Sobellette: Green or not ? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

slidertogrid · 24th May 2009, 1:21 pm

Hi ,
I bought a Sobell "Sobelette" last year. We had one when I was very young, in the late 60s. It was the first radio I can remember playing around with. My mum was always frightned of it catching fire as it had a tendancy to smell a bit hot and gave off a whisp of smoke from time to time, the fact that it had to be kept out in the shed when it wasn't being used probably didn't help!
Anyway one day it went off pop and smoked more than usual so it was taken away from me " before it burnt the house down or electrocuted me ", put in a coal sack and smashed up with the coal hammer. I was bought a transistor set as compensation, much safer!

Anyway I shall be keeping this one well away from mum so it should be OK!
I decided earlier this week to have a go at getting it going, removing the case revealed a fairly rusty chassis. I like to keep sets as original as possible but this was too bad to leave.
I stripped the top of the chassis and cleaned the chassis back to bright metal
it isn't perfect but I have resisted the temptation to spray it.
I have rebuilt the chassis and replaced the caps and main smoother is it was frothing from one end. One puzzle I had when powering it up was that two of the valves would intermittently go out and the dial bulb would flicker, the bulb is in the middle of the heater chain and the bulbholder was shorting to chassis.
The set works fairly well now. I think I have a slight problem with one of the aerial tuning coils but I will come back to that later.
The cabinet appears to have been painted green at some point there is green overspray on the inside of the case and signs of it in the vents, there are light sanding marks on the back of the case so the set has been green at some point in its career and this has been stripped back to the Bakelite underneath.
I can match the colour from the paint inside but I am not sure if it was originally green or sprayed at a later date and then stripped again, this set has had a bit of a hard life by the look of it.
So what does the team think? should I spray it or leave it as it is ? the originality has long gone so it doesn't bother me much in that respect.
Has anyone got a coloured Sobelette ? if so was it usual for there to be overspray inside the case or was the colour in the mix?
any opinions greatly appriciated!

Rich.

Darren-UK · 24th May 2009, 1:42 pm

These came in several cabinet variations; brown Bakelite or same but sprayed light green, 'metallic' green, beige, cream, a horrid light blue and one or two others.

It's not unusual for overspray to be seen inside cabinets but I wouldn't expect to see traces of it on the vents when ex factory, although it's not impossible given that these weren't exactly 'top of the range' models and were thus built to a price.

Where the paint has been sanded down to bare Bakelite, with careful examination it may be possible to determine if it was sprayed originally and if so what colour.

If it isn't too unsightly my preference would be to leave it as it is. The punchline is this; if you leave it alone it may just be its original finish which you'd be retaining. If you strip and respray it, then it most definately will not be in its original finish. Sometimes these little 'is it or isn't it' mysteries add to the charm - if you can call these sets charming, that is

.

Paul_RK · 24th May 2009, 2:44 pm

Since it's already lost the original finish I'd just form a judgment on the basis of how it looks as it is.... then probably leave it, if the only painted set I've stripped is anything to go by (a DAC90A painted cream at the factory, over milk chocolate coloured bakelite). Does the set without paint look just like a standard unpainted Sobellette, or haven't you a good enough image of one to know?

Paul

Darren-UK · 24th May 2009, 3:11 pm

This site has some very good images of the 'walnut' version. Another version had a plain brown Bakelite case.

If your set has this 'walnut' finish beneath the paint, then the paint is probably not original. Logic says painted versions would've been based upon the plain finish. I'm still hunting for a decent picture of the light green version which I can legally post here.

slidertogrid · 24th May 2009, 4:07 pm

Thanks for the replies, My set is almost plain brown, there is a little swirling effect but no where near much as the one in the link, I have also found this site http://www.richardsradios.co.uk/sobell.html which gives some of the colour options.
So the case would have been spray painted green by the manufacturer rather than made of coloured Bakelite?
If this is the case (no pun intended) then I will probably spray it as there is some sanding marks where the paint has been removed and the volume knob has a small chip in it , painting the set will hide the repair to the knob and cover the marks, if the set was originally sprayed I am happy to respray it , I didn't want to do this if it had been done by a previous owner in an attempt to match their decor.
When its finished I'll Do a new post in sucess stories with some pictures.

Rich.

Darren-UK · 24th May 2009, 4:31 pm

Yes, these were all Bakelite and not of self-coloured Urea. Ideally you'd need to match the shade of green with that of the original (Sobell) green, hence a decent image of one known to be original and undiscoloured is still needed.

Of course, if you're respraying it anyway, you could do a chameleon and use one of the other colours Sobell used. Certain shades might be far easier to match; ivory/cream for example and this colour, being very common on radios, may help make it less obvious that a respray has been undertaken.

I look forward to the Success Story whatever you decide to do; these little 'jelly mould' Sobells don't appear in the Forums too often.

IJK2008 · 24th May 2009, 4:58 pm

Hello Rich

I have 2 of these. One was cream painted but the paint was in a very bad way so I stripped it rather than take it back and refinish in cream. the bakelite underneath was a very nice walnut effect even though the paintwork was original. I really like it but can confirm it runs hot!

I have another one in bits as it needs some coils. This one is light green. I can maybe post a picture or send one via PM if you like. I intend to keep this one in its green finish. The chassis was also incredibly rusty so like you I stripped the rust as best as I could but didn't spray the metalwork.

Ian

Peter.N. · 24th May 2009, 6:32 pm

I also have one of these, its cream, the paint is in pretty good condition but you can see little bits of brown in places. It was bought by my father in about 1949/50 to replace out 'Lotus' 2 valve TRF, I inherited it when my mother died and it works perfectly!

Peter.N.

Darren-UK · 24th May 2009, 7:08 pm

A misplaced question about a Pink/blue/green Bush DAC10 has been split to a new thread here.

slidertogrid · 24th May 2009, 9:09 pm

Ian, If you can post me a picture it would be a help, I can match the colour from the overspray inside the case but it would be nice to know if this is the original shade of green.
Thanks again for the replies and encouragement, mine has no speaker cloth but I notice from a couple of others I have seen on the net that it should have had, was this just stuck to the inside of the case or was it mounted on card like the KB FB10? a picture of the cloth would be a help too so I know what to get.

Rich.

IJK2008 · 30th May 2009, 2:46 pm

Rich

Sorry for delay. Here is a photo of the case taken outside so that the colour is pretty accurate.

There was no grille cloth of any kind in the 2 examples I have.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more info.

Ian

slidertogrid · 3rd Jun 2009, 1:42 pm

Thanks all for the replies and Ian for the picture

I gave the case a light rub down at the weekend and gave it a few light coats of pale green paint, the shape of the case makes it slightly awkward to spray as the paint seems to build very quickly on the ribs and it is very easy to end up with an uneven finish. I am happy with the result, I think the colour is slightly deeper than original but it is near enough for me .
I have repaired a small chip in the volume knob and will soon have the set finished and reassembled.
Thanks again for the help and encoragement, look out for the finished set in "sucess stories" soon!

Rich.

24th May 2009, 1:21 pm	#1
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Sobellette: Green or not ? Hi , I bought a Sobell "Sobelette" last year. We had one when I was very young, in the late 60s. It was the first radio I can remember playing around with. My mum was always frightned of it catching fire as it had a tendancy to smell a bit hot and gave off a whisp of smoke from time to time, the fact that it had to be kept out in the shed when it wasn't being used probably didn't help! Anyway one day it went off pop and smoked more than usual so it was taken away from me " before it burnt the house down or electrocuted me ", put in a coal sack and smashed up with the coal hammer. I was bought a transistor set as compensation, much safer! Anyway I shall be keeping this one well away from mum so it should be OK! I decided earlier this week to have a go at getting it going, removing the case revealed a fairly rusty chassis. I like to keep sets as original as possible but this was too bad to leave. I stripped the top of the chassis and cleaned the chassis back to bright metal it isn't perfect but I have resisted the temptation to spray it. I have rebuilt the chassis and replaced the caps and main smoother is it was frothing from one end. One puzzle I had when powering it up was that two of the valves would intermittently go out and the dial bulb would flicker, the bulb is in the middle of the heater chain and the bulbholder was shorting to chassis. The set works fairly well now. I think I have a slight problem with one of the aerial tuning coils but I will come back to that later. The cabinet appears to have been painted green at some point there is green overspray on the inside of the case and signs of it in the vents, there are light sanding marks on the back of the case so the set has been green at some point in its career and this has been stripped back to the Bakelite underneath. I can match the colour from the paint inside but I am not sure if it was originally green or sprayed at a later date and then stripped again, this set has had a bit of a hard life by the look of it. So what does the team think? should I spray it or leave it as it is ? the originality has long gone so it doesn't bother me much in that respect. Has anyone got a coloured Sobelette ? if so was it usual for there to be overspray inside the case or was the colour in the mix? any opinions greatly appriciated! Rich. __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day... Last edited by slidertogrid; 24th May 2009 at 1:26 pm.

24th May 2009, 1:42 pm	#2
Darren-UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 4,061	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? These came in several cabinet variations; brown Bakelite or same but sprayed light green, 'metallic' green, beige, cream, a horrid light blue and one or two others. It's not unusual for overspray to be seen inside cabinets but I wouldn't expect to see traces of it on the vents when ex factory, although it's not impossible given that these weren't exactly 'top of the range' models and were thus built to a price. Where the paint has been sanded down to bare Bakelite, with careful examination it may be possible to determine if it was sprayed originally and if so what colour. If it isn't too unsightly my preference would be to leave it as it is. The punchline is this; if you leave it alone it may just be its original finish which you'd be retaining. If you strip and respray it, then it most definately will not be in its original finish. Sometimes these little 'is it or isn't it' mysteries add to the charm - if you can call these sets charming, that is .

24th May 2009, 2:44 pm	#3
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,259	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? Since it's already lost the original finish I'd just form a judgment on the basis of how it looks as it is.... then probably leave it, if the only painted set I've stripped is anything to go by (a DAC90A painted cream at the factory, over milk chocolate coloured bakelite). Does the set without paint look just like a standard unpainted Sobellette, or haven't you a good enough image of one to know? Paul

24th May 2009, 3:11 pm	#4
Darren-UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 4,061	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? This site has some very good images of the 'walnut' version. Another version had a plain brown Bakelite case. If your set has this 'walnut' finish beneath the paint, then the paint is probably not original. Logic says painted versions would've been based upon the plain finish. I'm still hunting for a decent picture of the light green version which I can legally post here.

24th May 2009, 4:07 pm	#5
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? Thanks for the replies, My set is almost plain brown, there is a little swirling effect but no where near much as the one in the link, I have also found this site http://www.richardsradios.co.uk/sobell.html which gives some of the colour options. So the case would have been spray painted green by the manufacturer rather than made of coloured Bakelite? If this is the case (no pun intended) then I will probably spray it as there is some sanding marks where the paint has been removed and the volume knob has a small chip in it , painting the set will hide the repair to the knob and cover the marks, if the set was originally sprayed I am happy to respray it , I didn't want to do this if it had been done by a previous owner in an attempt to match their decor. When its finished I'll Do a new post in sucess stories with some pictures. Rich. __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...

24th May 2009, 4:31 pm	#6
Darren-UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 4,061	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? Yes, these were all Bakelite and not of self-coloured Urea. Ideally you'd need to match the shade of green with that of the original (Sobell) green, hence a decent image of one known to be original and undiscoloured is still needed. Of course, if you're respraying it anyway, you could do a chameleon and use one of the other colours Sobell used. Certain shades might be far easier to match; ivory/cream for example and this colour, being very common on radios, may help make it less obvious that a respray has been undertaken. I look forward to the Success Story whatever you decide to do; these little 'jelly mould' Sobells don't appear in the Forums too often.

24th May 2009, 4:58 pm	#7
IJK2008 Hexode Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Glasgow, UK. Posts: 321	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? Hello Rich I have 2 of these. One was cream painted but the paint was in a very bad way so I stripped it rather than take it back and refinish in cream. the bakelite underneath was a very nice walnut effect even though the paintwork was original. I really like it but can confirm it runs hot! I have another one in bits as it needs some coils. This one is light green. I can maybe post a picture or send one via PM if you like. I intend to keep this one in its green finish. The chassis was also incredibly rusty so like you I stripped the rust as best as I could but didn't spray the metalwork. Ian

24th May 2009, 6:32 pm	#8
Peter.N. Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Charmouth, Dorset, UK. Posts: 3,601	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? I also have one of these, its cream, the paint is in pretty good condition but you can see little bits of brown in places. It was bought by my father in about 1949/50 to replace out 'Lotus' 2 valve TRF, I inherited it when my mother died and it works perfectly! Peter.N. Last edited by Darren-UK; 24th May 2009 at 7:07 pm.

24th May 2009, 7:08 pm	#9
Darren-UK Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. Posts: 4,061	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? A misplaced question about a Pink/blue/green Bush DAC10 has been split to a new thread here.

24th May 2009, 9:09 pm	#10
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? Ian, If you can post me a picture it would be a help, I can match the colour from the overspray inside the case but it would be nice to know if this is the original shade of green. Thanks again for the replies and encouragement, mine has no speaker cloth but I notice from a couple of others I have seen on the net that it should have had, was this just stuck to the inside of the case or was it mounted on card like the KB FB10? a picture of the cloth would be a help too so I know what to get. Rich. __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...

30th May 2009, 2:46 pm	#11
IJK2008 Hexode Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Glasgow, UK. Posts: 321	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? Rich Sorry for delay. Here is a photo of the case taken outside so that the colour is pretty accurate. There was no grille cloth of any kind in the 2 examples I have. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more info. Ian Attached Thumbnails

3rd Jun 2009, 1:42 pm	#12
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Re: Sobellette: Green or not ? Thanks all for the replies and Ian for the picture I gave the case a light rub down at the weekend and gave it a few light coats of pale green paint, the shape of the case makes it slightly awkward to spray as the paint seems to build very quickly on the ribs and it is very easy to end up with an uneven finish. I am happy with the result, I think the colour is slightly deeper than original but it is near enough for me . I have repaired a small chip in the volume knob and will soon have the set finished and reassembled. Thanks again for the help and encoragement, look out for the finished set in "sucess stories" soon! Rich. __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...