The PHILCO Phorum
Second 70 Cabinet Finished - Printable Version

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Second 70 Cabinet Finished - Steve Davis - 08-13-2014

I have begun the second 70 reproduction cabinet. I'm going to post pictures as I go along.

We begin with the front arch.
[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4338/37198870272_5a3d584fbc_z.jpg]105_0802 by Steve Davis, on Flickr

The core is made of Poplar ripped into strips about two inches wide. The grain cup alternates cup up, cup down, cup up etc. This minimizes warping.


I glue the core up in two pieces because my thickness planer will only handle thirteen inch wide stock.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4424/37198870292_99eb4818a5_z.jpg]105_0804 by Steve Davis, on Flickr
After thickness planing, the two halves were joined.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4432/37198870302_2f1f0e4885_z.jpg]105_0835 by Steve Davis, on Flickr
Cross banding is added to the core. Cross banding is a thick cheep veneer that the grain runs perpendicular to the grain of the core. The cross banding minimizes cracking, splitting and warping of the core.

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - morzh - 08-13-2014

Pretty fascinating thing to watch.

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - klondike98 - 08-14-2014

Very interesting to watch this process! Thanks Steve!

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - morzh - 08-14-2014

Honest, if I had time...I'd gladly paid someone for a couple of weeks of a master-class, if I could start and finish something like it. Not this one, a simpler thing, but everything, soup to nuts, cabinet creation to finishing.

Dreams, dreams.....

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - jerryhawthorne - 08-14-2014

Keep the pictures coming on the progress Steve, an inspiration to many of us.
Jerry

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - Steve Davis - 08-15-2014

Veneering the front arch.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4437/37375499385_a1f16c14c1_z.jpg]105_0839 by Steve Davis, on Flickr
This is Oriental Wood veneer. These are two consecutive sheets from the same flitch. A flitch is a log that veneer is sliced from. One sheet will be flipped upside down to create a perfectly symmetrical pattern on the arch.
[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4431/37186071156_fb34fabe4d_z.jpg]105_0841 by Steve Davis, on Flickr

Cutting the match line that will be at the top of the arch.




[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4423/36523293174_e4a5660c52_z.jpg]105_0846 by Steve Davis, on Flickr
Test fit.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4350/36978328340_3066e481dc_z.jpg]105_0845 by Steve Davis, on Flickr
I have edge glued several pieces of veneer to create a sheet large enough to cover the arch.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4372/37186256776_4bac39881e_z.jpg]105_0849 by Steve Davis, on Flickr
Tape has been removed.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4364/36523433454_abb2996a92_z.jpg]105_0850 by Steve Davis, on Flickr
[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4397/36523441594_b08bacb997_z.jpg]105_0851 by Steve Davis, on Flickr

Glueing the veneer. I use wood glue thinned two parts glue to about one part water (I use the TLAR system on that) and put a thin coat on the arch and the veneer.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4358/37375656495_99bd1a4187_z.jpg]105_0852 by Steve Davis, on Flickr
Then clamp.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4416/37204087982_7cba7c0bc2_z.jpg]105_0854 by Steve Davis, on Flickr
Veneered arch.

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - Arran - 08-15-2014

I've seen orientalwood mentioned in sales brochures of Rogers/Deforest Crosley radios describing the cabinets but I've never actually found out what it was. I guess that the Philco furniture catalog, and possibly the sales literature, would have mentioned what species of veneer were used. I think that I may have ended up with some in board form from a pallet I ripped apart. They also used a lot of what they called "Australian Walnut" which I managed to find in narrow strips, it looks a little like ribbon mahogany but brownish grey in colour.
Regards
Arran

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - tab10672 - 08-16-2014

Would edge gluing veneer hold enough to bookmatch veneer an entire back arch? I can't wait to see how you do the back, I've been putting mine off until I'm sure I can do it right the first time.

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - Steve Davis - 08-16-2014

To be honest, I think you would be better off to use a paper backed veneer on the wrap-around.

Steve

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - jerryhawthorne - 08-16-2014

Steve I agree. You don't even want to try bookmarking the back arch. It wasn't book marked to start. I like the paper backed veneer for working with large areas. You can cut it with easily with out splitting. Water based glues don't cause it to distort. Great material as far as I'm concerned but what the hay do I know?
Best, Jerry

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - Steve Davis - 08-16-2014

Arran, I had not even heard of Oriental Wood until I started working on radio cabinets. It's not a real common veneer. I buy most of my veneer from Ebay sellers. I have only found two sellers that have Oriental Wood veneer at a reasonable price. A while back I bought four sheets that were about 8" x 36" and were supposed to be consecutive sheets. I used two of them on the first 70 cabinet but when I started to do this arch, I discovered one was an odd piece. So, those two pieces are pretty much worthless. Fortunately, I had bought several pieces from another fellow.

Steve

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - tab10672 - 08-16-2014

Jerry,
Both my 70's were/are original bookmatched veneered across the back, actually I have never seen an original 70 that wasn't bookmatched, both of mine are and all 3 90's I have owned in the past were also.

Not saying all 70/90's were, just the ones I have owned or seen have this type of veneer. I don't know what later or maybe earlier sets used but I know the one I'm working on had it to start with and I want to replace it as close to original as I can.

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - tab10672 - 08-16-2014

   

Original veneer, only refinished.

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - jerryhawthorne - 08-16-2014

Tab, right and I'm wrong as usual! I was thinking of the few other Philco cathedral radios I have had and all were a single piece of veneer. Very nice touch.
Jerry

RE: Second 70 Cabinet - tab10672 - 08-16-2014

70's and 90's are the only ones I've seen like that and I've only seen maybe 7 in person, all the rest have been regular veneer. If I knew for sure my version came out with veneer like most other philco cathedrals I would defiantly use the paper back, it would be much easier to apply. I figured I already bought the veneer so (if I can figure out how to apply it) I may as well use it. Something else I've only seen once, I have an 80 jr that has bookmatched walnut on the front like older fancier cabinets. If I hadn't stripped the old finish off myself I would have thought someone applied it later.