A Philco 91B - Printable Version
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A Philco 91B - klondike98 - 12-13-2017
I’ve started the cabinet restoration for this 91B. Its finish is flaky and needs to be redone but the cabinet itself is in pretty good condition.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/os1fj55yzqk607z/philco91_01.jpg?raw=1]
Some of the veneer is beginning to come loose and the back side edge of the front arch has lost some of the veneer so that needs fixing as well. Some of the larger chips in veneer on the back edge will also get fixed with the smaller ones just getting filled with Timbermate wood filler.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uym2044hj5eswh8/philco91_14.jpg?raw=1]
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8cmfka8xqnzu4o5/philco91_15.jpg?raw=1]
The base has a crack and the plywood is separating a bit but injecting a little wood glue fixes it easily.
The stripping process is using Citristrip since that works well indoors. I usually follow-up with wiping the cabinet down with lacquer thinner as well but that’s an outdoor job that will have to wait until warmer weather.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ilp395n20bw002j/philco91_16.jpg?raw=1]
After finishing the stripping, the cabinet looks 100% better even without toner and clear! The routed edge around the center inset panel is a much lighter wood than anything else so I’ll have to do some extra toning on that. Ron describes the various toned cabinets that were made for the 91B in an earlier thread. Mine was one of the cabinets that had a dark “trim package” so I’ll try to reproduce that in the spring.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zdbcd5r89kaedze/philco91_17.jpg?raw=1]
RE: A Philco 91B - Phlogiston - 12-13-2017
That little edge of the front laminate is always falling off just above the router cut for the arch. I have patched so many of those on Philcos, but the same is true for Crosleys.
RE: A Philco 91B - Arran - 12-14-2017
It's a common problem with many cathedral, and tombstone cabinets unfortunately, I have a 1931 Rogers cabinet with the same problem. I don't know why they needed that lip along the front edge, they could have finished it off flush, maybe they like the false front look like an old Western town.
Regards
Arran
RE: A Philco 91B - Steve Davis - 12-14-2017
Arran Wrote:
Quote:I don't know why they needed that lip along the front edge, they could have finished it off flushThe Philco 20 used a "rabbit cut" on the back edge of the front. They used several tiny nails to hold the wrap in place while the glue dried. Then the edge of the front was then trimmed flush. This left a raw edge of the front that had to be hidden when the cabinet was finished by using dark toner and sometimes shading the edges. Later on Philco (and other manufactures) figured out by cutting a groove, the wrap could be installed in seconds and would leave no raw edges.
Steve
RE: A Philco 91B - Phlogiston - 12-16-2017
Yep. It is the old hide glue that is the problem.
RE: A Philco 91B - klondike98 - 10-01-2018
Finally getting back to the 91B cabinet. I had it stripped back in Dec 2017 but am just now getting a chance to spray in between the rain drops...
I did a light coat of medium brown walnut ultra classic mohawk over the entire cabinet except the trim and front panel the other day...
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xgme5gjmhh6vols/philco91_18.jpg?raw=1]
and then did the trim with extra dark walnut ultra classic mohawk and also with a very light dose of it on the front panel.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/unwhx0bf67k6ich/philco91_19.jpg?raw=1]
RE: A Philco 91B - Radioroslyn - 10-01-2018
Abt time!!![Image: http://philcoradio.com/phorum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif]
Looks good!
I just applied some sanding sealer to that 70 frt panel I got @ Ktwn.
Weather as been lousy for lacquer spraying. Too much humidity!
RE: A Philco 91B - Greggshere - 10-06-2018
It looks fantastic! Great work.
RE: A Philco 91B - klondike98 - 11-01-2018
A gift from the heavens today...weather warm enough to spray lacquer with low enough breeze and humidity. Was able to put what I hope is the final coat of clear gloss on. Will wait a few weeks to rub it out and then put the chassis back in (which was finished many months ago!).
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6j1udn1r2ph71nf/philco91_20.jpg?raw=1]
RE: A Philco 91B - KCMike - 11-01-2018
Great job!
RE: A Philco 91B - klondike98 - 11-12-2018
To quote Charlie....
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jkj08kqnbh1bkyw/rats.jpg?raw=1]
I put the chassis into the cabinet, all the knob shafts slid right into their holes, chassis bolts all lined up and I went to add the escutcheon and.....
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tqpusndazoghfz3/philco91_21.jpg?raw=1]
That gap between the escutcheon and the dial is not supposed to be there. The shadow meter lines up ok and as I mentioned so do the chassis knobs so it has to be a problem with the dial scale. Unfortunately the old one was broken and I tossed it so I can not compare it. The dial mounting holes lined up with the metal piece that it mounts on. I don't think it is rubber tuner mounts as they are relatively pliable and the tuner knob shaft would be out of place if the tuner was lifted any more.
Jeff had a similar problem with his 66S but that turned out to be a modification that had been made to a larger dial. There is a later 91 dial that is a 2 band version but my set is only the single broadcast band.
Interestingly, the picture of the 91B in the Phorum gallery shows the dial scale with the number very low in the escutcheon window
I'll pull the chassis out again and ponder on this a bit....
RE: A Philco 91B - klondike98 - 11-13-2018
On a closer look, those rubber tuner grommets are not as pliable as I thought and have crushed down a bit. I went slower (always get impatient as I get to the final steps of putting these together) and actually mounted the escutcheon and found less of a gap than I thought. Replacement of those grommets may just solve this so they are on order.
RE: A Philco 91B - OldRestorer - 11-14-2018
Looking good!
RE: A Philco 91B - morzh - 11-14-2018
I was about to say: the grommets under the tuning cap.
Although I have to say they solved it marginally for me: on the 18 I still have some gap.
Aren't there also rubber grommets under the screws holding chassis to the floor?
RE: A Philco 91B - Ron Ramirez - 11-14-2018
> Aren't there also rubber grommets under the screws holding chassis to the floor?
There should be, yes. Also: all of the tuning condenser grommets I have seen of this vintage Philco used steel sleeves to prevent the grommets from completely collapsing when the mounting bolts were tightened down.
> Interestingly, the picture of the 91B in the Phorum gallery shows the dial scale with the number very low in the escutcheon window
Yes, Philco had a name for that but the name escapes me at the moment. The dials were designed so that the owner could note their favorite radio stations in the blank spaces above the actual dial markings.