[Hagstar]

With all of this going on, I am wondering: Whatever happened to Michael Katz? He was selling repro grillecloth before John was.

You can see Michael in my Kutztown slideshows. He's been out of the cloth business as far as having it made though about 4 years and was just cleaning house. This past year he sold off the last of his stock to someone as a big lot just before the news about grillecloth.com.

John H.

[Arran]

I bought one of the glass dials from Radio Daze, it was accurate and well done, why they have to reproduce their new ones on plexiglas is beyond me as plastic is more costly then real glass.

A totally uninformed guess from me suggests they may have had shipping troubles with the glass? Or making one fumble in the shop wipes out thousands of dollars in inventory? I know if I were the seller I would at least consider plex--I had a 40-180 chassis arrive in great shape, save for the broken dial glass.

No, it was because their original supplier for the glass dials went out of business and supposedly the company they hired as a replacement was turning out substandard work so they switched to plastic. In truth I think that the real reason was that they found someone who would reproduce dials on plastic and stopped looking. I bought a glass from them a few years ago and it was well packed, it was sandwiched between two pieces of soft styrofoam and suspended in packing peanuts inside the box. I bought a dial from someone else and they pretty much did the same but packed the sandwiched dial between two pieces of stiff cardboard inside a padded envelope. It's very easy to avoid breaking a dial glass, as long as the glass can't be struck with a hard blow or crushed they don't usually break. It really isn't anymore difficult then packing glass tubes.
A dial mounted on a chassis or a cabinet is a very different story, but even so as long as it can't move and can't be struck, more often then not they survive if packed properly. If the chassis is bumping around in the cabinet like a slide hammer or somebody does something stupid like wedges packing material between the dial and and something like the outside of the box, then it will break. I stopped buying sets over fleabay precisely because of incompetent packing methods.
Regards
Arran

[Phlogiston]

Have you looked at Radio Daze grill cloth listing lately? 38 varities marked discontinued. That only leaves 11. Going, going - -

[Arran]

Have you looked at Radio Daze grill cloth listing lately? 38 varities marked discontinued. That only leaves 11. Going, going - -

That's only going on because of multiple posting like yours, people are not buying grille cloth because they actually need it they are buying grille cloth to hoard either for future use or to resell. In any event how is trying to drum up panic about Radio Daze stock running out in any way helpful to finding a new source of new grille cloth?
Regards
Arran

[Phlogiston]

Have you looked at Radio Daze grill cloth listing lately? 38 varities marked discontinued. That only leaves 11. Going, going - -

That's only going on because of multiple posting like yours, people are not buying grille cloth because they actually need it they are buying grille cloth to hoard either for future use or to resell. In any event how is trying to drum up panic about Radio Daze stock running out in any way helpful to finding a new source of new grille cloth?
Regards
Arran

OK I won't buy any more or tell anybody about it - just for you. And I'll learn how to knit so that there will be grillcloth forever, and I won't sell it on U-Pay, it will be free. Good enough?

- - - AND I accept full responsibility for there only being 11 PATTERNS LEFT

GC HQ has more. I think that I will do some panic buying/hoarding there next.

Did anybody notice the title of this thread?

Grille Cloth Discontinued

To say that there are 11 PATTERNS LEFT, seems like a good thing - in comparison. Maybe it's just me - but I dont think so.

[TA Forbes]

Personally, I have found that other things make very acceptable grillecloth. I like to use velvet Elvis paintings (the ones done in the glow in the dark colors), orange and lime green Leisure Suits, and old "Meow Mix" bags for my grillecloth.

These and many other wonderful alternatives add a splash of color to your restored set as opposed to the boring repop grillecloth.

I have found that my "alternative" grillecloth makes listening to recordings of my Great Aunt Grinding her teeth and of my last root canal surgery that much more enjoyable.

Caio!!

[Ron Ramirez]

Arguing about the cloth and/or the lack thereof serves no useful purpose, and any further activity of this type will result in the locking of this thread.

I have to admit that I bought up a fair amount of cloth when the announcement came out about John Okolowicz (Radio Grille Cloth Headquarters) going out of business. I bought just enough to take care of the radios I currently have that needs cloth, though - which means, if I buy any radios in the future that need cloth, I'll just be out of luck unless/until someone else begins to offer cloth again...just like the rest of us.

[Glenn Roberts]

Ron +1. To insinuate that a statement made by one person on any forum would cause a "run" on cloth is a bit much I'd have to say. I purchased a fair amount to satisfy my foreseeable needs, and a bit more. I don't see anything wrong with that. just MHO.

Glenn

[Phlogiston]

Ron +1. To insinuate that a statement made by one person on any forum would cause a "run" on cloth is a bit much I'd have to say. I purchased a fair amount to satisfy my foreseeable needs, and a bit more. I don't see anything wrong with that. just MHO.

Glenn

Now wait a minute. I was starting to feel important.

Several times lately I have pointed newbe collectors to the various GC sites. It would be a shame if they just missed out on a replacement for their first restoration.

And I have to say thay if someone does start manufacturing again, the cost will likely go up, at least at first.

[mat68046]

Their site ( http://www.grillecloth.com/index.html ) specifies up to 1940...Does anyone know what material/ pattern was used for a Philco 41-616?

Thanks

Mark

[Phlogiston]

http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/1941a.htm

Of the patterns that you can get, I would say #78. I was thinking of ordering some for my 40-190. You just can't tell from the picture how big the pattern is.

http://www.grillecloth.com/grillcloth/gallery.php

I ordered some, so we'll see.

[Ron Ramirez]

Mark

I don't think that particular pattern (that is, the pattern originally used on the 41-616) was ever reproduced. It was used on the 41-616, 42-1016, and some 1946 models such as the 46-1226. Probably a few others as well.

That having been said, I have to disagree that the X pattern (#78) would be suitable for your set. The grille already has an X pattern due to criss-crossing brass pieces being used in front of the grille cloth, so you want something to counterbalance that effect, I believe.

Phlogiston, I think you are thinking of the now-out-of-production Pattern #27 for your 40-190. Since you can't get that pattern anymore, #78 will probably be a good substitute, depending on how big (or small) the diamond pattern is.

Of the currently remaining patterns, I would think #51 or #62 would be suitable.

[mat68046]

Phlogiston, when you get your cloth, try to get us the size of the pattern as it may be about the same size as the pattern created by the metal protective screen on these 14-616's. Long-shot, but may work.
Ron, for that reason, I like #80 as there is no pattern at all, if the color is neutral enough. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Getting there, getting there...

[Ron Ramirez]

No, #80 would be completely wrong in a 41-616.

There is a pattern in the original 41-616 cloth. I don't have time to shoot a close-up photo of mine tonight, but I will try to do so tomorrow.

Of the remaining patterns, #62 is going to be as close as you can get to something resembling the original. But it's your set, use whatever you wish.

[Phlogiston]

Phlogiston, when you get your cloth, try to get us the size of the pattern as it may be about the same size as the pattern created by the metal protective screen on these 14-616's. Long-shot, but may work.
Ron, for that reason, I like #80 as there is no pattern at all, if the color is neutral enough. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Getting there, getting there...

OK. Should be here in a day or two.