silvertone model 4564 tombstone

[stusnyder]

I picked this up at a local flea market last year for 5 bucks, all complete except back was missing. Looks like it was in a barn or something. Top and sides laminate shot ( peeling off ) I stripped off the bad laminate and put on new. Anyway getting down to putting it together, and I'm in need of a dial bezel and glass. The glass is cracked but all there. The plastic bezel, on the other hand is missing pieces. Somebody at some point put on a putty or expoxy to try to keep it attached to the cabinet. Does anybody reproduce these? Or where would be a good source to find one? Attached is a pic of before and after of the cabinet.
Thanks

[Reece]

Nice job on the veneer. Finding that exact bezel could be a problem. What you might think about is investigating clock repair websites. Round glass is available in many different sizes, flat or convex. There may be a brass bezel available to substitute.

Another thing to try if you have enough of the bezel left: a mold can be made of it, moving the good parts around to mold the missing parts, and a new one cast from plastic. This whole thread gives good ideas:

http://www.radiomuseum.org/forum/do_...elf_knobs.html

The radio probably didn't have a back when it was new. Backs were rare on many radios until the late thirties.

[stusnyder]

Hey reese,
I do believe the radio had a back on it, due to the antenna hookup wires are just hanging there, like the terminal strip was on the back cover, and on the rear of the radio, in each corner there is a nail with a semi large head on it. The head seems to be coated with lead. I pulled one out and it had a thick cardboard material under it.

I was considering casting a brass one, since in the past I used to reproduce parts for toys and old slot machines using cast iron. I still have all the equiptment to do casting. I am capable of pouring up to 5 pounds of cast iron, more with alumnium, brass, and lead.

[Reece]

Wow, if you can cast brass, you're all set up, and you may find all of a sudden a whole lot of new friends! I saw another case where a bezel was replaced by sawing one out of wood and carefully shaping it with sandpaper. A wood with a swirly grain was chosen to mimic the original plastic. Of course it could be painted if wanted. Just some ideas.

Seems odd to have a rear cover fastened with nails which would limit access to replace tubes, etc. That could have been something an owner added. I have made rear covers for radios by jigsawing out of 1/8" masonite, like this one:

[stusnyder]

hi again,
well looking at this further, it would be hard to cast the bezel because of the groove the glass sits in. So I decided to get some testors contour putty and fix the missing area, then paint it. The bezel itself has a factory split in it, that was glued together. You have to spread open the bezel to put the glass in the groove that it sits in.
I posted some pics of some things I have cast, 1st is a horse bank which was missing the lower leg. A friend of mine had the same bank and I borrowed it to make the mold. What I did after the mold was made, was to put my broken piece in the mold and pour what was missing. Then used a mig with high nickel wire and spot welded it, then dressed it with a dremel.
The 2nd is 2 keys I made, one with brass and one with cast iron. The cast iron one is for a toy bank. And the brass one worked right out of the mold.
And the 3rd is a camel bank that I ENTIRELY made using a original as a mold. I painted it and chipped and aged it up to look old.

[Reece]

Pretty neat! That's a wonderful talent to have.

[stusnyder]

Got the bezel finished. First I found a glass that would work via timesavers. The glass was a bit thicker, so had to use a dremel to widen the slot. I broke the factory glue joint and spread it apart to get the glass in. Then I used some air cure clay to make a imprint. After that hardened up, I laid the bezel in and pressed in that 2 part putty epoxy in the missing spots. After that hardened, dremel and sandpaper. Here are 2 shots before and after paint. Not too shabby for what it was.

[JoeNewberry]

That looks very nice. Will you be posting a picture of the finished product in the radio cabinet? I'd be curious to see how it all comes together.

[Reece]

Super!

[stusnyder]

well here's the end result. I still have to clean up the knobs yet. All recapped and playing.

[JohnHacker1]

Nice job!