[regel_1999]

I don't really know how others refinish their dial plates, but with the radio I bought (a philco 42-327) the dial plate was badly damaged with the paint/decal coming off the glass. I used to work at a photo place where we refinished old pictures. I decided to use this same procedure and have posted the before and after picture on my photobucket account.

I used a program called GIMP (graphical image manipulation program). The reason - it's as good as photoshop and it's completely FREE!

All I have left to do is clean the old plate and go get kinko's to print a sticker for me... I'll use clear sticker paper and probably have to exact-o knife out a piece or two, but otherwise it ought to turn out well. I'll show everyone when I get the whole thing done. If you too own a philco 42-327 and would like a copy of the file, just PM me and I'll send you a full sized copy in the right height/length proportions.

Thanks to everyone for their help, hope this helps someone too!

Before:
[Image: http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k558.../Scan1.jpg]

and after:
[Image: http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k558...42-327.jpg]

NOTE: it looks like the images were cropped. The whole picture can be seen below:
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k558...42-327.jpg
and
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k558.../Scan1.jpg

[exray]

Good on ya. Let us know how this works out. It sounds like you are intending to put the sticker on the front of the glass? You might also consider having them do a reverse print decal to apply on the backside. Some printers don't have enough pigment to make a good dial but sometimes its just a matter of which colors are involved. Some are too translucent.

This one looks like a go.

[regel_1999]

Yeah, I was going to get it reverse printed so I can stick it to the back of the glass. That way it'll look more realistic and be better protected. Thanks for the tip. I never really thought about the color pigmentation, but I think a professional printing shop ought to be able to print one of these okay. I'll let you know how it turns out!

-Brandon

[Arran]

Radio Daze used to sell a glass reproduction of one of these, I bought one a few years ago. One problem with printers is they can't reproduce the gold pint these dials, or white unless you print it on something white. Someone of the other forum found someone that could reproduce glass dials, it was a company that did commercial lettering for car windows and it was not the cheap vinyl peal and stick junk either.
Best Regards
Arran

[gary rabbitt]

Hi Brandon,
If you can find a shop that has an ALPS printer, those are able to print in gold and silver metallic.

I have a 42-327 with the same peeling issue. I think I have a scan of the dial someone posted or cleaned up. I haven't started on the set yet though.
Maybe for now, using the sticker would work ok. Even cutting a thin glass over it to help protect the scale and to give it the glassy look better then the surface of the sticker would.
Let us see how it turns out.
Gary.