This is what the tone control looks like, now I think Maven has got it more or less right.
There could be a bunch of washers and discs underneath,
and every second disc connected to ground,
then turning the dial just connects more and more positive discs.

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Maybe it was supposed to have a back cover, but it still works.


This is what I did with the coil because I'm too afraid to tighten it into it's
star washer onto the chassis.
If the coil rubbed on surrounding wire, my join would open again.
I don't know if the screw acting as a core needs to be earthed,
but it won't hurt since it definitely was.

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Awesome I got it back strong, it's got something on the panel called a noise suppressor,
and it's a rotary switch in one position or the other,
but wasn't really making contact with one lug or the other
behind the switch.. that made all the difference.
It's a real good set now

Here's my first restoration of sorts:
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I was going to pay to get it done, but curiosity got the better of me.
I have no idea what the original colours are supposed to be,
but I think now, a couple of light areas should be stained dark.

Often mouldings such as the light areas are finished in black or brown such as mission brown. Have found a good finish can be obtained by painting with the appropriate colour (even matte) and then following with a clear finish.

It's french polish STC I've only gone light so far to allow for changing things.

According to Wikipedia, manufacturers stopped using shellac
through the 30's because it was too labour intensive,
so it seems like they were sprayed or brushed somehow,
maybe after some staining.

I've darkened the blonde parts, but I agree it wants to go even darker in those areas.

They painted I think because the joints in the mouldings, which can't be veneered, needed disguising. I got the best result using clear over matte black. I can only describe the resulting finish as having a "deep" shine.

I have used polyurethane as it is tougher than the cellulose finish that took over from french polish, and is better for day-to-day use.

The original dark finishes to edges and trims was in a product called Black Japan, which was also used in Victorian and Federation era houses on floorboards either side of "hall runner" carpets as carpet was seldom wall-to-wall in those days.

That must be why it's easy to get a hall runner of the era,
but not pieces of carpet.
I got this one from industrial waste (not a hall runner)
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which I would guess is from the 60's.

I want to do a corner display in a modern box home,
potentially with a illusionary false wall,
using different architraves, and bakelite power point and switch.

But the whole thing is just a frame that sits on the floor in the corner, and can be moved.