custom zenith console project (FINISHED!) - Printable Version
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+--- Thread: custom zenith console project (FINISHED!) (/showthread.php?tid=13517)
custom zenith console project (FINISHED!) - Fred Taylor - 11-17-2015
I have had made a decision to change this very common 10s669 into a ebony beauty. All the wood veneer had been repaired and trim . To do this right i had taken control panel off and vertical bars and trim . These will be painted separate and polished separate along will cabinet. This radio will be done as grand piano are done in a very rich dark jet black color and will have several coats of piano clear lacquer that will be rubbed out and polished to mirror shine then reassembled . Grill cloth has been picked out and is dark in nature and will have a zenith pattern that was used in the late 30,s. Dial escution, band wheel and dial pointer will be redone in a chrome finish. Inside of cabinet will be given a fresh coat of zenith blue, all glue joints a wood blocks will be reglued. Chassis will be gone thru for top performance and safety. Antenna box will also be recovered and new wireing. She will be a beauty when finished.
RE: custom zenith console project - sam - 11-17-2015
You turning shabby chic on us 
RE: custom zenith console project - Fred Taylor - 11-17-2015
No way , this is nothing like shabby chick or some of those other nightmare butcher jobs we all have seen before. This will be very conservative and will retain the antique radio look . Zenith has in the past made some consoles that were black ebony versions of the natural wood grain cabinets. This cabinet was trashed out and all the photo finish was gone, so I will recreate this into a eye catching ebony version, one of a kind zenith 10-s-669
RE: custom zenith console project - Arran - 11-17-2015
Fred;
That certainly sounds like a plan. From the before pictures it looks like one of those early 40's Brand Z models that had faux wood grain on the front pilasters, some had it on the grille bars too, and in this case it looks like someone already stripped it off and slobbed varnish over the entire cabinet so anything is game at this point. Being a bit of a an amateur wood worker I always found cabinets with large amounts of faux wood grain tacky, kind of like consumer electronics from the 1970s and 80s.
I know that Brand Z certainly offered some cabinets with an all black colour scheme and chromed metal parts in certain years, but I think that they abandoned that practice by 1938, though the sets that had it looked to me as though they were just painted and not clear coated over. It should be interesting to see what a 1942 model will look like with a gloss black piano finish. I don't know if it would be cost prohibitive but you could probably get the metal parts chrome plated with actual chrome, I think that it was either pot metal or steel that brand Z used originally so it is doable.
Regards
Arran
RE: custom zenith console project - Fred Taylor - 11-18-2015
(11-17-2015, 11:33 PM)Arran Wrote: Fred;I found a spray paint that even I was impressed with that really is very close to chrome plating or a very highly polished aluminum , the dial frame , band selector wheel and dial pointer will be chromed using that paint. The 10s669 zenith are very common and this one was already jacked up so I want to do something deferent and yet keep the antique radio look. I would have not been doing this to a good original. I got the primer from work, they were ok with that and all I have to buy is the black lacquer base, I have all the other stuff i need, so it really wont cost to much to do this except my time.
That certainly sounds like a plan. From the before pictures it looks like one of those early 40's Brand Z models that had faux wood grain on the front pilasters, some had it on the grille bars too, and in this case it looks like someone already stripped it off and slobbed varnish over the entire cabinet so anything is game at this point. Being a bit of a an amateur wood worker I always found cabinets with large amounts of faux wood grain tacky, kind of like consumer electronics from the 1970s and 80s.
I know that Brand Z certainly offered some cabinets with an all black colour scheme and chromed metal parts in certain years, but I think that they abandoned that practice by 1938, though the sets that had it looked to me as though they were just painted and not clear coated over. It should be interesting to see what a 1942 model will look like with a gloss black piano finish. I don't know if it would be cost prohibitive but you could probably get the metal parts chrome plated with actual chrome, I think that it was either pot metal or steel that brand Z used originally so it is doable.
Regards
Arran
RE: custom zenith console project - morzh - 11-18-2015
See, these folks here are all gung-ho about turning a Z into a piano. Do it to a Philco, and you will be a pariah forever
RE: custom zenith console project - Crist Rigotti - 11-18-2015
Looks like a great idea Fred!
RE: custom zenith console project - Arran - 11-18-2015
(11-18-2015, 12:00 AM)Frederick W. Taylor Wrote: I found a spray paint that even I was impressed with that really is very close to chrome plating or a very highly polished aluminum , the dial frame , band selector wheel and dial pointer will be chromed using that paint. The 10s669 zenith are very common and this one was already jacked up so I want to do something deferent and yet keep the antique radio look. I would have not been doing this to a good original. I got the primer from work, they were ok with that and all I have to buy is the black lacquer base, I have all the other stuff i need, so it really wont cost to much to do this except my time.
Fred;
In my opinion those sets don't even look that good when the original finish is in good shape, and if it's trashed or stripped off you really only have so many options as to what to do with it. The wood under it is just some sort of bland white wood without much grain, probably cheap poplar, so about all you can do is paint it, cover it with veneer, or put another faux finish over it. Normally you could use wood dye or tinted lacquer on such things but it looks like 1/2 the front end of the cabinet is made of this wood. Like I said before it should be interesting to see what it looks like in the end, especially this spray paint you mentioned, I may have to try this on a cheap piece of furniture sometime, it will certainly look much better then that chalk paint the middle aged women use to ruin vintage furniture.
Regards
Arran
RE: custom zenith console project - Ron Ramirez - 11-18-2015
(11-18-2015, 12:00 AM)Frederick W. Taylor Wrote: I found a spray paint that even I was impressed with that really is very close to chrome plating or a very highly polished aluminum...
And that spray paint is...???
RE: custom zenith console project - Fred Taylor - 11-18-2015
(11-18-2015, 07:48 AM)Ron Ramirez Wrote:(11-18-2015, 12:00 AM)Frederick W. Taylor Wrote: I found a spray paint that even I was impressed with that really is very close to chrome plating or a very highly polished aluminum...
And that spray paint is...???
Hello Ron , the chrome paint is made by Rust- oleum and has a chrome lid. I think it says chrome on the back label. I used it on the tube shields for the two 16b,s I restored. And Crist Rotti used some on his philco table set, looked beautiful.
RE: custom zenith console project - Ron Ramirez - 11-18-2015
Thanks, Fred. You (or someone else) may have mentioned this paint before. I'll have to keep it in mind.
RE: custom zenith console project - Fred Taylor - 11-18-2015
(11-18-2015, 08:23 AM)Ron Ramirez Wrote: Thanks, Fred. You (or someone else) may have mentioned this paint before. I'll have to keep it in mind.
That was me Ron, a picture of the paint can and tube shields is on the restored 2 16b,s thread i did earlier this summer, page 3 or 4
RE: custom zenith console project - sam - 11-18-2015
hey guy`s
steve g here on phorum
does chroming I believe
http://www.detailplating.com/
sam
RE: custom zenith console project - Fred Taylor - 11-18-2015
(11-18-2015, 01:12 PM)sam Wrote: hey guy`sThanks Sam for the tip, I would chrome plate escusteon but the radio isnt a rare or high in demand set. The chrome paint looks very nice if done properly
steve g here on phorum
does chroming I believe
http://www.detailplating.com/
sam
RE: custom zenith console project - Fred Taylor - 11-19-2015
Cabinet is now ready for the black lacquer base coat, surface of cabinet is completely smooth and flat, many hours of prime and block sanding was preformed, there are no open pores in wood, 99% of any irregularities in surface have been taken care of. All of the trim and moldings also have been done. Inside cabinet has been cleaned and sanded for zenith dark blue paint, that will be done after the outside has been (painted) (polished ) and reassembled. Polishing must be done before the radio (control panel ) and vertical bars are reinstalled I will post more pictures as I start the painting process The speaker has been stripped of all old paint and now is in primer sufacer. It will be sanded smooth and painted as well, probably the zenith copper color to keep it looking some what factory and will be rewired. The black powdery stuff on the gray primer is called guide coat, when sanding the primer it guides you showing you all the high and low spots on surface, such as nicks, pin hole , scratches, pores in the wood , just as you do on a automobile or fine furniture prior to painting to give you the finest results.