[rfeenstra]

I've been working on a 38-116.  I decided to do the cabinet before the radio chassis.  I have a couple of questions.

The grille cloth was in pretty bad shape so I purchased the wide chevron pattern from Radio Daze.  The angle of the chevron is wrong and the cloth is so dense that I suspect that it will block considerable highs from this HiFi radio.  Is there a better cloth out there in this pattern?  Richmond Designs doesn't seem to have the wide chevron pattern.

Second question: this radio obviously had a back panel as the clips to hold it were all there.  Does anyone have a picture of the back that was on this model radio?

Thanks!

[wardmc1]

Here is the back panel.  The Radiodaze GRC #41 is the closest you'll get.  It looks great when complete and I don't think it effects the sound.  Those are great playing sets.  I had to buy 2 clothes to do the clarifier parts on either side as well as the front grille.  Below is a pic of the back.  Mine didn't have one and I didn't want to try to make one like that.  Getting the Philco print is not possible from what I can find.

   

[rfeenstra]

Thank you! That's a bit more elaborate than I want to attempt. Yes, I'll have to order another piece of cloth to cover the side grilles. The original cloth over the side grilles had been torn out with just a couple of remnants remaining.

[wardmc1]

Hopefully your side grille fiberboard panels are in good shape. Mine were really fragile. I had to glue them back together before installing the grille clothe. Hope yours turns out well

[rfeenstra]

They are in good shape. For the most part, this cabinet was in very good condition. I had only a couple of small veneer issues and a couple of loose glue joints. I'll post pics of the finished cabinet soon. I'll let the lacquer cure for a month before I rub it out. I'm kind of in cabinet refinishing mode at present and will start a 37-116 next. It will be more work! When all of this is finished, I'll start on the chassis for the two radios. Or, I'll refinish a couple more cabinets that are waiting. I may get tired of the finishing, though. Not my favorite thing to do.

[rfeenstra]

Another question for, perhaps, Ron. I'm working on the tuning bezel and have looked at many pictures of the 38-116XX. I see 2 variations. One is brown like the 37-116X with some gold trim. The other is more like it is all brass. Mine looked like that. The one in the Gallery appears to be the same. Was this a change part way through production? There are hints of brown on mine on the edges and on the edges where the glass insert is seated. I could see this brown only after removing the glass and its metal holder. Is it possible that the brown was polished off over the years? I've got mine polished up and am going to give it an antique look with toner. However, if they were all brown originally, I'll have to paint it.

[wardmc1]

The bezels were brown (dark brown) with gold trim/stripes.  Its paint over brass so if you polish them out and remove the paint it will look like polished brass.  They were used on multiple models, so they do turn up from time to time if you want to replace yours.  Trying to paint them with the stripes would be very difficult.  Here is a picture of what it should look like.  They were all the same in 38.

   

[rfeenstra]

Thanks for that. I may keep my eye out for one as painting the lines would be difficult, as you suggested. I suspected that someone got over zealous with polishing compound. I found quite a bit of residue in the joint between the glass and bezel. I suspect they took some paint off and decided to do the whole thing as the only paint I could find was on the very edges. Looking at the lines of the grille cloth, it appears that they tried to line up the pastern in the small grills with the large grill. Am I correct? Also, the "High Fidelity" on yours is in script. Mine was the same as the 37-116 so that's the decal I put on it. They must have used what they had on hand!

[wardmc1]

I definitely tried to "line up" the grille clothe.  I've done a couple of them and found that as long as they match on each side, they look pretty good.  You might drive yourself crazy if you try to make it perfect.  The sides come out further then the center, which can throw you off.  It kinda becomes an optical allusion as you look it it at different heights. 

The High Fidelity should be the cursive, or script one.  The 37-116 had the straight text.  I think as long as you like it, it is fine   Here's a couple pics of mine.

   

   

[rfeenstra]

Thanks! Very helpful. The original decal that was on this console was definitely not the script. I had those decals but not the 37-116 style so I had to order them. Now I wish I had just used the script version I had! Can't change it now as it is under a few layers of lacquer. Perhaps this is a very early console and they were using up what they had.

It looks like you put the "Band Selector" decal on. I couldn't find any pics that had that so I didn't put it on. Nor was it on my console. I considered it!

[Ron Ramirez]

These 1937-38 Philco consoles did not originally have a "Band Selector" decal.

[rfeenstra]

Perfect! Thanks Ron.

[wardmc1]

Dang it, looks like I messed mine up then!!! Oh Well.

[rfeenstra]

Finished product except for final wet sanding and rub out after a few weeks.  Eventually I'll tackle the tuner.

This time I mixed my own toner and sprayed it with a gun. It gave a much more consistent result as opposed to the rattle cans. My 41-295 was just a bit blotchy using rattle cans.

               

[wardmc1]

Looks Great!!!!!