Philips 170A Cabinet - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

mikea01 · 6th Dec 2007, 8:51 am

Hi, I am at the final stages of restoring a Philips 170A radio and am now working on the cabinet. There are two painted strips on the front, one above the the speaker grille cloth and one below it. My strips are badly flaked and faded and I can't tell whether they were meant to be gold or a cream colour. Looking at pictures on the web, it is also very hard to tell. Can anyone help here please?
Thanks
Mike

yestertech · 6th Dec 2007, 12:18 pm

Hi Mike - Philips used both "white" and "cream" for these reliefs, depending on the set and the production date. The 170A's as far as all the examples I 've seen are the latter. I found the Humbrol yellow paint # 7 is quite a good match.
If it looks too "new" apparently it can be aged by rubbing with used Tea bags, although I have never quite found the will to try this out.
Clear out all the old paint first and then clean with alcohol to esnure good adhesion. Keep the lines very fine and don't allow the paint to come out of the grooves onto the front edge, otherwies the lines look "sloppy". There were never painted lines around the control knobs, so don't be tempted !

Andy

PS Luvverly set !

mikea01 · 6th Dec 2007, 1:45 pm

Hi Andy,

thanks for that. In that case, I have only just last night nitromorsed my diffuser plate and resprayed it with Plasti-Kote cream colour as it really was in a poor state with large areas of paint missing. It looks quite good now. I might use the remainder of this paint for the decorative lines. And yes you are absolutely right, painted control knobs do not look right.

Mike

6th Dec 2007, 8:51 am	#1
mikea01 Triode Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gloucester Posts: 15	Philips 170A Cabinet Hi, I am at the final stages of restoring a Philips 170A radio and am now working on the cabinet. There are two painted strips on the front, one above the the speaker grille cloth and one below it. My strips are badly flaked and faded and I can't tell whether they were meant to be gold or a cream colour. Looking at pictures on the web, it is also very hard to tell. Can anyone help here please? Thanks Mike

6th Dec 2007, 12:18 pm	#2
yestertech Nonode Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Coulsdon, Surrey, UK. Posts: 2,135	Re: Philips 170A Cabinet Hi Mike - Philips used both "white" and "cream" for these reliefs, depending on the set and the production date. The 170A's as far as all the examples I 've seen are the latter. I found the Humbrol yellow paint # 7 is quite a good match. If it looks too "new" apparently it can be aged by rubbing with used Tea bags, although I have never quite found the will to try this out. Clear out all the old paint first and then clean with alcohol to esnure good adhesion. Keep the lines very fine and don't allow the paint to come out of the grooves onto the front edge, otherwies the lines look "sloppy". There were never painted lines around the control knobs, so don't be tempted ! Andy PS Luvverly set !

6th Dec 2007, 1:45 pm	#3
mikea01 Triode Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gloucester Posts: 15	Re: Philips 170A Cabinet Hi Andy, thanks for that. In that case, I have only just last night nitromorsed my diffuser plate and resprayed it with Plasti-Kote cream colour as it really was in a poor state with large areas of paint missing. It looks quite good now. I might use the remainder of this paint for the decorative lines. And yes you are absolutely right, painted control knobs do not look right. Mike