[Poston Drake]

Hi Gary,

This will be a challenge but I am sure you will do a great job. Keep us posted on your progress.

Could be termites or other bugs did this damage, but from your initial photos it looks like mud dauber tracks on the cabinet, and they would certainly be capable of doing this kind of damage as they ingest the wood fibers in order to build their nests. These rascals can really make a mess. We normally think of their nests as being composed of mud, hence their name "mud dauber" but I am told it is actually cellulose material derived from plants, or in this case a wooden cabinet.

But you also have some positives going for you on this radio: The front of the radio looks very good and I am sure you can repair its back side as you describe. And the chassis and speaker frame seem to be relatively rust-free which is a miracle, considering the cabinet seems to have had seen considerable water. And I am surprised they did not also attack the paper speaker cone, which from its back side still looks OK.

Poston