Posts: 142
Threads: 15
Joined: Nov 2008
City: Glenshaw, PA
I've recently restored a Philco 47-1230 console. Everything is about complete, but I need to know the proper size and channel thickness of the rubber gasket that surrounds the glass dial scale. The original piece was so dry and deteriorated that it just crumbled into dust when I removed the glass scale. I also need the size and thickness to put a new round gasket on a Zenith 8-S-563 from 1941. Will this modern rubber be any problem (tight fit and lay flat) to installing this on the round and concave piece of glass? Thanks for any help, shaler78
Posts: 2,128
Threads: 18
Joined: Oct 2008
City: Merrick, Long Island, NY
For most cases, I have found that a new rubber band, cut open, and lightly glued with "Elmer's" to the glass side (not the side with the printing) will do nicely. For the other side, which would be the metal clips, glue another rubber band segment to the clip, and let it dry before putting the thing back together. The new "rubber" material should be just a little thicker than the "dust" you scrape off, but go slowly when putting it back together. If it seems to be too tight, remove what you have done and replace with a thinner piece of rubber band. Make sure there are no pieces of crud when you assemble the piece, else you will break the glass. If you are screwing into the wood, and the thread does not hold, you can fill the hole with a tiny bit of wood putty, and make a new pilot hole with a tiny drill bit or awl. Try the screw into your repair without the glass in place to test your result. Finish and polish the cabinet completely before you attach the dial scale. Dot the adjusting screws with a tiny bit of glue when they are all finished, to make sure they do not move again. Anyway this is how I do it. Slow and real careful. Same procedure applies to deteriorated gaskets for speakers, but be careful to make sure everything is bone dry so you can get the assembly apart again if you ever need to, (and you probably will.) Hope this helps some.