Does anyone know of a source for replacement plastic dial covers? “Dial Covers And More” has a posting on their web site saying they are closed until further notice, and I tried e-mailing "Bill Turner" but got no response. I've made my own in the past but attempts to reproduce this particular one (Belmont 5D16 / Coronado 5D16)have been unsuccessful.

Leon: Bill Turner is presently laid up and his business is suspended. In the past, I've gotten a couple of round dial covers from him.

If these dial covers are anything other than round, then finding replacements is difficult.

Thanks for the update on Bill. I hope he gets better soon.

Leon,
I've had some success creating translucent overlays (in color)on my PC. This may be useful if all else fails, but would only work for a flat dial. Obviously, the starting point would be an accurate 1 to 1 or scaled picture of the original, and a blank glass/plastic panel to fit the finished assembly. The many fonts and styles available on today's PC's with a little creativity, can provide an endless source of numerals and text from yesteryear.
marv

:Does anyone know of a source for replacement plastic dial covers? “Dial Covers And More” has a posting on their web site saying they are closed until further notice, and I tried e-mailing "Bill Turner" but got no response. I've made my own in the past but attempts to reproduce this particular one (Belmont 5D16 / Coronado 5D16)have been unsuccessful.

Marv
Thanks for the comment, but what I need is just the plain clear dial cover. I tried molding my own in the oven but the corner radii are so tight that the plastic buckels in the corner leaving an unsightly mold that doesn't fit very well.

Leon,
You might try making a diagonal cut of appropriate length with a razor saw, and then use your oven heating method. If more localized heating is required, a heat gun might work. The plastic removed by the saw may be enough to eliminate the bulge, or a thicker coping saw blade will remove more. This solution would only work, provided the corners do not appear too conspicuously on the final assembly. Artful application of clear epoxy may well make the cut/bend imperceptable.
marv

:Marv
:Thanks for the comment, but what I need is just the plain clear dial cover. I tried molding my own in the oven but the corner radii are so tight that the plastic buckels in the corner leaving an unsightly mold that doesn't fit very well.
:

Marv
Thanks for the tip. Since I presently don't have any other options, I'll give it a try.
Leon

:Marv
:Thanks for the tip. Since I presently don't have any other options, I'll give it a try.
:Leon
:
I have an American Bosch that had a broken dial cover. I found an article in another web site that described how to use heat to shape a piece of clear plastic over a mold. The article did not say what kind of plastic I should use. The ones I tried just curled up with heat. I contacted a firm that sells all kinds of plastic and they sold me a sheet vinal plastic. I tried it and I now have a first class dial cover. First I had to make the mold using the old raised cover. I put the plastic on top of the mold with a block to press the plastic when it softened. I had to buy a big sheet of the plastic so I now have enough for many dial covers. If I can do it, you can too. Let me know if you have questions or need help or plastic. Good luck. Dick

As a follow-up to my previous reply, the other site where I found a good description of how to make replacement dial covers is www.radioera.com. It's a good article with pictures and text. Hope that helps. Dick

Dick
Thanks for the tip.
Leon

:As a follow-up to my previous reply, the other site where I found a good description of how to make replacement dial covers is www.radioera.com. It's a good article with pictures and text. Hope that helps. Dick

Dick,
I have gone to the RadioEra site to try and find the article you are referring to. I have a basketcase dial cover that I want to make a replacement for. The problem is----that site is so huge, with hundreds upon hundreds of links etc, that I cannot find the article. Could you perhaps revisit that site & article then copy and paste the link to that specific page here ? It would be of great help and much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Dennis Wess

Dennis Wess:
I was aware of the articles you mentioned but thanks anyway. I've used the "mold your own" technique in the past with good results. This particular dial, however, has such sharp curves at the corners that the plastic tends to bunch up and distort. I've tried various thickness of plastic and they all distort in the corner. Some more that others, but they all fail. At this point all I can do is continue to experiment.
Leon

*******************************************************
Tracking down through all of those links definitely can be a problem !
There may be others also, but try this one:

http://hometown.aol.com/EB062559/DIALCOVERS.html

73’s de Edd

*******************************************************

::As a follow-up to my previous reply, the other site where I found a good description of how to make replacement dial covers is www.radioera.com. It's a good article with pictures and text. Hope that helps. Dick
:
:Dick,
:I have gone to the RadioEra site to try and find the article you are referring to. I have a basketcase dial cover that I want to make a replacement for. The problem is----that site is so huge, with hundreds upon hundreds of links etc, that I cannot find the article. Could you perhaps revisit that site & article then copy and paste the link to that specific page here ? It would be of great help and much appreciated.
:
:Thanks in advance,
:Dennis Wess

:*******************************************************
:Tracking down through all of those links definitely can be a problem !
:There may be others also, but try this one:
:
:http://hometown.aol.com/EB062559/DIALCOVERS.html
:
:73’s de Edd

Edd...........
Thanks so much for posting the link to that site about making your own dialcovers. I read the article and have printed it for furure reference. I was not even aware that there was such an easily worked plastic material available !! I will try the method as soon as I can gather up all of the required materials. Again, thanks MUCH.

Dennis Wess
:
:*******************************************************
:
:
:::As a follow-up to my previous reply, the other site where I found a good description of how to make replacement dial covers is www.radioera.com. It's a good article with pictures and text. Hope that helps. Dick
::
::Dick,
::I have gone to the RadioEra site to try and find the article you are referring to. I have a basketcase dial cover that I want to make a replacement for. The problem is----that site is so huge, with hundreds upon hundreds of links etc, that I cannot find the article. Could you perhaps revisit that site & article then copy and paste the link to that specific page here ? It would be of great help and much appreciated.
::
::Thanks in advance,
::Dennis Wess

Dennis: I don't know how I did it, but I gave the wrong URL for the dial cover article. This is the one which I did a copy and paste, so it should take you right to the article. Hope it helps. Dick

http://members.aol.com/EB062559/DIALCOVERS.html

:Dennis: I don't know how I did it, but I gave the wrong URL for the dial cover article. This is the one which I did a copy and paste, so it should take you right to the article. Hope it helps. Dick
:
:
:http://members.aol.com/EB062559/DIALCOVERS.html

Dick,
Thanks for the comeback on that URL. I was able to get to the same site that you were talking about by using the URL that Edd posted yesterday. And.....after reading the article it looks like I will definitely give the process a try. I'll eventually post a report on how it all turns out. Thanks again to both of you guys.
Dennis Wess

::Marv
::Thanks for the tip. Since I presently don't have any other options, I'll give it a try.
::Leon
::
:I have an American Bosch that had a broken dial cover. I found an article in another web site that described how to use heat to shape a piece of clear plastic over a mold. The article did not say what kind of plastic I should use. The ones I tried just curled up with heat. I contacted a firm that sells all kinds of plastic and they sold me a sheet vinal plastic. I tried it and I now have a first class dial cover. First I had to make the mold using the old raised cover. I put the plastic on top of the mold with a block to press the plastic when it softened. I had to buy a big sheet of the plastic so I now have enough for many dial covers. If I can do it, you can too. Let me know if you have questions or need help or plastic. Good luck. Dick