General Electric RP-1590 stereo cabinet restoration

[electra225]

I may have posted this before, and, if so, pardon my redundancy. It can't be over-stressed. I would not recommend using the water-based Tolex glue if you are doing an overlap joint Tolex job. The water-based glue won't stick Tolex to Tolex. It would be best to use contact cement rather than Tolex glue. The corners come loose. You can use Super Glue to stick those places down, but it's a mess. Tolex glue is made to stick fabric-backed Tolex to wood or Masonite. If that is the only issue I have with this job, that won't be too bad. So far, so good.

[electra225]

AES is fixing to seriously annoy me......

I need piping for this project, short of using something like electrical wiring. I decided to try real piping. I asked if I could see a sample of what they had to see if it was the right size and the color appropriate for my project. I am told that is impossible, pending being over-ruled by management. They want to sell me a foot of piping to compare. "The sizes are listed, you should be able to make a judgment from that. We don't have a walk-in accomodation." "The piping is on a big roll in the back room. We can't haul that out just so you can look at it".. Why not? I need to buy a foot of product at almost $3 a foot then either just toss it, or have a foot of the correct material I can't use? I need a phone call from management to get a little customer service? I am customer #3 on their roster. I have done business with this outfit since the 1980's. I pay their prices so I can support a local resource. This is the thanks I get. I am THIS CLOSE to deleting this outfit from the Suppliers board. They need to get their act straightened out or that is exactly what is going to happen. If this is how they want to do business, I don't want to promote that way of doing business.....

I just got a call from AES management. They don't have any provisions for walk-in customers. They are strictly an online store. He was willing to compare my piping to what they had, but I would have to come back home, order it online, then make another trip to Tempe to pick it up. That is a nonsense way to do business. I will not say "NEVER", but I will tell you I will avoid using AES when I can and I will remove them from the Suppliers board. I refuse to use this forum to promote that way of treating people.

I will get the Tolex I need to finish this project, then I'm done with this outfit. This has been brewing for some time, to be honest. I will go back to Plan B on the piping...

EDIT....now that I have had a chance to think a bit and get my blood pressure back down, I reckon I'm down to using Amazon for this kind of stuff in the future. AES wants $22.00 to ship a yard of Tolex 22 miles down here to my place. Amazon offers free shipping. It's too bad these guys have to get so "modern". They blame it on Covid, but that is all nonsense. Every business blames their weakness and mistakes on Covid. Another small business going down the drain, one customer at a time, a death by a thousand cuts. The old radio guys wring their hands, but these guys deserve the fate they select for themselves. AES, ANTIQUE Electronic Supply does not provide parts for old radios anymore. They supply high-priced guitar amp gizmos.......

[electra225]

I got the Tolex and grille cloth I needed to finish this job this morning. I really like how the grille cloth looks. It is stiff and rather hard to work with, but it is stable and nice and flat when you get it on. I used Elmer's glue in the case something oozed thru the cloth, which is a good thing I did. Before and after on the right hand speaker board. Colors are black, red, white, silver, and gold. GE used both gold and silver trim on this thing, rather an odd arrangement. All red grille cloth was going to be way too gawdy. This is plenty bright in real life, and includes all the colors I used in the cabinet.

[TC Chris]

Attractive choice.

Chris Campbell

[William]

I like that and it would go great on my little SC that I never found grille cloth that I liked. At least not yet! Thanks, Greg.

Bill

[electra225]

I may have some left over from this project. Or I could link the grille cloth I got and you can order some. I'm glad you like it. I believe it to be an acceptable compromise.

[electra225]

I just discovered the first major faux pas on this project. I neglected to drill out six holes I filled where the handle brackets go. The remedy will be to remove the electronics from the cabinet to drill the holes. I made notes to the effect it was done, then covered the holes with Tolex. The holes are behind the speakers, so they have to come out. This won't be as bad as it sounds, it's just that I was done with the electronics,,,,

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I may have some left over from this project. Or I could link the grille cloth I got and you can order some. I'm glad you like it. I believe it to be an acceptable compromise.

Please provide the grille cloth link.

[electra225]

You got it, Mr. Mogul......

https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/g ... ld-34-wide

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Gawd, cloth is expensive, but I can use it on several
projects.

It will be great on the 1957 RCA that the roaches ate most
of its grille cloth off. [ : )

Thanks, Greg.

p.s. I found an oxblood pattern there for almost
1/2 price of the other pattern, and it will work
great on the RCA !!!

[electra225]

I almost use the oxblood pattern myself, but it didn't have enough bright red in it for my "color scheme". Yeah, everything for this cheap stereo has been pretty spendy.

[electra225]

The grille cloth installation on the main cabinet is a pain. Installing the piping pulls the cloth so it isn't straight. I finally got smart, cut the piece a tad large each way, installed it dry with the piping so I could get a "set" on the cloth, then removed it and glued it down. I worked two hours getting a piece 3" X 18" on and straight. The speaker boxes are done as far as grilled cloth is concerned.

[electra225]

"One step forward and two steps back" seems to fit how this project went today. First, I spilled a Pepsi on the LH external speaker grille cloth, so I had to do it again. I got the rest of the grille cloth on the main cabinet, a project I had been putting off since I had so much hassle with the other half. It couldn't have gone better. Go figure.

I decided to run a little maintenance on the changer, which, if you recall, was working PERFECTLY. But no.......Greg had to "fix" it. I fixed it alright. Now it stalls when the changer cycles. I did all the right stuff. I used alcohol on the platter rim and the drive tire. I made sure I got all the washers back right. Now the silly thing is a door stop. Like usual, I "fixed" a perfectly good changer, just because I didn't want to be such a chicken working on changers. Of course, I killed it.....

[William]

This is a VM changer, right? Tell me exactly what you did please?

Bill

[TC Chris]

That "one more thing" jinx is always worrisome. Last week I was done with the refinished mahogany hatch cover for the older sailboat. The final version wasn't perfect but I decided it was good enough. But after week I decided to sand it one more time and try one more coat of varnish. Sometimes i end up kicking myself, but this time it actually was a big improvement.

Your changer will soon be back in order, I'm sure.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

It is a VM 1200 series, the best changer ever built by mankind, but I killed a perfectly good VM changer....

I swear what I'm telling you is the truth. All I did while I had the changer out was to use 99% rubbing alcohol on the inner rim of the platter and on the drive tire. I didn't oil anything, didn't have any oil out. All I wanted to do was just a little cleaning. Probably my next step will be to remove the platter again, then wash the motor shaft and drive tire with lacquer thinner. Then maybe a bit of sanding on the rim of the drive tire. It seems pliable, so I did nothing more. How can that simple procedure make it stall? It still cycles and drops records okay, it just stalls when the changer cycles. Jeez....

Pictures. This is the bottom of the changer. I wouldn't know an aluminum changing, cycling doodad you guys were asking about if it bit me. Does it have an aluminum thingy?

Grille cloth. Even the little red pilot light survived and it works....

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I agree that it sounds like the idler is slipping.

Do the cleaning as you stated on the platter and idler
and let us know.

It it was the motor, the changer mech would be slow or non-working at
all points of the cycle.

But, include cleaning of the stepped motor rotor spindle.

[William]

I agree with Mr. Mogul, and lightly sand the drive tire. When you cleaned it with alcohol that may have taken any remaining bit away. After sanding just wipe it with a clean piece of paper towel and try not to touch the rubber part when installing.

The doodad we are always talking about is not visible in your photo, it is hidden under the slide mechanism and is attached to the cycling gear. Looking at your photo, this VM 1200 is a newer series, and although I have seen worse, it could stand to be serviced. Hopefully, for now, what Mr. Mogul and I have suggested will get it working again. Please keep us posted and good thoughts go your way.

Bill

[electra225]

My intention was/is to go thru a parts changer I have that has the Custom tone arm. If I mess it up, it won't be the end of the world. You guys can talk me thru it, then, if that is successful, I'll dig this one back out and go thru it. I haven't had a lot of experience with changer servicing, but this one looks really nice, in good shape. If I read the codes right on the underside of the changer, it was built in the 38th week of 1962. I have no idea how or why such a beat-up old stereo had such a nice changer. The amp in this thing is nice too. It is not all fried like they typically are found. And it has the original needle, or a factory replacement, so that might account for why the amp is so nice. Maybe fairly low hours? This old stereo still has the factory plugs on the wing speaker wires. Most have been replaced because they go wonky and don't work dependably. These are still good.

I'll follow your instructions and see what I can do to fix my screw-up. Thanks for your patience and for your input.

Just for the record, the grille cloth looks better in person than it does in those pictures. My photography skills match my changer repair skills in some cases.....

[William]

Your Tolex and grille cloth skills are very good, not that I would know since I probably would never tackle such a project. That would scare me like changers scare you. I like the little red indicator light on the front, it adds class.

Bill