[PhilcoPhan1936]

I have this 1929 Philco 95 Lowboy with a broken Grill. Can any of you wood/cabinet experts out there tell me what type of wood was originally used on this part of the broken grill  I'd like to make up a replacement using the same type of wood or veneer. Thanks!

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4117/3487...2c90_b.jpg]

[Fred Taylor]

Looks like walnut veneer over the thin layered plywood.

[Arran]

I think it was French walnut in particular, what cut doesn't matter. The grilles used in the 1928-29 "Lowboy" style console cabinets are almost as notorious for breakage as the Philco 20 cathedrals are. I think that the solution is to acquire some Baltic birch plywood of a suitable thickness, and then laminate it with some French walnut veneer, and then cut it out. Although if might be easier to check with Steve Davis about this, it's such a common problem that he may be replicating replacement grilles for these by now.
Regards
Arran

[Phlogiston]

As I can recall - which might not be too good - these might be birch plywood without any other veneer. Using stain and toner to match the cabinet.

I think that later examples were sold without the grill at all.

[Phlogiston]

I just looked at the one in our bathroom. The grain and color match the area of trim below the cut-out. So it is either walnut or mahogany. Just sand an area of the original. If it is pinkish or orange it is mahogany. If it is brown or reddish brown, walnut

[sam]

Umm
you have a radio like that in your bathroom

[Phlogiston]

yes. And it isn't in the bathtub.

[PhilcoPhan1936]

Thanks for your help guys.

phlogiston: do you use it to sing along to "Singing In The Bathtub"

[OldRestorer]

Is it so guests can put on music so no one can hear them ...... You know...

[Ron Ramirez]

...careful...we have rules against "bathroom" humor...

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[PhilcoPhan1936]

I'm off-season from my job, so I'm working on some projects I have been pushing to the back of the cue. I decided to make an attempt at making a new grill for this 1929 Philco 95 Lowboy.

I picked this up July 2016 at the Alameda California Historical Radio Society's annual swap meet and auction for $10.
This is the condition it was in when I brought it home. The radio is complete, and unbelievably has never been serviced.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4324/3503...a8d6_c.jpg]

[PhilcoPhan1936]

I finally pulled the crushed grill piece out, and took it down to a store here in town that sells veneer. I asked the experts there what type of wood it was. The consensus was Mahogany that has Toner on it, possibly Walnut color.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4545/2492...1961_c.jpg]

[PhilcoPhan1936]

I used Photoshop, a scan of the piece, and pics of another radio with the grill intact to create a template of the grill pattern, and printed it out.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4528/3876...dbe3_c.jpg]

I have had a good size sheet Mahogany on hand for quite some time left over from another repair, so I cut a piece off, and applied it to a small piece of nice plywood the correct thickness.

Using the printout, I rubbed some pencil on the back, then laid that down on the wood, traced it out, which transferred the design like carbon paper onto the wood, then used a fine tip sharpie to trace the pencil.

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4581/3876...48cd_c.jpg]

[Image: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4527/3876...548e_c.jpg]

The next step is to cut it out.

[Electrothaumaturgist]

WOW. I really like that model! Looks like your on the right track for the repair. I can't wait to see the phinished results!   What an excellent phind!

[Phlogiston]

---another one of those threads that I lost.

Anyway, the model 95 in our bathroom: