Admiral 19A!1 Channel Guide needed
 

Hi all: I just restored a 1949 Admiral 19A11 Television. Works great but the
channel indicator guide on the case is missing and I need to make one.
Has anyone done this before? From what I have seen, this is a common problem with this set. The channel guide is usually warped, cracked or missing.
I was thinking of getting a good photograph of one and taking it to a sign maker that makes plastic engraved name tags and having them engrave the information on a black badge with white background that would make the engraved part look white in color. See photos of what I need. I just need one really good photo taken straight on so I can get the spacing dimensions right. The photos I show were taken off the internet to show you an example of what I need. I just need a very accurate close up so I can duplicate this plastic piece. Any suggestions are welcome.

If you have an exact height and width measurement of the panel, it's easy to warp the photo to fit into it.

It's originally little more than a glorified sticker, though. Why not just print a new sticker?

I think that's a great idea.

I'm not sure what you mean by the original was a glorified sticker. It's a plastic panel with four pegs that snap into the cabinet.

Here are a couple photos I took while working on one.
Sorry I don't have the exact dimensions but perhaps you can estimate based on the cabinet holes ?

https://flic.kr/p/adVMii
https://flic.kr/p/adYAVU

I actually heated a warped one once and got it flat. You don't want to take these off and on too many times. Because they're 70+ year old they can suddenly crack. It's safer to just pull the chassis if you need to make the tuning adjustment.
I understand what that poster meant by a "glorified sticker" - it really is a thin flimsy plate, often with a rough de-gating job at the top. A spring-tension gold plate, like the other Admirals of the period would've been a better option.

Mine is 3.1 inches wide and about 2.5 inches from the top to the curve where it curves under the front of the cabinet. Replicating the curved portion might present a problem to a name tag maker. :scratch2:

jr

It sure looks like a sticker. Either way, it was kinda janky from the get-go. Printing out a sticker wouldn't really be less aesthetic.
Could have them leave it extra long and heat the plastic with a heat gun and fold it over something with a rounded edge.

A sticker! I didn't know it was a sticker. Guess that's why the ones I have seen look shriveled up. I will clean up a capture of a good one and print it on photo paper to give it that shine.

It's not a sticker! It's an thin piece of early plastic that is dyed to look like bakelite...It is the same material the dial faces and push buttons of some 40-42 model year Philcos (which are infamous for plastic shrinkage/cracking) used.

I've had 2-3 of these Bad Bois thru the years,& ALL of the Channel Indicator doohickies look like like absolute @ss..All bent, curled up "Don't even THINK about tryin' to REMOVE Me, Fat Boy-I'll crumble into 3 gazillion widdle bitty pieces..." Apparently 1940s plastic DOES have a definite lifespan to it...

Bob Anderson: could you please post a clear close up photo of your nice channel guide so I can duplicate it for my Admiral 19A1, Thanks

I seem to remember someone reproducing that plate, or at least making the artwork for it.

an online company called Radio Daze will make one if I have a good photo of a good one to start with. they make graphics for radio dials and decals for electronics.
I just need a good photo of a good dial to make into a graphic.
http://www.radiodaze.com/dials-plastic-or-phenolic-103/

Radiolaguy

$25 - Vinyl overlay with adhesive backing

https://www.radiolaguy.com/RadioDials-page1.htm

There you go. $25 and you don't have to do anything but whip out your credit card.

Bob Andersen, Thank you so much for that contact for the Admiral 19A1 channel guide. My Admiral will now look and work like new!
Thanks a lot for your time and tips on how to restore it and thanks to the rest of you guys for your support in my project.
Bob