Roberts RM20 ... with knobs on ...

[howard]

Hello,

I bought several radios yesterday from Wootton Bassett including a pair of Roberts RM20s for £5, both with slightly battered worn cases and one with wrong knobs and with its white lettering worn off the front. I decided today to restore the better one of these cos I've never had a transistor radio that runs exclusively off the mains before, or one that has a tuning scale that lights up

I took the chassis out (easy, just undo all the screws on the underside) and then cleaned the case with upholstery cleaner. The wooden case had a Blind Association sticker on the top, that I removed by pointing a hair dryer at it and picking it off with my finger nails, and then removing the remaining goo with B&Qs sticky stuff remover. There were several dents around the edges of the case so I got those out by placing a tape mask around each in turn and applying steam from a kettle - just a few seconds of steam treatment swelled each of the dents out I then gently sanded down each of the steamed areas and then sealed them with a thin coat of thinned down acrylic varnish before applying a good coat of Topps scratch polish. Result, an unmarked case

The chassis required very little attention, just a squirt of switch cleaner into the volume pot. I reassembled the radio, and it works fine and looks as good as new

Not a very exciting radio, the RM20, as it only has MW/LW but its a cute little thing and sounds as good as most of the Roberts portables so its a welcome addition to my collection

Howard

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by howard

There were several dents around the edges of the case so I got those out by placing a tape mask around each in turn and applying steam from a kettle - just a few seconds of steam treatment swelled each of the dents out I then gently sanded down each of the steamed areas and then sealed them with a thin coat of thinned down acrylic varnish before applying a good coat of Topps scratch polish. Result, an unmarked case

Clever stuff, I'm impressed

[howard]

Thanks Nick,

I have a house full of pine furniture and doors and any dents in those Ive repaired in a similar way, often just soaking in water. Steam will lift the dents out of teak as well but it also strips off the varnish, necessary so that the bare wood can absorb the water. One must seal the repaired areas before applying the Topps otherwise one will end up with little dark patches !

Howard

[Paul Stenning]

Sorry to bring bad news Howard, but the knobs on the one you have restored are incomplete. I noticed this when we were auctioning them. They are just black plastic, whereas they should be covered with a black spun aluminuim trim. See the pictures in this thread https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ighlight=rm20- although the tuning knob should not have a line on it.

[howard]

Hello Paul,

Dammit ! I'll chuck it out then cos I doubt if I'll find any knobs for it
As at a car auction, I wish all known faults were displayed on all the radios or revealed by the auctioneer cos Im not always aware of what is missing or is not original .... and I was told (by you I think) as I was leaving that the Bush VHF90 I bought had had its front repainted in gold when it shouldve been white .... I wonder what else I bought on Sunday thats been messed around with ?

What a waste of effort and money ! I suggest you delete this thread as this is no longer a success story.

Howard

[stephanie]

Originally Posted by howard

Hello Paul,
Dammit ! I'll chuck it out then cos I doubt if I'll find any knobs for it

I really hope you're joking!

You don't throw out a perfectly working radio just because the trim on the knobs is lacking!!

So what, the radio has knobs but it's just lacking the covers. You could probably find another scrappy RM20 and swap covers (or knobs). I'm sure those are pretty common sets. Go E-bay trolling. I've seen some there from time to time..

Alternatively you can clean off the glue residue from the knobs and leave them as is, they don't look too out of place. Instead of smooth metal caps, you'll just have knurled plastic knobs.

Some years back, I bought one of these radios as a companion to my RM33 and it does have the metal covers over the knobs. The glue's dried out and they need to be sorted out.

I use contact cement -- the nasty yellow stuff that contains toluene and can do a real number on your lungs & brain cells if you use it in an enclosed area (or if you're a street urchin and huff the stuff out of a paper sack).

The RM33 is a much better version - the speaker is slightly larger so it does give out a better sound. It also seems to be better built than the RM20

As at a car auction, I wish all known faults were displayed on all the radios or revealed by the auctioneer cos Im not always aware of what is missing or is not original ....

It's hard to tell with those, since unless you know what you're looking for, the knobs look alright even without the covers. So see? Until Paul told you, you would have never known any better.

and I was told (by you I think) as I was leaving that the Bush VHF90 I bought had had its front repainted in gold when it shouldve been white .... I wonder what else I bought on Sunday thats been messed around with ?

Assume everything you see at a swap meet, radio auction, etc. doesn't work and/or has been fiddled with.

What a waste of effort and money ! I suggest you delete this thread as this is no longer a success story.

Aww.

I'm sure you'll find spares. It's still a cute-looking box *nod*

Have you tried giving Roberts a call? They might even have new exact knobs (or something that looks similar?)!

Also, I know this is not everyone's style, but I would have left the BWFB decal on the top, just as an indicator of what the radio was originally used for. Unless it was totally worn out and really nasty looking. My RM33 still has the remains of such a decal.

[Nickthedentist]

I agree with Stephanie. You wouldn't scrap a car you'd restored just because the wheel trims were missing, would you?

I bet something suitable turns up sooner or later... it usually does for me, anyway

Nick

[Paul Stenning]

Originally Posted by howard

As at a car auction, I wish all known faults were displayed on all the radios or revealed by the auctioneer cos Im not always aware of what is missing or is not original....

The trouble then is that if the auctioneer omits some detail because he is not aware of it, he becomes liable. It would also require a vast knowledge of the finer details of every set ever made! Plus the time taken to examine every set in detail and document every problem noted would be considerable, and you have to remember that the BVWS is run by volunteers who are already over-stretched. Then the auctioneer has to describe this detail on every set before starting the bidding, so the auction takes longer - and people don't bid because detailing every minor fault makes every lot sound like a pile of junk. It is therefore normal practice in auctions that the potential bidders examine the items for themselves.

RM20s turn up from time to time on eBay, and often the front panels are badly worn and dented, but the knobs are present and correct. You could get a pair of suitable knobs for under a tenner this way.

Also have a look at the modern component suppliers. Black spun ali knobs are still available. These from Maplin http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...=1824&doy=6m12 look fairly similar although there is no detail as usual.

And contact Roberts to see if they have any - you never know!

Even with the knobs as they are now, the set looks good. The knobs are the right size, shape and colour - they just don't have quite the right finish. Often restorers have to make do with substitutes that are even less suitable.

I will move this thread to the general vintage radio section.

[howard]

Hello,

I'll try Roberts first for a couple of knobs for both the RM20s and a new front for the other one ...... the Maplins knobs wont do Im afraid, the radios in my collection all have original cosmetic parts. If I manage to get the knobs then hopefully this thread can be returned to the success stories category ....

Howard

[howard]

Hello Paul,

Unfortunately Roberts have no spare knobs for the RM20 They do still have the black fronts though.

Im not happy with a restoration until a radio is absolutely complete. Perhaps an RM20 with a scratched case but with good knobs will eventually turn up but it would be a shame to scrap an entire radio just for its knobs. In the meantime I'll keep rummaging around the spares boxes at the meets ....

Im not too worried about the VHF80C, if I was restoring it I would have repainted the front myself anyway cos the rest of the case is good... except for a minor crack next to the push buttons, easy enough to glue that back and then paint over it. Nice little radio that VHF80C, I must get one !

Howard

[Paul Stenning]

Originally Posted by howard

Perhaps an RM20 with a scratched case but with good knobs will eventually turn up but it would be a shame to scrap an entire radio just for its knobs.

Ahhh - but you don't scrap the doner radio. You put your incomplete knobs on it then put it on eBay, on the bring-and-buy stall at a vintage radio event, or offer it in this forum. It doesn't really matter whether you get your money back, but the set is saved for another collector.

Just keep your eyes open at radio events and on eBay, and sooner or later the right parts or set will appear. That's part of the challenge, sometimes! Just look how many requests for parts appear in this forum, and a fair proportion of them get positive responses.

[howard]

Hello,

I have now completed restoring the Roberts RM20 from the Wootton Bassett auction which was in Success Stories a few weeks ago, until it was pointed out that it has lost its knob trims ....... it now has the correct knobs on it I managed to buy an RM20 for £2 off eBay and the seller sent me just the knobs and Ive sent him the old ones with the trims missing. Now that cant be bad !

Howard

[Paul Stenning]

Excellent news! It was certainly worth waiting for the right donar set to come along. You get what you need, you don't even pay much postage, and the seller can sell the set again to someone else!

I have just moved the original thread back to Success Stories and merged this with it, so it's all together again (like the radio).