Hi all,

My father just picked up a green HMV 'Little Nipper' radio from a local weekend market. Based on old advertisements, I'm guessing it's late 1950's. He only paid $25 for it and it is complete with the exception of the Little Nipper script badge, part of it is missing. The unit lights up but there is no sound. It will just be for display anyway.

Has anyone reproduce the 'Little Nipper' script badge or would someone have a spare that I could buy?

Also, I plan to strip the unit down to clean and polish it. Should I be wary of any asbestos lining in this unit? I'm also going to repaint the fascia as the white paint has started flaking off. Has anyone tried to do this before and if so, what should I use to remove the old paint?

Cheers!

RadioDaze.

Michael Raanan does these, I'm pretty sure.
His email address is in your email inbox rather than posting it here.
Harold

Wetting the asbestos mats before removing them is safe. Do the removal work outside as a precaution and simply wet the asbestos right through. This stops the fibres becoming airborne. The mat will either be stapled to the timber or fastened with the same animal glue used to bind the timbers that make up the cabinet and this glue will dissolve in water making the mat easier to prise off with a paint scraper.

UPDATE: I mis-read your question. As far as I know, no 1960s plastic radios had any asbestos insulation in them. Because of this, many of these radios suffered badly due to the heat from the valves, particularly the rectifier and power amplifier valves which get hotter than the others.

If someone comes by some asbestos in a radio however, the comment in the first paragraph would apply.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Harold, I need a couple of those Little Nipper badges, can you please send me the email/

Baz

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Baz

VK6MU

Baz, either unhide your email, or email me so I can reply.
Harold

There you go Harold, should be unhidden. Thanks,

Baz

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Baz

VK6MU

The unit lights up but there is no sound.
Since you are going to a lot of trouble to restore the cabinet, it would be a shame not to follow through and restore the electronics as well. It could be as simple as a single loose wire.

Lighting up with no sound could also indicate a condition that could turn dangerous, say with something over-heating.

This forum is loaded with hundreds of posts about how to identify faults, where to start checking, safety precautions, where to find parts, tools etc.

You will be so much more proud of your Little Nipper if it is pumping out Golden Oldies or whatever your taste in programming may be.

The main risk is that once you have fixed one, you may find that you are tempted to fix another, and from then it is a slippery slope to becoming an addicted collector.

Maven

I would love a dollar for every time I have seen that "lights up" statement posted on forums & flea bay.

You do not turn these things on to see if it works, unless it has been proven to work, by some one that knows. Even I will not ever power an unknown set.

My normal treatment of asbestos is to wet it down with PVA adhesive. That stops bits flying off. Do not even think of doing anything to it with out a decent respirator. Stay away from food & beverages and its preparation area: Shed the clothes (not in public) and shower before you do.

There are several variants within that lot, with a basically similar plot & same valves, the latter having a ferrite antenna. For some weird reason, within that series, they changed the front end screen resistors from 2 x 22K to a 10K 1 watt? Its overloaded & slowly cooks. (use 2Watt or go back to 2 resistors. They also used an OP transformer that was tarred (but not feathered). Those have an attrition rate.

I must of overhauled over a dozen of this series (even have one) easily repaired very common. Shame to see it as a "shelf queen".

Do not power it again. consider removing the plug / cut off cable, until such time as it is overhauled. Not safe, probably illegal to sell it without warning, anyway.

There are a few sets in the sixties with asbestos, had one this year. Do not ever pick the radio up by the top of the cabinet.

I like the Ebay classic 'doesn't go but probably just needs a new valve'. What people who say that don't realise is how resilient the humble valve is.

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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

Add this to the list: "It makes a humming sound but can't get a station. Probably needs a good aerial".

I am a newby on here and have also one of these and are chasing one knob and a badge for it. The unit I have came from my wife's grandfather so is just a sentimental piece, I have a couple of other Bakelite units and a pair of radiograms I will post about shortly.
Can I get the info sent on the Little Nipper Badges too?