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FERGUSON 454
CLICK THE IMAGES FOR LARGER PICTURES
follow this step by step massive restoration job
updated as progress is made - start date 20th Jan 2008
THIS WAS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FROM MY DAUGHTER - ABI
This 1945 Ferguson is a real beauty. It even has an RF amplifier. However, it's going to take me some time to restore it to its former glory. A mouse has been in residence inside the cabinet, and he's chewed the aerial input coil which is now open circuit. He's also chewed some of the wiring but that's not a real problem. The cabinet is good and so is the dial glass, but the chassis, which was originally painted blue at the factory, is now somewhat rusty. This will be a major restoration job and you can follow the progress of this lengthy project, step by step, by checking this page regularly. Don't check too regularly though as it's going to take me some time to complete the job.
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Ferguson 454 mains radio circa 1945
This is a lovely radio but take a look at the state of the chassis. |
The chassis being stripped. Just look at the rust. |
Rusty tuning gang removed. The full extent of the chassis rust is now clear. |
After a good clean up, the rusty tuning gang looks much better sprayed grey |
The painted chassis with the mains transformer and dial glass backing plate sprayed. |
There's a lot of work to do yet but it's beginning to take shape at last.
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Underside of the chassis, before restoration, showing the old wax capacitors. |
The first time I switched it on, it worked.
And this was on Jan 25th, only five days after I started working on the radio.
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There wasn't plastic, as we know it, back in the forties. I think this dial is made from cellophane, but I can't be sure. The rough edges will be concealed by the radio cabinet. |
Ferguson 454 mains radio completed.
The knobs don't match but I'm hoping to find a decent set before long.
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To find that the radio worked the first time I switched it on was quite amazing. Having replaced all the wiring the mouse had chewed, and every coupling and decoupling capacitor, I then plugged in the original valves and the radio burst into life. I did have to replace the rectifier valve as someone had put the wrong one in the socket. Bearing in mind that the radio was in a terrible state when it came to me, and it's sixty-three years old, I assumed that it would have several faults.
Apart from the wiring and replacing the old wax capacitors, I had to replace the HT smoothing capacitors and the volume control, which was rusted solid. I still have a long way to go. The aerial input coil, chewed by the mouse, is going to be a problem, and I haven't even tried it on the short wave band. But I'll get there in the end.
This is an interesting radio. The tone control is on the back, rather than the front, and the speaker is not a permanent magnet type. The speaker uses a field coil, a separate winding powered by the HT voltage, to generate the magnetic field for the voice coil.
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Ferguson 454 and 104 service Manual HERE
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READ THIS IMPORTANT WARNING NOTICE
ONLY BUY A RESTORED RADIO FROM A COMPETENT RADIO ENGINEER
ONLY HAVE YOUR RADIO REPAIRED BY A COMPETENT RADIO ENGINEER
Many early mains radios have a live chassis. That means that the metal work inside the radio may be LIVE (connected to the mains) and it can KILL YOU if you come into contact with it. Exposed screws or any other metal work on the outside of the cabinet or fascia of the radio must be checked for safety by a competent engineer.
DO NOT CONNECT ANY EXTERNAL WIRING TO ANY SOCKETS ON YOUR RADIO UNLESS THE RADIO HAS BEEN CHECKED AND CERTIFIED AS SAFE BY A QUALIFIED ENGINEER
If in any doubt, consult a qualified radio engineer.
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I'm Ray, my phone number is 01903 610090
I'M IN WORTHING, WEST SUSSEX
THE RADIO WORKSHOP
VINTAGE RADIO REPAIRS AND SALES
