The PHILCO Phorum

Hi everyone,

I just picked up a real "fixer" Philco 46-1209 that a neighbor up the street had set out on the curb with the trash. (Gasp!)

It's pretty well complete, good dial glass, original knobs and all the pushbuttons are intact. The veneer needs some serious help in a few spots.. thanks to this forum I've got some good ideas on how to tackle that. I'll be going through the electronic elements piece by piece over the next few months.. cleaning, assessing, etc.

One thing I wanted to ask the forum relates to the Faceplate (Dial Facade) and the Pushbuttons. I've attached some photos for clarity.

The Faceplate is pretty shabby and needs some serious help. I'm not sure if it was covered in veneer originally, or if it was painted with a simulated grain? I'm debating whether I can refinish it, or if I need to replace it. Also, is there a trick to removing it carefully? Any help there would be terrific!

Please view the image by clicking here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jcy8joavjxk3ay...te_Web.jpg

On the pushbuttons, I'm curious as to the labels they would have had originally. After a little searching here, it seems these had paper labels with thin clear plastic (phenolic?) covers. Three of mine are still present, but in pretty poor shape. Can anyone direct me to some pics or graphics that show what they originally looked like?

Please view these images by clicking on the links below:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/v11i4fl84uori7...s1_Web.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/k115n8ywgfrqxn...s2_Web.jpg


Thanks, in advance, for any suggestions or help anyone can provide.

Many thanks!
Michael (mbhdesign)

Hi Michael,

Congrats on your new Philco! I have a 1947 model 47-1230 which is similar, and uses the same dial frame / push-button set up. My push-buttons looked a lot like yours. I'm attaching a pic of how mine turned out. [attachment=1771]

I used a station call letter sheet I purchased from Antique Electronic Supply years ago. Chuck Schwark posted a thumbnail of some sheets he has in this thread that might be even closer: http://philcoradio.com/phorum/showthread...etter+tabs
It appears they were a brown background with white letters. The one marked "PHONO" and "WMAQ" were the only originals I was able to salvage on my set. They slide into a slot in the side of the button. They do have a thin clear plastic cover over them, which I cut out from a clear plastic sheet protector (one of those like you'd put in a 3-ring binder). Just cut to size with an exacto-knife. I traced around one of the original call letter tabs to get the correct size.

The dial frame, or faceplate as you called it, is actual wood, and was stained (not a photo finish). I don't believe it's a veneer either, but my cabinet was salvagable as it was, so I didn't have to restain it.

Edited by site admin to fix link.

1941 and 1942 call letter tab sheets are available in two places.

First, here on the Phorum:
http://www.philcoradio.com/phorum/showth...p?tid=4355

Or, on my website:
http://www.philcoradio.com/tech/calltabs.htm

With many thanks to Chuck Schwark for providing these!

Now, the font of the 1946-48 tabs is completely different...

Here's the pic of the buttons on my 47-1230: [attachment=1772]

Actually the wooden escutcheon was never stained on these sets, they used a coloured lacquer over the white wood, I think that medium walnut tone spray might be closest.
Regards
Arran

Wow, thanks you guys! I knew I had come to the right place!

To Nostalgia Radio Time: Ah ha! I was wondering how the labels fit into the pushbuttons. Thanks! Much appreciated information!
To Ron Ramirez: Wow! Yes, thanks to you and to Chuck Schwark for making those sheets available. Incredible.
To Arran: Ok! That makes sense.. mine has flaked and aged to such a degree I couldn't tell right away what the original finish layer was.
The wood escutcheon itself is fine. Just a bit of sanding and lacquer should do the trick then. I've got a good selection of Mohawk brand spray (including Medium Walnut) which might just work perfectly. Thanks!

I'm a graphic designer by trade. Once I get access to my remaining original pushbutton labels I'm pretty sure I can find a good typeface match and pass that information along. If there is interest, I can use Chuck Schwark's original sheets as a guide and create a printable PDF of labels to match the 1946 / 1947 series for anyone who would like them.

Thanks again! Can't wait to get started!

Michael (mbhdesign)

That would be fantastic, Michael! There certainly would be an interest in the pushbutton labels for 1946-47 Philco's, especially as a printable PDF. Keep us posted on your progress.