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Old 1st Dec 2019, 1:20 pm   #1
DonaldStott
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Default Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Looking for recommendations for an alternative to the seemingly unobtainable "Pine Green" Meltonian shoe cream to refurbish the Rexine on this Roberts R303: -

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Anyone tried this: -

TRG Shoe Cream Green Island

The observant will also notice that it has lost one of the small brass inserts on the left hand knob - are these difficult to find or easily reproduced?
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Old 1st Dec 2019, 4:32 pm   #2
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Several people here have made reproduction inserts / brights for Roberts, Dynatron etc. knobs -

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=26740

gives plenty of detail on how to go about it - and they've also been offered on eBay etc.. They're concave on these knobs, but I think they're the same as those presented convex on older models, just fitted upside down.

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Old 2nd Dec 2019, 1:50 pm   #3
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Anyone tried this: -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cherry-Blos...5290767&sr=8-4

The brass blank discs I need for the Roberts are 3/4" across but slightly concave just to make things tricky, as Paul mentioned above!

I followed the link to the Thread on reproduction inserts/brights but I don't have the workshop equipment to make these.
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Old 4th Dec 2019, 3:32 am   #4
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Can you try some underneath to test? I'd go to a big shoe shop and poke around their colours. If it's Rexine then it's never been near leather and possibly won't be rejuvenated by shoe cream to any great extent, apart from perhaps have some of the colour remain on the surface. It might wash...?

If it won't clean up at all, would this do?
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Old 18th Dec 2019, 12:13 pm   #5
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

A suitable match for the Rexine on this Roberts R303 is proving impossible to find!

Anyone know what the RGB or Hex colour codes are for this green as I may consider just using an acrylic paint instead?
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Old 18th Dec 2019, 12:21 pm   #6
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

I very much doubt there will be such a code, as they are for digital colour matching. The dyes used in the manufacturing of the cloth will have been more variable, and probably related to a proportional recipe of chemicals rather than an absolute predetermined value.

If you want a colour code, one could be generated from a photograph but it will depend on the white balance, the lighting, the camera, screen etc. etc.

I think your best bet would be to replace it with something else (did you get a Ratchford sample card? They are quite helpful), or take the Japanese approach of making the repair obvious by specifically not matching it. It increases the visible expression of the object's history. While I understand it's not to everyone's taste, I personally think the attitude it demonstrates is quite admirable when dealing with old things that are used and express their wear and tear.
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Old 18th Dec 2019, 2:20 pm   #7
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Maybe a leather dye such as at these links might be worth a look? They seem to have one or two fairly dark colours which might be a reasonable match. If you're treating the whole cabinet, as I guess you are, no-one is going th say 'that's not quite the right shade of green' and unless you see two sets side by side, who would know?

http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBa...=1576674296481

https://www.leatherpaint.co.uk/leather-dye/leather-dye

Hope that might help a bit.

Good luck in your quest.
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Old 18th Dec 2019, 10:44 pm   #8
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

@ Uncle Bulgaria - I suppose I'm aiming to emulate Howard's excellent work in this Thread - see the pictures: -

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=33434

@ David G4EBT - I've ordered some green Fiebings Leather Dye - as you say, don't need an exact match if I'm treating the whole cabinet.

Early warning - next questions will be about how to clean up the brass trim and fixtures!
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Old 19th Dec 2019, 12:02 am   #9
David G4EBT
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DonaldStott View Post

Early warning - next questions will be about how to clean up the brass trim and fixtures!
A few comments which might help:

A note of caution: In the words of the Bard ‘All that glisters is not gold’!

Many apparently brass fittings on Roberts and other equipment are actually steel with thin brass plating. If it’s polished too enthusiastically - with wire wool for example - you may risk rubbing through the thin brass plating. It’s therefore worth checking with a small magnet to see if they’re brass-plated steel or solid brass.

As with such things as knob ‘brights’ (which are invariably solid brass), the trims will have been coated with clear lacquer which needs to be removed before you can polish the brass. If the lacquer was cellulose based, cellulose thinners will remove it. Then Duraglit wadding or Brasso should brighten up the brass prior to spraying with acrylic clear auto lacquer.

Hope that might help a bit.
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Old 8th Jan 2020, 4:31 pm   #10
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

A New Year Bump for the Roberts R303 inserts/brights.

The brass blank discs I need for the Roberts are 3/4" across (?) but slightly concave just to make things tricky ...!
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Old 22nd Feb 2020, 8:19 pm   #11
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DonaldStott View Post
A New Year Bump for the Roberts R303 inserts/brights.

The brass blank discs I need for the Roberts are 3/4" across (?) but slightly concave just to make things tricky ...!
Yet another BUMP ... anyone with the workshop capability to help with the inserts/brights?

Meantime, after giving myself the runaround with several shoe creams and leather dyes I had a bit of success at my local Homebase where they managed to scan the colour of my Roberts R303.

The green colour is very close to Dulux Wild Cactus although the small tin I acquired was much closer, almost a perfect match! Painted a section of the Rexine and I for one couldn't tell which bit I'd done apart from some tell-tale brush strokes. Not bad for £3.50 and lots more paint should I need it in the future.

Now that I have this matching green what would be a suitable coating to make it more durable?
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Old 22nd Feb 2020, 10:35 pm   #12
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Would flat brass disks be an acceptable compromise? If so this company sells 3/4" (19mm) 20 SWG blanks in packs 10:

https://www.copperenamelshapes.com/b...eatured&page=2

It's the first item on this page and the postage charge is reasonable. You could always share the surplus through the forum. If you wanted to form them into a concave shape you'd probably need slightly larger discs.

Just trying to think creatively.

Alan
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Old 23rd Feb 2020, 1:47 am   #13
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ajgriff View Post
Would flat brass disks be an acceptable compromise?
Thanks for this idea Alan - I do like creative thinking.
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Old 26th Feb 2020, 6:18 pm   #14
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Default Re: Roberts R303 - Rexine etc.

Thanks again to Alan (ajgriff) for the link to Harrison & Harrison where I purchased some 19mm Brass Discs - Thickness:0.9mm (UK 20 gauge).

Don't look too out of place in my opinion: -

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I appreciate they are flat and not slightly concave like the originals but they are "an acceptable compromise".

Once I get them properly polished and give them a coat of Rustins metal lacquer they will look even better.
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