[Bob Andersen]

Like Ron I'm rushing to take advantage of a mini heatwave to get this cabinet refinished ASAP.

[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8464/81206...08d9_z.jpg]

First, I dealt with some open joints and loose glue blocks and veneer separation.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8189/81253...559b_z.jpg]

A few minutes with some steel wool and a 50/50 mix of lacquer thinner and acetone took care of the remaining traces of old finish.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8326/81253...6d76_z.jpg]

I thought I was done with the gluing, but noticed some more separation around the speaker.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8191/81253...60c5_z.jpg]

Time for the grain filler. Luckily, I still have about half a can of Constantines left.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/81253...cdda_z.jpg] [Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8056/81253...78f7_z.jpg]

Next up comes the lacquer.

[Arran]

Those grill bars are bad for delaminating in things like this, but in Philcos in particular, in fact the ones in my 620 were broken and glued back together at least twice. The front panel on mine really needs to be re-veneered, not only to cover up the cracks in the grille bars but someone used a disk sander on it and left crescent shaped scratches and gouges all over it.
Regards
Arran

[Bob Andersen]

Ouch! I just put on a couple coats of sanding sealer and it's looking pretty good. I can't wait to get some toner on it

[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8189/81264...68f9_z.jpg]

[TA Forbes]

Just remember if you are going to apply "Topp's American League Rookie All Stars" or "Birds of North Carolina" stickers to your cabinet, do it before you apply the clear coat.

[Bob Andersen]

The set pictured in the gallery shows the top edge the same as the center panel.

However, I came across a comment left by Ron on another forum stating that everything above the Philco logo should be dark like the sides.
Now this was for a 620. Does that also apply to the 623 cabinet ? I hope so, because I like the way it looks
[Image: http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk168...lco620.jpg]

[Bob Andersen]

Also, can anyone verify that DCL-PH8 from Radio Daze are the correct decals ? Thanks!

[Ron Ramirez]

Bob

Yes and yes to both of your questions.

[Bob Andersen]

Excellent! I swore I had a full can of Extra Dark Walnut tone finish for the sides and was all ready to start spraying but found it was nearly empty

Luckily, Radio Daze carries it so I'll order a can along with my decals While I'm waiting, I'll get back to soldering.

[Bob Andersen]

Here are the products I'm using.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8047/81424...0d3a_c.jpg]

I'm done with the front panel, but only had enough Extra Dark Walnut for a taste on a side.
[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/81424...c462_z.jpg] [Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8056/81424...c86f_z.jpg]

[Arran]

One habit that I got into to make a can of tone spray go further was to dye the wood underneath. I had, or still have, a jar of dark brown fabric dye that I would heat up and paint on the bland parts of a cabinet that I was going to tone spray dark. It takes a lot less toner to go from brown to a darker brown then from white to a darker brown. The only problem is that you have to pretty well strip all traces of finish off down to bare wood so it can penetrate.
Regards
Arran


P.S In looking closely at the pictures of this 623 and the 620 cabinets in the gallery I can see clearly how much damage someone did to the front molding on my cabinet with that disk sander. I don't know if anyone has ever attempted to reproduce the front molding for a 1936 Philco tombstone but my set could definitely use replacements of some sort, even used ones from a waterlogged cabinet.

[Arran]

Here is some more controversy to add to this debate, this looks like an original finish on this cabinet but the top strip matches the rest of the front. It's supposedly a model 625:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PHILCO-MODEL-625...9399017%26


Again it shows just how messed up the mill work is on the front of my 620, It just depresses me every time I look at it.
Regards
Arran

[Ron Ramirez]

Thanks for pointing this out, Arran.

Now that I think about it, I have reached the conclusion that Philco probably toned those 620B cabinets both ways - some had the top strip toned, others didn't. Like the bottom strip on the front panel of a 640B, 650B, or shouldered 116B - some were toned, others were not.

I do see a shadow mask in the back of that eBay set. Either it's a very late production 620, a 625 chassis that was put into a 620 cabinet by a previous owner, or it is even possible that a very early 625 left the Philco factory in a 620 cabinet. It's happened before. I have a 38-643B cabinet that is actually the 1937 version (37-643B) cabinet, but it has a 38-643 sticker inside. Tom Forbes also has a 38-2650B which has the same 1937 cabinet. And I am also aware of a 200X that has a 201 chassis inside - including a factory tube layout sticker inside for the 201.

Always pinching pennies, often surprising us decades later, Philco tried not to waste any materials at all if they could keep from it.

[Arran]

I can't say as I blame them for not wanting to waste cabinets, or extra chassis, that they may have had laying around. It looks like during Philco's first few years in the radio business mixing and matching chassis and cabinets was the norm and not the exception. I can't believe how long they were using the 1929-30 lowboy cabinet with how many chassis, everything from a model 65 chassis to a model 111 ( I think), even more if you count the older version with the fan shaped grille.
Regards
Arran

[Bob Andersen]

Hmm, maybe I'll just flip a coin I also notice that the sides aren't all that dark.

[Bob Andersen]

The weather finally cooperated today.

[Image: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8348/81704...e588_z.jpg]