The PHILCO Phorum

I have a 40-190 that doesn't need refinishing, but the ripped cloth needs replacing. So, reviewing my limited choices and looking at my original, I've noticed something that we've all seen: the cloth fades. And it fades tremendously. If one keeps an original cloth, the appearance of the console is vastly different than when new, correct? Looking in the gallery and at the one in RA, http://www.radioatticarchives.com/radio.htm?radio=2036, the gold cloth matches mine. But when I look at the part of the cloth hidden from light and air, it is very brown! Just like this eBay example:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Antique...19d79b9c8f

So, my question is this: If I buy a cloth from the internet or a fabric store, to be as original as possible, I'd want brown as opposed to gold, correct?

My wife and I are looking at my original again. It's still on the cardboard. The darkness isn't the glue bleeding thru, because the whole piece is glued down. But on the edges, where it's tightest to the wood, it's very dark. Where the vertical wood strips of the grill make dark shadow marks, the darkness is only 1/3 in value. Because it's not touching the wood as hard? So maybe the cloth is gold and the darkness is tannins in wood reacting to the cloth? Opinions?

If you intend to restore it then the darker color is fine.

IF the original grillecloth is in good condition on a set that I am restoring, I will use it vice replacing it.

FYI if it is possible to leave a set with it's original finish, I like to do so.

This one suggests the pattern, but also looks too white.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-RADIO-GR...5aec7cf22a

Where the cloth is dark is where it was not exposed to UV light and, as a result, did not fade as did the part that was exposed.

The cloth that is/was behind the grille bars was partially protected by those bars, so did not fade as much.

You know you can no longer get the original diamond pattern. So, you have to settle for something like the cloth in the link you posted. Better that than to have ripped cloth...

Then again a diamond and square weave is a pretty popular pattern in drapery and upholstery fabrics anyhow, you may fine something suitable at a fabric store, though it won't be the same as the original. You may also have to dye the potential replacement cloth if the example happens to be the wrong colour.
Regards
Arran

Quote:Where the cloth is dark is where it was not exposed to UV light and, as a result, did not fade as did the part that was exposed.

That's what I always thought, as well. So, in this case, the fabric was very brown and faded to a lovely gold that is pictured in the gallery and the link I provided. I'm just kidding around, of course. I am going to check out the fabric store; although I'm still not sure what color I want.

So for fun, I dug out my old set of cloth samples from John. I see nothing that resembles a dark brown large diamond pattern. And the one that is called 1940 Philco large diamond, #27, is extremely close in pattern and weave, but overall is a light color. So, he either never had this pattern or copied the faded color. I doubt the latter.

DK--for what it's worth, I too prefer the patina'd gold-faded cloth to the original brown. I was just fortunate in that mine somehow survived twenty years of barn life and a further fifteen with cats before I got it.

DKinYORKpa Wrote:So, he either never had this pattern or copied the faded color. I doubt the latter.

On the other hand, I suspect the latter.

I can give you one example: Some of the Philco "Ribbed" cloth that was not exposed to UV light was olive in color. John produced a version for awhile that was the correct, original olive. Nobody wanted it. All of us collectors were used to seeing the faded light brown, and that's what everyone wanted. So John stopped selling the olive variant.

I am sure when he produced the #27 Philco large diamond, he only had a faded sample to go by.

After a lengthy visit to JoAnn Fabrics, I found one fabric that was similar to the diamond pattern. I didn't thoroughly search the drapery patterns because they were clearly special ordered. Since it was a beige color, we tried some RIT brown stain, but the effect was subtle. I ended up using the back side of the un-dyed piece. There were now vertical lines to contend with, but overall I am satisfied. A non-radio person wouldn't look twice at it. Check it out:

with flash:


w/o flash:


close-up:

Hi Dennis-i like the way the GC accents complement the vertical wood bars.
Mikey likes it.

Back before the days of Grill Cloth Headquarters, we had to hang out in the fabric shop. I think that I bought this pattern for $2 a yard or less. Of course I only paid $5 for the radio, in a group of 5 incuding a 12 tube Zenith, so $2 was a lot.

I don't think at the time I even knew (or cared) what the original GC look like.

[attachment=1392]

[attachment=1393]

[attachment=1394]

I like it!

It is, or was, nice to have correct replacement cloth. But for now we are back to the "good ol days" of searching for cloth from different sources.

As shown in the preceeding photos, this CAN be done with the result being an attractive set.

One thing to look for in cloth for grills, is that the cloth should have lots of small holes or gaps between its threads. To allow the vibrated air from the speaker to pass. Most cloth for clothing doesn't have holes or gaps, and would thus be a poor choice for speaker grills.

True for you hi-fi or any speaker but you will not notice it as much on a speaker/system that only goes up to 5khz anyway.