Crystal Radio Baseboard 4 inch by 12 inch by 1/2 inch

The crystal radio is built on a baseboard 12-inch long by 4-inch wide, and ½-inch thick. It should be sanded softwood, with a smooth finish. A baseboard is not so difficult to find, because in the old days "engineers" used to steal their mum's breadboard... Not naming who... as Bart Simpson always says, "I'll take the fifth on that." :-)

Most people first think of their local B&Q, but they will not cut anything less than 23 cm. Their brass screws and screw cups were also more expensive and you get much less. After many hours of walking around the shop and searching, I found a tiny overpriced sad-looking bag with some tarnished brass cups and it was excessively expensive for my pocket.

The Great British George

Luckily, there is also a local timber store where I live, and the owner, George, is one of those old-fashioned people who provides a great service with a smile. He reminds me of that great Englishman Fred Dibnah, who always had a smile on his face, so I always go there.

Pine and other softwoods are a wonderful resource, and whenever possible I prefer to use off-cuts or anything that would otherwise be thrown away. This lovely rich golden brown coloured material is a precious resource, which deserves great respect.

George kindly cut three nice pieces, and even sanded the edges. The total price for all this, including The Great British George cutting the timber came to a mere 3.50p, and that is good value! I bought three pieces because; I needed two for my two whippersnappers, and one for myself, for rebuilding my old Ladybird Book Transistor Radio.

Recycling and Minimising Waste

Whilst I was at the local timber store, I saw many small off-cut pieces on the floor, and I picked up two that were the same size. They were machine cut, with straight edges, and it occurred to me to attach these to the sides to raise the board. By raising the board, you then have space underneath for an additional circuit for the future, kind of like a double-sided breadboard! By raising the board, it also looks more like an electronics science fair type station for experimentation.

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