04-05-2008, 09:25 AM
Hi John
Oh my, you picked quite a project as your first restoration.
Once you get past that painted cabinet, and replace the escutcheon and pushbuttons with new repros from Old-Time Replications...you have that chassis to deal with.
That series (41-250/255/280/285/290/296) are, IMHO, the HARDEST Philcos to work on. Due to the man-hours it takes to properly restore one of these beasties, I no longer repair them for others. Rubber-covered wire galore...just wait until you get to the band switch.
But you want cabinet advice...
An option, though toxic and requiring use of heavy-duty rubber gloves, is acetone rubbed on with 0000 steel wool. It will remove just about anything. You should only use this OUTDOORS due to the toxic vapors.
Most strippers these days are environmentally-friendly crap that will barely take off one layer of old lacquer.
Now to your question about the vertical piece to the left of the grille. That coloring is the base for the photofinish used on these two vertical bars (to the left and right of the grille proper). See the 41-280X in my site's Philco Gallery.
http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/1941a.htm#ae
Like the black paint, you will get the dark brown off with stripping, and patience.
Once stripped, you have two choices:
1. Try to replicate the photofinish on those bars; or
2. Just apply new tinted lacquer and forget it.
Bear in mind that with option 2, those bars are going to look VERY plain. That is cheap white wood under the fancy photofinish. (The photofinish is obviously gone on your set, but you can see it in the photo in my Gallery.)
If you're interested in replicating the original photofinish, look here:
http://www.philcoradio.com/schooley/
Finally, if you are interested, here is a complete listing of the Philco model numbers of this series:
39-31XK (January 1939)
40-180XF
41-280X
42-380X
46-480
Good luck with your project.
Oh my, you picked quite a project as your first restoration.
Once you get past that painted cabinet, and replace the escutcheon and pushbuttons with new repros from Old-Time Replications...you have that chassis to deal with.
That series (41-250/255/280/285/290/296) are, IMHO, the HARDEST Philcos to work on. Due to the man-hours it takes to properly restore one of these beasties, I no longer repair them for others. Rubber-covered wire galore...just wait until you get to the band switch.
But you want cabinet advice...
An option, though toxic and requiring use of heavy-duty rubber gloves, is acetone rubbed on with 0000 steel wool. It will remove just about anything. You should only use this OUTDOORS due to the toxic vapors.
Most strippers these days are environmentally-friendly crap that will barely take off one layer of old lacquer.
Now to your question about the vertical piece to the left of the grille. That coloring is the base for the photofinish used on these two vertical bars (to the left and right of the grille proper). See the 41-280X in my site's Philco Gallery.
http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/1941a.htm#ae
Like the black paint, you will get the dark brown off with stripping, and patience.
Once stripped, you have two choices:
1. Try to replicate the photofinish on those bars; or
2. Just apply new tinted lacquer and forget it.
Bear in mind that with option 2, those bars are going to look VERY plain. That is cheap white wood under the fancy photofinish. (The photofinish is obviously gone on your set, but you can see it in the photo in my Gallery.)
If you're interested in replicating the original photofinish, look here:
http://www.philcoradio.com/schooley/
Finally, if you are interested, here is a complete listing of the Philco model numbers of this series:
39-31XK (January 1939)
40-180XF
41-280X
42-380X
46-480
Good luck with your project.
--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
