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Originally Posted by lloydwells
I recently noticed someone on ebay doing repro backs for Dac90s obviously they're getting it from somewhere
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The topic of repro backs - especially for the more common radios - crops up periodically on the forum because they either go missing, or on live-chassis sets which use a mains dropper, the top of the back tends to carbonise and crumble away, (EG; DAC90 especially, DAC90A to a lesser extent), then you are faced with either bodging in a piece of material of some sort or another, or making/buying a replica back.
Not only does the back need to have the same slot arrangement, it needs to be a similar colour and as often as not, to look presentable, a label created along the lines of the original. Next to impossible to do that without a router in a purpose designed jig or by using a CNC router.
The only repro ones that I've seen on e-bay aren't made of 'millboard', but 3.2mm MDF, made by forum member 'neil24-7' last on the forum 18 April 2018.
Neil runs a business making such things as slate signs using a CNC router. In 2017 he made a batch of excellent repro DAC90A and Wartime Civilian Receiver backs in plain 3.2mm MDF which he offered on the forum at the very reasonable price of £12.00 each, given that the CNC router needed to be programmed and set up. However, though they were much admired, and some forum members enquired about the possibility of other panels being made, they didn't sell and Neil was left with them on his hands.
I'd concur that 3.2mm MDF is the best material to be use, unless oil tempered hardboard can be found.
On eBay Neil goes by the name of 'Radio Ga Ga'. His ebay listing, which was for the DAC90, has ended. The listing stated:
DAC90 REPRODUCTION REAR PANEL / COVER
Finding a complete unburned DAC90 Panel is impossible to find these days so I have reproduced these hard to find panels to make your restorations look Fantastic and as near as possible to original.
CNC Milled 3.2mm Black Hardboard.
We also stock DAC90A reproduction panels and are trying to add more Radio makes all the time.
Please note this sale is for 1 rear panel only and not the radio
End quote.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAC90-REP...p2047675.l2557
Neil's forum thread offering DAC90 back panels is here:
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=136961
The link to the thread on his excellent WCR repro back panels, which included a label is here:
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...0A+Back+Panels
Though the backs were keenly priced, DAC90s and '90As are money pits and already cost far more to restore than they're ever going to be worth. (possibly an OPT or rewind, a UL41 output valve, maybe a UY41, a set of caps, possible wave-change switch problems, volume control, maybe a twin smoothing/reservoir cap, pilot bulbs, etc), Maybe a commercially produce replica back for some impecunious restorers is just a step too far?
Certainly none of the sets I've made DIY replica backs for would have been worth spending much money on, which is why I took the DIY approach and made a universal router jig, which I covered in the thread at the link below. Once the jig is made, if a full sized sketch of the back can be found, it's about an hour's job to make a back, but it's noisy, messy and unpleasant, calling for face protection, a respirator and ear defenders.
The fact that Neil is properly equipped and able to make excellent replica backs at such a reasonable price, means that it's questionable - even if one has the skills and equipment - to make one's own backs. I only did it because woodworking and woodturning in my other hobby, and perverse as it may seem, for me, making backs for my own sets wasn't a chore. (I've seen some excellent examples by forum members at the top of their game who've made backs for People's set ('444') and round Ekcos by hand).
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...0A+Back+Panels
Hope that's of interest.