The Museum of Obsolete Technology
You thought it would never happen: A new MOOT Workshop video is now up on the MOOT YouTube channel!
This 1935 Hamilton Prescott wristwatch is missing a crown, and may not run, let's see if we can get it back in working order again.
My 1935 Hamilton “Prescott.” It didn’t run when I got it. I had another 987-F movement that ran, but you couldn’t set the time. I replaced the broken part on that one, and transplanted it into this watch.
Brush Development Company piezo headphones, circa 1940s.
This is a 1935 Hamilton “Prescott.”
The watch on the right is not running, and is missing its crown. It looks like the dial has been refinished, and the hands do not appear to be original. The serial number of the movement dates to 1930, so even that might not be original.
The movement on the left is also not running, but it has its original dial, hands and crown, and its serial number dates it to the correct year - 1935!
Maybe we can end up with a mostly original, working watch out of these parts! Stay tuned…
1930s Hammond Synchronous electric clock, the “Como” model. That’s the same Hammond as in Hammond Organs.
From back when we went to Radio Shack for all of our electronic doo-dads.
We just added a new video to our YouTube channel:
Steve restores the power and audio amplification board for the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 floor radio, which involves devising some replica components.
The power/audio board for the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 floor radio, restored and ready for installation.
Another replica 1930s-style resistor completed.
Cleaned, nickel-plated, and polished the connectors that snap onto the tops of the tubes in the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 radio.
Without that Z-80 Softcard installed, the Apple //e powers up. (With it in, the power supply clicks continuously.) I don’t plan on running CP/M necessarily, so I think we can do without it. Now we can check the machine out properly.
Got a spiffy new mic for voiceovers.
Just posted the next installment of the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 radio restoration:
Transformer, choke, and capacitor block reinstalled into the 1930 Brunswick radio chassis. So many pretty wires!
Original capacitor block for the 1930 Brunswick radio on the left, replica on the right. (I couldn’t resist sculpting in some fake bubbles.) Just needs a coat of gloss on it, and it’s ready to go.
Here are the guts of the replacement for the big capacitor block in the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 radio.
The restoration of the power/amplification board for the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 radio is nearing completion.
This weird little plastic thing, perched on the back edge of the power/amplifier board in the 1930 Brunswick radio used to be filled with an ancient capacitor. It was almost surely bad after over 90 years, so I scraped it out and replaced it with this tiny yellow modern capacitor of the same value, held in place with epoxy putty. There are at least six more similar ones in the radio to give the same treatment to.
Worked out how to make a decent look-alike for the old resistors in the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 radio. The replica is slightly bigger, and the leads are slightly thinner, but it maintains the character of the original. There’s a modern 1-watt 50K resistor inside.
Now I have to make several more of varying colors and values.
There’s something really satisfying about finding an actual date stamped inside a piece of equipment. This is the big capacitor block from the Brunswick Model 15 floor radio.
That big ugly block from the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 radio contains seven capacitors. I’ll be building a replacement for it, using the modern parts in the bags behind it.
In other news, completion of the Movie-Mite projector will be stalled a bit, as the projector bulb (which initially worked, amazingly) burned out, and replacements are expensive.
Some kitchen appliance candidates for future MOOT Workshop episodes: A 2000s Michael Graves Design blender, and 1950s Osterizer blender and Sunbeam Mixmaster (with meat grinder attachment).
Update: The Mixmaster is older than I originally thought. It could be as old as 1935!
Sound module for the Movie-Mite 16mm projector, all re-capped, cleaned, and both pots replaced (the originals were completely frozen).
I’m mystified by the numbering around the controls. Anybody got an idea why it would be labeled this way?
Apple IIe power supply from 1985, doesn’t seem to be working. Although none of the electrolytic capacitors are visibly bad, we will replace them as a first step and see what happens.
We just posted a new video on our YouTube channel!
Steve cleans up and refurbishes a circa 1950 Kellogg 1000 series "redbar" telephone.
Kellogg 1000 series “red bar” telephone refurbishment is complete!
Typical day in the MOOT Workshop:
Me: This thing doesn’t look so bad.
Thing: I’m all full of ancient electrolytic capacitors and my tone and volume pots are frozen and won’t turn no matter how much contact cleaner you spray into them! You will have to replace the lot. Hahahaha!
930 Photocell tube, used to detect the sound in the optical audio track in our 1940s 16mm film projector.
Kellogg Masterphone 1000 series “red bar” telephone, c. 1950
Magazine Cine-Kodak 16mm movie camera c. 1950, with leather case and instruction manual. In need of some restoration.
Just posted a new video on the MOOT YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK3E2_-Iblk
Steve de-rusts, polishes up, and re-assembles the "Armored Chassis" of the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 floor radio, and then refurbishes and reinstalls the tunin...
Be careful with chemicals in your workshop, including oil. Learn from my misery.
https://youtu.be/8R7xKuxg-3Q
Steve tells a cautionary tale of what happens if you aren't careful with oil in your workshop.
The refurbished tuning condenser and dial have been installed in the Brunswick radio!
Final decal art with dummy colors to show where silver and gold will be in the decal.
Decal test: This is going to work well. (The big color print is a photo of the original.) For the real thing, I’ll be putting down a silver paint backing for the whole thing, gold behind the banner, and then the decal on top (with final artwork). Part of this test was to see how the red will look, since the ink is a bit transparent, and to try the decal paper, which is wonderful. And yes, I know it’s not centered. It’s a test!
A quick test at re-creating the artwork for the decal on the back of the Brunswick radio chassis. If I take a little more time and care with the final, the decal is going to be virtually indistinguishable from the original.
Starting to re-assemble the 1930 Brunswick Model 15 floor radio.
Three days ago marked a year since we posted our first video. Thanks to everyone who has enjoyed our videos, and thank you to everyone who has subscribed, and if you haven’t yet, please do!
https://youtube.com/c/MuseumOfObsoleteTechnology
Reston, VA
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Apple IIe Test :)
Coming Soon to the MOOT: The Exhibit Hall, where we do a short historical videos on items in our collection. The first will be the Polaroid SX-70 Camera.
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