Michael Coslo wrote:

side note: I once went to a classroom where a true minimalist had hung a
data projector from the ceiling from wires. Problem was, the fan would
push the projector, only as far as the wires would allow, and it made a
pendulum. People were getting seasick!

All that for the lack of one, properly placed additional wire, heh.

My thoughts are to make a setup that incorporates the aesthetic in a
fashion that is applicable to the situation. The equipment has to sit on
something, so it will be made in a fashion that involves natural
materials, and brass will be used where needed. I'm not going to remove
my radios from their cases and build wooden boxes around them. I don't
plan on overly embellishing the station, my goals are a warm feeling
with an antique look where practical

That's easily and authentically achieved by obtaining an old wooden desk
and some genuine vintage equipment.

I have the castoff oak veneered desk from W8YX, the University of
Cincinnati ARC station. It is shown in a photo of the station which
appeared in a 1937 QST article about the Ohio River flood.

If I want a "thirties feel", I can fire up W4JBP's homebrew xtal
controlled 6L6 rig and pair it up with an HRO, SW-3, FB-7, an RME 69 or
a Hallicrafter Sky Challenger. If I want to move to the fifties, my
Johnson Valiant or Central 20-A might be paired with an HQ-70 or a
Collins 75A-3.

Dressing up modern technology to look as if it is powered by steam,
strikes me as more than a tad silly.

Dave K8MN