Roberts Radio, restoring rexine.

[man_of_kent]

Hi All

I need some help with a Roberts radios from the 1960's the material around it is worn and I think it was red but it is so worn out it is hard too tell! Is there a way to get the colour back using dye or something? it is a kind of red overlay on a wood box that looks like it was stuck on somehow when it was made.

Thanks all

Brent

[howard]

Hello Brent,

The material is probably rexine and it does wear away on 1960s Roberts radios. You can buy similar material and re-cover the cases but it's not easy.
Folk use all sorts of stuff to restore these cases, including paint, coloured car polish (Turtle Wax Color Magic ), shoe polish ... probably the best option is shoe polish if you can find the right colour.

Howard

[Station X]

Meltonian type shoe cream available from heel bars does quite a good job.

[Darren-UK]

Hi Brent,

Can you provide a good, clear image of the radio so we can see just how bad it actually is?

Your comment re the colour being "so worn out it is hard to tell" suggests the radio has been washed, or had foam cleaner applied, to the extent that it's been taken down to virtually its colourless bare rexine base.

So if you can provide an image we'll be able to advise the best course of action.

[chipp1968]

Dont rush into it . take a pic

[man_of_kent]

Hi there

Here is the old radio case...

http://http://www.freephoto.ir/images/np8i25zfglwkbgscjv9.jpg

..see it is rather worn

Hope this helps

Brent

[Nickthedentist]

I've seen a lot worse. It will never look mint, but I bet you could get that looking respectable enough, in a slightly "shabby chic" kind of way, without resorting to re-covering

[chipp1968]

There have been can spray paints available for reviving leathercloth/leather car seats and trims for at least 20 years now . have a look at some classic car mags .It might be the best finish option

[Paul_RK]

Going back to your first post, it definitely was red . Scarlet, as they called it: the only colour in the range that could ever be mistaken for it in a really careworn set is Donkey Brown, and it's not that.

I think if re-covering doesn't appeal I'd settle for scrubbing it clean - more colour is bound to come off in that process - followed by a red shoe polish, Meltonian type cream as Graham says or one of those in a bottle with foam applicator at the top. Seems better to me than the smoothness of a new paint finish with a ratty old handle, but it's all down to personal taste. Or there's even the option of taking off the leathercloth and applying a finish to the bare wood Debatable what you've got to lose, the RT1 (that's the set's model number, Roberts' first transistor radio) isn't especially rare, and a Perdio Continental here, of about the same period, looks quite appealing in a sort of clean Scandinavian way having been stripped of cloth and varnished by a previous owner. Up to you then whether to have any sort of handle at all or to fill the holes.

Paul

[Colin]

Strip the case of all its parts and give it a good wash in warm water with a bit of biological washing powder (clean up the other bits in this too while you're busy with the case). Rinse in clean water, wipe down and let it dry overnight. The rexine will be clean but very dull. Use PVA glue to repair all the bits of rexine that have become unstuck during the wash.

Find something of roughly the same colour to 'touch up' the threadbare patches. I use various things depending on the colour but something like poster paint is easy to find in the required colour/shade and is cheap. For popular colours like the reds and dark blues I find little pots of shoe dye work well too.

When 'touched up' (don't worry if the shade isn't an exact match) give all the rexine a very quick wipe over with a rag dampened with cellulose thinners. Don't be too heavy handed here. I find this restores some shine to the rexine and creates the best base for the finishing polish. You'll need to let the case 'dry' for a few hours prior to applying the coloured polish.

As already mentioned, Meltonian seems to work best, but others will be okay. A couple of coats and a polish, and the 'touched up' patches will blend in nicely. If you don't touch these patches up with a coloured base they'll show through the polish whatever you do.

The result will be very acceptable.

HTH

[Darren-UK]

That's a sorry sight but, as has been said, not beyond redemption. The badge is intact, albeit yellow, plus the grille appears to be dent free.

Spray paints have been mentioned. The pain with that is that you'd need to do a lot of fiddly masking.

I'll no doubt be criticised here, but what I've done in the past with a cabinet in this state is to obtain a pot of enamel paint (like one of those little Humbrol pots), thin it to a watery consistency with lighter fuel and then paint it on with a small, soft artists brush. Wash all the muck off the cabinet first, of course.

So why use enamel paint? because in the future the case can be washed or wiped with no risk of the colouring coming out. Why thin the paint with petrol? Because it helps the paint penetrate the rexine and the smell vanishes after a couple of days following application.

I have tried other types of paint, cellulose thinners and so on, but I've found the end result less durable and the smell lingers rather longer.

I can't see any tears in the rexine or indeed any missing sections. If there are any, you've little choice but to recover it or just make it as tidy as you can by the methods others have suggested.

Regarding the carrying strap, you can obtain a repro matching replacement. Same applies to the badge.

I'm sure you could turn this into a very nice, tidy radio which you'd be pleased with. Bear in mind however, that should you wish to sell it in the future attempts to refurbish by repainting will seriously reduce it's value.

[GJR 11L]

Only the later font is available for the badge, and my view is that it would be a shame to fit a new one (sorry Darren...). These badges were only fitted to the earlier RT1s and as such are a little bit of rarity in an otherwise pretty popular set.
I'd be tempted to repair the finish on that badge with the superglue and turkey foil technique.
I've seen cabinets very much scruffier than that come back to life with judicious use of any of the suggested refinishing techniques from this thread, please may we see the finished article as a "Success Story" when it's all sorted?

[Darren-UK]

Originally Posted by GJR 11L

.......(sorry Darren...).......

No worries John, you're correct re the earlier badges of course - only the later types are available. I hope this one doesn't break when/if Brent removes it in preparation for reviving the cabinet.

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by darren-uk

I hope this one doesn't break when/if Brent removes it in preparation for reviving the cabinet.

Push it off from inside, using something like a small jeweller's screwdriver or a small nail held in a pair of pliers.

Note that they sometimes break if you carry the radio with one hand by placing your fingers on the back of the set and your thumb on the front, over or under the badge. In effect, you're supporting the radio by the middle of the badge, which then flexes it, which then

Nick,

[batterymaker1]

I'm a believer in the Meltonian spray. Recently purchased a Vidor attache set whose covering had seen better days. A couple of coats of green Meltonian turned it completely around. Now if I could only bring the the latches and handle pieces back up to snuff.....

[paulsherwin]

This thread describes reviving faded rexine with alcohol. It may be worth trying this after cleaning and before buying waxes, dyes etc.

Paul