My grandfather had something like that at his Oklahoma farm. Six volts for filaments supplied by the car battery he'd switch around for farm reports and ball games. Plate voltage supplied by big B battery that seemed to last a long time, a carbon pile affair with similar plug. I was fascinated by it, or course.
I would not recommend Old English, or any other material that has silicone in it. Silicone is a bear to deal with if you intend to refinish at some point, especially if the finish is lacquer. Light sanding and an oil of some sort is the way to go, IMO.
I would never spray the cabinet with wd-40, its mainly for size comparison as the radio looked small in the pictures otherwise.
That's good to know. We used OE in our service centers back in the '70s and '80s, and it was perfect for making speaker and amplifier cabinets look brand new. I don't think it had silicone back then, but maybe I'm wrong. As a woodworker myself, I do understand the problem with silicone. Even plumber's grease gets a special place in the garage so it won't migrate to the tools.
If there is any doubt look it up by tube number. Your Silver Tone, are the tubes miniatures, seven pin affairs or full sized like ones in the OP's pictures?
As his pic shows, they're octal with grid caps. 1A6,1A7, 1H6, that sort of 1.5 voltage filament tubes in all likelihood. Same as in mine. ( farm radio, that is.) All my later battery/AC portables also use 1.5 volt tubes (7 pin minis) with exception of the 3v4 output tubes. As for trying to battery- power those things, forget it. Some required an A battery, a B battery & sometimes a C. Voltage requirements for these were all over the map. They also have a line cord so no need to use unobtainium battery packs which in some cases doubled the weight of the radio.
Am familiar with later seven pin minis being 1.5 volt for battery sets. I have Silver tone with that arrangement plus 90 B battery, had to do some work but it plays fine. Am not familiar with 1.5 volt octal tubes. Farm radio I am familiar with had six volt filaments and no C battery. The 3v4 tube has a center tap for the filament allowing for 1.5 volt operation if the tap is used. I think my Silver Tone has a 3v4 output, quite sure of it. The radio uses 1.5 battery for filaments. Thinking farm radios and tube designs, filament voltage, 1.5 volt battery was common in telephone talk circuits as well as model engine glow plug use, number six was the number I believe, had screw terminals on top. A great big D battery.
The only $$$ tube in the later tube T-Os is the 1L6, very limited number of battery portables besides Zeniths used those. There exists a modern-day solid-state replacement for it, bur it ain't cheap either. The rest of the tube complement were extensively used in a myriad of battery portables from late 1940s- late 1950s & easy & cheap to find at least in my tube stash & other's I've seen.
Lat time I bought one about 10 years ago they were in the $40 price range. Probably more like $100 now....
