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1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - Printable Version

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1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - 49Stude63 - 02-21-2009

I picked these up locally for $155 (total), the chairside is in very good condition with a good finish but the 640 tombstone needs restoration of the cabinet and chassis (needs corrosion removed) but the chassis on the chairside is near spotless, this is my one and only chairside and only shouldered tombstone that I have.
[Image: http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/20382/2712097750075349633S425x425Q85.jpg]
[Image: http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/3723/2407073160075349633S425x425Q85.jpg]

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - Terry Judkins - 02-21-2009

I saw the 640 on Atlanta Craig's list. That one looks much better than my 640 did when I got it. The front was rotten and I had to make a complete new front panel. It is a good sounding radio.

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - 49Stude63 - 02-21-2009

Terry this one isn't rotten and the seller originally wanted $45 for the 640, the cabinet does not have the back rear foot so I will either have to find one of make one. I also picked up this American Bosch 585, 8 tuber from the same seller, he didn't seem like a collector but did have these 3 plus a 5 tube GE that I passed on and some consoles that were sold before I saw the listing on craigslist. The Amer Bosch need the top restored because of a cigarette burn mark so at least the top will need to be redone. I am pleased with the chairside since it is much better condition than his listing pictures made it look to be.


[Image: http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/43922/2166396020075349633S425x425Q85.jpg]

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - BDM - 02-22-2009

Claude, nice catch Icon_wink

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - 49Stude63 - 02-22-2009

Brian for the 640 I plan to use the same color scheme that you and Ron used for your 650's, if it is correct or not that's the way I am going since that is a good look.

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - Arran - 02-22-2009

I think the sides, top, and front pilasters, were finished in something close to the "Extra dark walnut" in the Mohawk line of finishes. The wood underneath is poplar, maple, or some other grainless wood so there really isn't much to see. Oil stain is a waste of time, it looks blotchy, I have a 620 refinished that way an I eventually want to redo it the correct way, as well as re-veneer the front panel, aniline dye stain might do the trick even though it was never used with any radio cabinet that I know of.
Best Regards
Arran

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - Ron Ramirez - 02-22-2009

49Stude63 Wrote:Brian for the 640 I plan to use the same color scheme that you and Ron used for your 650's, if it is correct or not that's the way I am going since that is a good look.

It's correct. Icon_smile

Extra Dark Walnut on the sides, top and trim; Medium Walnut on the front panel.

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - radiorich - 02-23-2009

Hello 49Stude63 ,
well that looks like your 640 will be a nice project hows the chassis in that set far as condiction goes like rust or jerry rigging
Sincerely Rich
P.S. the chairside looks nice too.

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - 49Stude63 - 02-23-2009

Rich it is strange it has light corrosion on the chassis but the cabinet is very solid and not de-laminated or rotted, I am thinking about restoring the chassis by drilling the rivets and dropping everything out and then doing the main chassis by sandblasting it in my sandblast cabinet with glass beads. I will look to see if I can clean it up in the normal manner first. I haven't pulled the chassis out but there didn't apprear to be any "hack-work" on the topside so hopefully the underside is ok also. I have to find someone that had a rotted cabinet so that I can get the missing rear foot or make one as a temp solution. I posted better pictures of both chassis on my webshots side, the chairside looks like it will be a quick fix but the 640 might be a longer project. I plan on restoring the chassis and putting a new dial on the chairside first getting the dials from Mark Oppat.[Image: http://inlinethumb64.webshots.com/41727/2484952530075349633S425x425Q85.jpg] This is a better shot, it appears it was exposed to damp condtions but the cabinet doesn't see to have suffered as a result.

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - Alan Douglas - 02-23-2009

It looks in the original photo as if the bottom strip of the front panel (below the routed line) is finished dark to match the base and sides. I did my 116B (if I'm remembering the model correctly) that way and would like to verify that was right. I'm pretty sure I found a couple of photos of unrestored sets on the internet which looked like that.

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - 49Stude63 - 02-23-2009

Alan here is a better picture to see what you mention, there seems to be a border strip that runs horizontally between the front face and the base. The base on this radio appears to be the same as the side columns and the sides/top. The border strip seems to be a different shade than the bottom or the front face but that may be the type of wood used, I will do a close up of this area and post it.


[Image: http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/22995/2017125570075349633S425x425Q85.jpg]

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - radiorich - 02-23-2009

Hello 49Stude63,
Ya that cabinet looks good to me to far as the picture show hows the glue blocks look are there any missing .
and your idea far as sandblasting go thats sounds like a plan far as your sandblaster goes is that one of the free standing cabinets with the built in rubber gloves a good friend that has a auto shop where I worked for while had one that was great tool to have If i had the room now at home I would have one .
Sincerely Rich
P.S. hows the tunning cap it's not frozen is it I have a Ge s-132 that has a frozen shaft .

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - radiorich - 02-23-2009

Hello 49Stude63,
far as your cabinet does that have far as wood goes popular sides on it if so I had a pain toning the sides to match the front on my Philco 610b that I striped because some goof ball used off white latex to paint it .
mine was a pain I had to strip it like 3 times to get the white paint out of the woood grain because someone striped most of the original finish alone with the wood filler at one time so the pain got in to the grain.
Sincerely Rich

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - 49Stude63 - 02-23-2009

I will take the chassis out tonight and add the pictures, my sandblaster is a free standing one with gloves as you mention and it is large enough to hold at least two car rims with some room to spare. I think the tuning gang is free but since you mentioned it I will check that also and add some tuner cleaner/lube to it just in case.

Re: 1937 Philco 37-620 chairside and 1936 640 tombstone - 49Stude63 - 02-23-2009

Ok not signs of any repairs, good or hack, and the corrosion is limited to the back right 1/4-1/3 area so it may have been a rats nest in that area at one time. All the wood brace blocks are still intact so that again leads me to think it was a mouse playhouse for a bit. I might try a wire brush and see what I can do with it. The tuning gang is still free but I did wash it and blow off the excess water with my air compressor and lube the tuning gang and put it away again. The radio was missing one "78" tube and one of the 42's might be fried, will check them later to see how many are good/bad.