The PHILCO Phorum
42-323 tennite front grill - Printable Version

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42-323 tennite front grill - mark03 - 03-17-2014

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, and my first radio restoration project. I picked up a 42-323 tabletop radio on craigslist, which I am now repairing electrically. I have an electrical-engineering background so I'm not too worried about that part, but I'm a lot less confident on the mechanical / aesthetic side.

The cabinet wood and leatherette are in pretty good shape, really, just some nicks here and there, and a ring on the top from water or heat or ??. Decals look good. A friend suggested Howard's restor-a-finish, which I intend to try out soon.

I've been told the front grill is from a swirly brown/black material called tennite. Over time, the deformation caused a big crack across one corner, and the narrow strips running over the speaker have buckled inward a bit. I looked on antiqueradioknobs.com but he doesn't list a replacement for my model. In any case, I'm not trying to make it look brand new---really just looking for an 80% solution. Anyone have suggestions for epoxy repair?

RE: 42-323 tennite front grill - mark03 - 03-20-2014

How about bakelite then? Anyone try using epoxy to fill and hide cracks in a bakelite front grill? Maybe the same technique would work on the tennite. It looks pretty similar.

RE: 42-323 tennite front grill - klondike98 - 03-20-2014

Welcome to the Phorum! I don't have a 42-323 but do have the 42-322 which had the same chassis. If the grill is just cracked and not all shriveled up its probably bakelite but perhaps someone else will know for sure. Here's a thread that might help . What's it look like, a picture might help others proved some suggestions.

RE: 42-323 tennite front grill - jerryhawthorne - 03-21-2014

Mark, not any way has been posted successfully to "flatten" out those tennite bezels. I had one that had bowed out in the middle almost 1/8" on the top. It looked awful. I did mix some epoxy up and tinted it with some Pactra model paints to get the color right. I used masking tape on the outside and inside of the edge to make a dam. Applied the epoxy in the dam and after a couple of days drying I sanded it flat so it fit against the wood well. Not perfect in color but looks a lot better than having that big noticeable gap. You could probably try the same approach to fixing and filling your crack.
Good luck, Jerry

RE: 42-323 tennite front grill - Jamie - 03-23-2014

Someone really needs to reproduce those grills. I am surprised that no one has done it.

RE: 42-323 tennite front grill - Ron Ramirez - 03-23-2014

No one is reproducing the 42-323 grille for the same reason no one is reproducing the 41-226 et al. grilles - supply and demand. If someone with $$$$ who either has the ability to do this, or can afford to have it done, sees an opportunity to make more $$$$, then it will happen.

Although with the 41-226 and others using this grille, I think there should be enough demand for it but no one wants to do it, for whatever reason. Icon_eh

Mark - it's worth a try to use the epoxy, you have nothing to lose in your case.

RE: 42-323 tennite front grill - Eliot Ness - 03-23-2014

I thought Stephen Masek in CA was getting ready to re-pop some of those, but it has been over two years since I heard him mention anything so he might have given up or put it on a back burner.

The bright side is Kirk (OldRestorer) is currently in the process of making up a mold.

One problem is that Larry Bordonaro (antiqueradioknobs.com), who made a lot of Philco parts, has been sick for the last few years and probably won't be making any new parts.

RE: 42-323 tennite front grill - OldRestorer - 03-24-2014

I will look into making the grills.
If these current grills pan out well, I will give it a go.

A friend has a 3D printer for her business so It may be an option for both If I cant do it.

RE: 42-323 tennite front grill - mark03 - 03-25-2014

Hey everyone, thanks for the advice! I'll try some epoxy to fix the crack. I am fortunate in that my grill still mostly comforms at the edges, and the bowed section in the lower middle part is bowed inward, towards the speaker. It's quite symmetric, almost natural-looking.