11-21-2020, 04:22 PM
If you have patience and don’t mind spending some time your dial might be able to be made acceptable. The dial face on my 38-14 which I believe is the same as your 38-17, was also in very bad shape:
First, I cleaned the foil with soap and water and then alcohol to get as much dirt and stains off as I could without damaging the foil. Then I used gold leaf which is a very thin sheet of real gold that you can get at craft stores and applied two layers of it with a magnifier and tweezers. next I gently pressed the foil into the cardboard backing which still has the imprint of the old foil pattern which transferred the pattern to the new gold foil.
Next, I touched up the dial with gold leaf and dark brown paint and gave it a light clear acrylic coating to bring out the shine.
For a practical restoration, although not like new, I think it look fine. I don’t know of any other alternatives unless, as Paul Philco322 says, someone does the artwork and gets new ones printed up.
Steve D
First, I cleaned the foil with soap and water and then alcohol to get as much dirt and stains off as I could without damaging the foil. Then I used gold leaf which is a very thin sheet of real gold that you can get at craft stores and applied two layers of it with a magnifier and tweezers. next I gently pressed the foil into the cardboard backing which still has the imprint of the old foil pattern which transferred the pattern to the new gold foil.
Next, I touched up the dial with gold leaf and dark brown paint and gave it a light clear acrylic coating to bring out the shine.
For a practical restoration, although not like new, I think it look fine. I don’t know of any other alternatives unless, as Paul Philco322 says, someone does the artwork and gets new ones printed up.
Steve D
