Hi All,

I went to a fabric shop as you suggested on my 1948 Zenith. The closest fabric I found was prettier than the original, having gold and yellow in it. In the radio it looks great.
This makes me wonder. Could the dyes in my original have faded such that the original had become drab?

A while ago I did an Airline Miracle. When I went to replace the felts around the push buttons I noticed that they had a slight red tint to them, indicating that they had been red, eventhough they were then black. The grill cloths on the top, also showed red in the places where the bakelite bars crossed them.
Is there any record of original color schemes? Has anyone gotten into restoration of original dye color schemes?

All the Best,

Bill G.

Bill,
Wish I could say yes, because the grille cloth on my RCA 67V1 is in great shape, but faded well beyond the original gold/chocolate colors, and can't find a close match in pattern or color.

marv

:Hi All,
:
:I went to a fabric shop as you suggested on my 1948 Zenith. The closest fabric I found was prettier than the original, having gold and yellow in it. In the radio it looks great.
:This makes me wonder. Could the dyes in my original have faded such that the original had become drab?
:
:A while ago I did an Airline Miracle. When I went to replace the felts around the push buttons I noticed that they had a slight red tint to them, indicating that they had been red, eventhough they were then black. The grill cloths on the top, also showed red in the places where the bakelite bars crossed them.
:Is there any record of original color schemes? Has anyone gotten into restoration of original dye color schemes?
:
:All the Best,
:
:Bill G.

Wish I could replace the same color scheme cloth on my Crosley 1117. It was originally chocolate and gold in a very amazing deco pattern. I don't want any other on this radio. It was originally very contrasty and striking.

Also, on the same note, an Airline portable I own used to be kind of turquois--the cloth, that is. The plastic knobs still are. The cloth has turned a dark green, though, due to yellowing of the lacquer.

Regarding fading, sunlight and fluorescent light do terrible things. Unless your dyes are finely powdered minerals that have already been exposed to the sun, they will likely fade.

Thomas

:Wish I could replace the same color scheme cloth on my Crosley 1117. It was originally chocolate and gold in a very amazing deco pattern. I don't want any other on this radio. It was originally very contrasty and striking.
:
:Also, on the same note, an Airline portable I own used to be kind of turquois--the cloth, that is. The plastic knobs still are. The cloth has turned a dark green, though, due to yellowing of the lacquer.
:
:Regarding fading, sunlight and fluorescent light do terrible things. Unless your dyes are finely powdered minerals that have already been exposed to the sun, they will likely fade.
:
:Thomas

How do you find the original grill cloth colors?

All the Best,

Bill

Well, the best way, if all you have is your cloth, is to remove the cloth, or the cloth-baffle assembly, if the cloth is mounted to a baffle (board). Then inspect the cloth where it was covered by the cabinet. It will be darker, and closer to original colors, here.

Thomas

Yea Thomas,
Thats what I found too, but how to dye/color the old cloth back to it's original is the question.

marv

:Well, the best way, if all you have is your cloth, is to remove the cloth, or the cloth-baffle assembly, if the cloth is mounted to a baffle (board). Then inspect the cloth where it was covered by the cabinet. It will be darker, and closer to original colors, here.
:
:Thomas

You can't. You'll only dye it one color when there are multiples. If I can't find someone to make a replica of my speaker cloth, I will just have to do it myself. It'll take a long time, but I know I can do it. It shouldn't be any more complicated than winding a motor armature. A loom is how it is done, and you'd have to do it the old fashioned way unless you knew someone with a modern computerized loom.

T.

Thomas,
I do electrical, mechanical, wood restoration and a little CAD, but knitting and looming are beyond my expertise.

marv

:You can't. You'll only dye it one color when there are multiples. If I can't find someone to make a replica of my speaker cloth, I will just have to do it myself. It'll take a long time, but I know I can do it. It shouldn't be any more complicated than winding a motor armature. A loom is how it is done, and you'd have to do it the old fashioned way unless you knew someone with a modern computerized loom.
:
:T.

Well, never did knit myself, but I bet I could if I tried. I have this Gearhart knitting machine. The thing is from the 1920s and makes socks. I've toyed around with it a lot when I was younger, but the needles are broken. Someone on eBay actually sells reproductions! Wow........not that I really care right now. Anyway, knitting is just looping one thread around the other, so it isn't too difficult.

Regarding looms, you have base threads of a base color. Then you have cross threads (not sure if the terminology is correct) of the other colors you want to work in. You lift the base threads where you don't want the cross threads to show, and you drop them when you want the cross threads to show. For each cross thread you must set the base threads properly to continue the desired pattern. TONS of work. Someday, when I have surplus time (don't see that in the near future), I'll undertake this huge project if I don't find an alternative. Given the size of the necessary cloth, it shouldn't take too long. Perhaps it will take about 20 hours, so about a few days.

Thomas

:Well, never did knit myself, but I bet I could if I tried. I have this Gearhart knitting machine. The thing is from the 1920s and makes socks. I've toyed around with it a lot when I was younger, but the needles are broken. Someone on eBay actually sells reproductions! Wow........not that I really care right now. Anyway, knitting is just looping one thread around the other, so it isn't too difficult.
:
:Regarding looms, you have base threads of a base color. Then you have cross threads (not sure if the terminology is correct) of the other colors you want to work in. You lift the base threads where you don't want the cross threads to show, and you drop them when you want the cross threads to show. For each cross thread you must set the base threads properly to continue the desired pattern. TONS of work. Someday, when I have surplus time (don't see that in the near future), I'll undertake this huge project if I don't find an alternative. Given the size of the necessary cloth, it shouldn't take too long. Perhaps it will take about 20 hours, so about a few days.
:
:Thomas

Thank you for the low down on grill cloths. I have found the fabric store to be a great benefit. The guy that owns it is a collector of vintage radios, too!

As far the loom, I have kids to raise, maybe someday I will have the time, but not now.

All the Best,

Bill Grimm

Well, someday, when you run across a grill cloth that is amazing, but is not reproduced by anyone, you won't be satisfied by the fabric store. The cloth on my Crosley 1117 is one example of such a cloth. I have school work to complete, and a job to go to, and an appartment that doesn't get cleaned by others (even though they live here), but I do intend to someday make a new cloth. DOn't know when, but I won't settle for anything else. Maybe I'll run into someone with a loom.

Thomas

:Well, someday, when you run across a grill cloth that is amazing, but is not reproduced by anyone, you won't be satisfied by the fabric store. The cloth on my Crosley 1117 is one example of such a cloth. I have school work to complete, and a job to go to, and an appartment that doesn't get cleaned by others (even though they live here), but I do intend to someday make a new cloth. DOn't know when, but I won't settle for anything else. Maybe I'll run into someone with a loom.
:
:Thomas

Hi Thomas,
May I suggest a girl friend who likes weaving, quilting and dress making?

All the Best,

Bill

Hmmmmmmm...................men who can't get over being macho. Real men, however, don't give a damn. .....and some of the best tailors are men!

T.