![Hammarlund-HQ120X](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X.jpg)
Many thanks to Colin Snow for sharing the following photos and commenting on his Hammarlund HQ-120X restoration. I originally noticed his photos in the Extreme Shortwave Listening group on Facebook and he kindly wrote up descriptions for each image to be published here on the SWLing Post:
Hammarlund HQ-120X restoration
by Colin Snow
![Hammarlund HQ-120X](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ-120X.jpg)
Purchased on eBay March, 2016. Hammarlund HQ-120X (1939 restored) and PSC/10 speaker (1939 original). The radio was frist restored by KE7RD, the collector who owned this unit for years. This was a late production version. It has 6K7’s instead of 6S7’s (good). The O/P TRANS has been replaced and an SO-239 added. It was recapped and aligned both IF + RF and works well on all bands.”
![Hammarlund-HQ120X-2](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X-2.jpg)
I had the cabinet repainted locally at NRI Sandblasting and Coating with a black semi-gloss crinkle powder coat paint. I cleaned the chrome part of the handles with Quick Glo and stripped and painted the two shoulders with black gloss enamel.
![Hammarlund-HQ120X-3](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X-3.jpg)
I had the speaker enclosure stripped and painted at the same time as the cabinet with the same black semi-gloss crinkle powder coat.
![Hammarlund-HQ120X-5](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X-5.jpg)
The original 1939 speaker was a 10″ Jensen. It worked, but I wanted the best possible sound. This current production model Jensen fit exactly.
![HAmmarlund-HQ120X 6](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/HAmmarlund-HQ120X-6.jpg)
White lines for the knobs were done using white out. The lines are grooved so I just gobbed it on and wiped off the excess.
![Hammarlund-HQ120X-Faceplate](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X-Faceplate.jpg)
I had the faceplate rescreened by Adam’s Precision Screen Printing, Inc. San Leandro, CA. They created a film positive first, then a negative screen.
![Hammarlund-HQ120X-9](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X-9.jpg)
It was a perfect job. The color and sheen matched original. This should last longer because it is an epoxy ink that has been baked to harden.
![Hammarlund-HQ120X-knobs](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X-knobs.jpg)
The lettering came out clean. Even though they made a 1.5X negative they still had to create artwork for the fonts. The original letters were just etched into to aluminum. It looked like it was done by hand.
![Hammarlund-HQ120X-8](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X-8.jpg)
Funny how words change. We now say “megahertz”, not “megacycles.”
![Hammarlund-HQ-120X-DialLight](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ-120X-DialLight.jpg)
I refurbished the dial windows myself. They were easy to strip and I used a flat black enamel spray. The S-meter glass was dirty so I disassembled it and cleaned with Quick Glo.
![Hammarlund-HQ120X-10](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X-10.jpg)
Still works after all that!
![Hammarlund-HQ120X-12](https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Hammarlund-HQ120X-12.jpg)
Its final resting place is my office and looks pretty good next to an original Tiffany’s lamp. I have a second listening post.
Colin, I can see that you spared no expense to restore this Hammarlund HQ-120X and it has paid off–an absolutely gorgeous job! I love how its “final resting place” is in a part of your office that gives it an appropriate amount of space–a place to be admired and, more importantly, enjoyed. I bet the 120 sounds simply amazing!
Thanks again for sharing these photos and your commentary, Colin!