the surface clean, I used a base of black crackle and the proper brown topcoat along with a satin laquer overcoat at the finish. All finishes were from spray can (aerosol) products. A good surface preparation is essential for a quality result. Hope this helps.... Bill Attached Thumbnails Last edited by jgj6331; 29th Oct 2007 at 4:04 pm.

31st Oct 2007, 11:20 pm	#8
FrankB Heptode Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Olympia, Washington, USA. Posts: 664	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour John, I am not familiar with the AK44, but I have a bunch of 55's. On them the tuning was done by a special bit of rubber over the tuning shaft , and that engaged a serrated gear for the tuning. If yours is the same, I went to a local auto parts store and got a piece of fuel line and "gently" slipped ( Translation: forced) it over the shaft. It worked great to replace the original. Its held up for 6+ years now of use.

1st Nov 2007, 10:58 pm	#9
60 oldjohn Dekatron Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 3,986	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour Thank you Gents for all your help. I will have to get some dark antique gold paint and over spray the lighter brown that I used. I have also found a knob for the tuning. I still have the A.K round metal loud speaker to paint was it originally the same dark brown? John C.

3rd Nov 2007, 3:49 am	#10
jgj6331 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Macon, Georgia, USA. Posts: 30	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour Old John, I'll need a model number (of the speaker) from you to be exact as there was some variation between them. Generally the body was the same dark brown as your radio. On some, the pedestal is a dark antique gold and on some the central grillwork is the same antique gold. Bill

4th Nov 2007, 3:35 pm	#11
60 oldjohn Dekatron Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 3,986	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour Hi Bill The Model number is E3 the serial number is 467244. I only have the case, the speaker is long gone replaced by a moving-coil loud-speaker any information would be appreciated. John C.

4th Nov 2007, 6:11 pm	#12
jgj6331 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Macon, Georgia, USA. Posts: 30	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour John, See this page: http://suertenich.com/html/radios/ak_page.html There is a fairly good restoration of an AK E3 there. Please note, you will have to use a matching transformer to use the modern moving coil speaker replacement in place of the high-impedence original. Bill

6th Nov 2007, 9:14 pm	#13
60 oldjohn Dekatron Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 3,986	Re: Atwater Kent 44 colour Hi Bill thank you for your help I should be able to get it finished now. John C