Hi - I'm back again after 9 days in a Duchess of Kent hospice in Reading. They gave me superb treatment and fortunately, I recovered fairly quickly! I lost 2 and a half days though through delirium etc. due to toxins from drugs having a go at my kidneys but I finally recovered and was able to build my strength up again 
. I must say that the Duchess of Kent Charity is one to which I donate and will continue to do so as they do a superb job - (all free of charge, should you not wish, or can't, pay).
On my return home, I had to decide what to do as my next job! I have an HMV 900 which I was going to strip to replace the electronics which had been stripped from a Marconi 705. However, I have changed my mind as I decided that ruining the originality of the 900 was not a good thing. I will try to source a 705 as that is what I want (What I really, really want!).
So what to do? Neither the 900 or the 705 had rear covers so I decided to make some for them using a friend's kindness in supplying drawings of his rear covers. The thing which surprised me was that the timber used for the frames is a 17mm thick hardwood! I've used Sapele Mahogony which will stain down nicely - it's very expensive though - £77 for enough for 3 rear covers!
On top of that, I decided to buy a thicknessed/planer - ST3300 - from Axminster to plane the wood down to 17mm from 19.5mm. I was amazed at the performance of the device - thicknessing a 2.4M length of 19.5mm x 62 down to 17mm in under 30 seconds using roller stands to guide the stock.
After preparing the timber, It came to setting up my vertical Bandsaw to cut the mortice and tennon joints for the corners and, many bits of test wood later, I was able to make the frames.
Here's a couple of pictures of them before any glueing or staining so they'll look much better after those processes.
This is the back for the 900, the 705 being very similar. The cut-outs for external connections need to be completed and then the staining etc. I must say, I'm quite happy with the way they have turned out!
Glad to see you back Brian.
Yes the hospice movement provide a really wonderful service, I support my local one by volunteering for reception work so I know how much they contribute to the community.
Nice work with those cabinets.
Frank
Can't keep a good man down, great to have you back Brian
Cabinet work looking good too, keep up the great work, look forward to further updates.
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Hi Brian, the old place just ain't the same without you !!
Welcome back 
To understand the black art of electronics is to understand witchcraft. Andrew.
Great to have you back Brian and nice to see you back at the bench again.
Marc.
Marc
BVWS member
RSGB call sign 2E0VTN
Hi Brian,
delighted to have you back on the forum again. I have to make a similar type back cover for the RGD 1046 radiogram. It's a question of space for me because a planer and surfacer might be too big to fit in the workshop and it's a tool that will not be in regular use. Does the planer tool fold up when it's not in use?
Till Eulenspiegel.
Hi Till
the Axminster supplied BT330 is table-top machine which is a relatively easy one-man lift. Maximum planing width is 12" with a thicknessing maximum of about 5". The machine itself is very tidily built but is quite noisy, having a carbon brush motor driving the cutters and wood transport.
All in all, a good machine at a reasonable price - not cheap - but the build quality suggests a reasonably long life can be expected.
Link to the Axminster BT330 planer surfacer: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-trade-series-ct330-330mm-thicknesser-501207
Till Eulenspiegel.
Hello Brian,
I'm glad to see you're up and at it again, and going in full vigour. I am, as ever, impressed by your ingenuity and resourcefulness in your projects and can see yet another professional restoration rolling off your metaphorical conveyor belt.
That machine sounds like one mighty useful tool!
One wonders just what you're going to come up with next.
Marion
I've bought some olive green hessian-type material for the backs. I think that it will look the part when glued onto the frames. I'll use hot glue with perhaps a lath about 1.5mm thick to hold it down. I had to cut this off the original sapele stock and l have 5 bits, each 2.4M long so that should be enough.
i powered up the TRF chassis yesterday afternoon and was unfortunately greeted by rather a lot of instability and little or no signal so that's going.to be the task for today - whatcha this space.
