[Pol-Cat]

I'm "improving" my wonderful Philco 38-4 radio. Chassis done. Now the cabinet. What is the "authorized" color of the dial bezel? It's color is quite dark but showing glints of brass; the reverse shows a fairly bright brass. Several ads I have show a bright bezel, others show a darker shade. What is the correct shade of the Philco 38-4 bezel?

Regards all.

Frank

[Doug Houston]

The bezwls for these sets were painnted in a sort of chocolate brown on the outer half of the bezel face, and the inner half of the bezel face was a sort of brush- satin natural brass finish...it's hard to describe. The brass carries over the inner surface that meets the glass.

[Pol-Cat]

After reviewing as many old ads as possible and receiving no caomments from any 38-4 owners, I inspected my radio's bezel with a 30x scope. Looked like most of the darkness was due to accumulated grease, etc. So ... the bezel was soaked in hot water/detergent for an hour, then scrubbed with a pot scrubber and a hard bristle toothbrush using a strong soap. Wonder of wonders! The bezel is now looks brushed brass. Bright but not shiny. The few amounts of residual grime were left since they were too deeply imbedded and too small to worry about. Looks great on the radio ...

It would therefore seem that Philco 38-4 dial bezels were indeed a natural brass, likely lacquered.

[Ron Ramirez]

When it comes to the 38-4 and 38-7, I agree with you in that the ones I have seen indicate that they were bright brass as opposed to darkened (bronzed) brass on the typical 1930-1938 escutcheon.

I've never heard of anyone inspecting an escutcheon under a microscope. Quite clever!

I do not own a 38-4 and never have, although I have seen a few here and there and the bezels on these have tended to be a brighter brass.

[Doug Houston]

The way Pol-Cat's bezel came out is the way they should be. The outer color of the bezel is a sort of chocolate brown. He could have used something like Go-Jo and saved the boilingo clean it.

Affrssing this now, to Ron R., I did a liittle research on bezel sizes, because I've been straining my feelble brain he last few days about the diameters of those fool bezels. Doggoned if it didn't develop that there are FOUR bezel sizes for the round 1937-38 models. Thbe smallest is used on the table model 37-10, for example, then the 37-630 (Thye moderne one, in this case), then, the 37-650, both X and B models, then, the 37-670 (I have a 38-2670). You learn something new every day!