Truetone record player cabinet restoration

[William]

It looks great, Greg, and I really like that red.

Bill

[electra225]

Thanks, Bill! The record player was red like that when it was new.

[electra225]

Okay, here we are, folks. Done and done as grandpa used to say.......

Since I am my worst critic, it could really use a new power cord. This one isn't as white as it was before I replaced the white Tolex in the lid. Now the cord looks dirty, but I'm not going to take it all back apart to change the power cord. The grille cloth is not perfectly straight at the bottom edge. It never was and won't cover the top if I move it. They didn't give a quarter of an inch more material than they needed.... I may start replacing 50C5 tubes with 50EH5's in record players. I like the volume this has now. It wasn't that loud when it was new.

And.....in the way of full disclosure, the metal trim that says "Truetone" on the front lip of the cabinet was not originally polished. There were a couple of scratches on the upper edge that showed. So I used some 0000 steel wool and Simichrome and polished it by hand, then used a buffing pad on the Dremel to finish it. It came out pretty good, all things considered.

I'm happy with how it turned out and am thrilled that my little Truetone record player is back amongst the living....

It is seen in the third shot playing a Pat Boone record, on Dot, "Johnny Will"......

I followed Rex's advice and cleaned the grille cloth in the washing machine. I used a towel for backing, then stapled it to a Swiffers container lid, a clear plastic lid that would keep the cloth somewhat supported. It came out pretty good considering how dirty it was to start with. Not perfect, but it's the original cloth and I'm happy I saved it. That method works pretty well if you have a small piece. Drying the grille cloth took almost a week. I weighted it to keep it flat. I used Elmer's white glue to stick it to the speaker board, which is DELICATE cardboard. I reinforced it with clear shipping tape to hold it together. I maybe should get a piece of Masonite and make a new speaker board. Someday...

Changing the grille cloth on this little record player just so it will be new would ruin its personality. That style grille cloth is just part of it. It is 64 years old. I still don't know who built this record player. I'd really like to know. It was not Wells-Gardner, that I do know. They made a lot of stuff for Western Auto, though.

[electra225]

Some hints and kinks for Tolex installation if you'd like.....

*Use a new razor blade for each cut. I use one end of a single edge razor, then the other, then toss it. You want the sharpest blade you can get. It MUST be cut in one pass. Two or more passes on the same cut will result in a "ditch" in your junction of material.

*Mix water with the glue so it won't dry as fast. This is if you are using water-borne Tolex glue. Keep the brush wet with water at all times, which keeps the glue from sticking to and setting up in the brush. I like using a toothbrush, since the glue won't stick to those as easy and spreading is easier, although can be messy.

*Set your cuts up in advance of applying glue. Mark your material on the back so you can put it on straight. Mark in pencil guide lines on the cabinet so you can have a guide. Do not trust your memory or eyesight.

*Make your cuts against a metal straight edge. You can cut into plastic, making a crooked seam.

*Measure twice (or more!) and cut once. Leave a little extra as a margin of safety in the case you don't get started straight.

*Watch an Uncle Doug video on Tolex installation. Although he mostly does guitar amps, much easier than a record player cabinet, he has good tips and his ideas are well-presented.

*Record player cabinets have complex angles and are not always perfectly straight or square. You should work the cabinet as appropriate to make it as square as you can. Make sure to eliminate any black mold or other contamination before you apply Tolex. Sand the wood just as you would for painting. Any blemishes you can feel with your hand, you'll see with your eye when you apply Tolex, sometimes even amplified bigger than they actually are. You can use common Bondo to fill imperfections in wood, just as you would with car bodies.

*One of the toughest jobs with refinishing a record player cabinet is figuring out how the hardware is attached, then figuring out how to safely remove the hardware. Commonly used are "spread tip" rivets. You have to remove the old covering, dig out the ends of the rivet, cut them off so the rivet can be removed without gouging the wood. Then you can re-attach the hardware with wood screws. If the holes are oblong and the screw won't hold, use a wooden match or toothpick broken off to make the hole smaller so the screw will hold. Typically you need a #6 x 3/8 wood screw, maximum, so the screw won't poke thru the new Tolex. You want to mock up the hardware with the new screws before you apply Tolex to be sure the screws won't protrude in too far. I like using stainless steel screws. You can apply Elmer's white glue to the screws to keep them from backing out, yet it will let them be removed if need be.