Magnavox TP-241D record player cabinet restoration

[electra225]

I look forward to this being done. It will be nice. This will be a "nut and bolt" restoration. I've taken it apart as far as I can. I always get a surprise when I restore something. The fasteners that hold the hardware on is the surprise in this project.

[electra225]

Here are pictures of the project. It doesn't look like much, but it is actually coming along nicely. I figured out what damaged the Magnavox logo in the lid. Someone did not lock down the changer that was not positioned correctly. The spindle on the changer contacted the lid and messed up the logo. It went all the way into the wood.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

That IS coming along, Greg.

Is the record changer plinth made out of pressed wood
or a kind of Masonite ?

That's how it appears in the photo, and I would be surprised
that Magnavox went that route.

I am very interested in how you measure and cut
the template paper for the Tolex.

I have a 1956 V-M 1275 that I bought for parts.
The cabinet frame is in good shape, but needs
a new covering.

So, instead of using the V-M for parts,
I hope to try re-covering it by learning along with you here !

[electra225]

The plinth is made of tempered Masonite, typical of Magnavox. All the Magnavox stereos I own use Masonite in that application. Even the Concert Grand. I hope we can both get some good from this project, Mr. Mogul.......

My plan for assisting making patterns is using masking tape. Details to follow. Please stand by......

[hermitcrab]

those little ferrels that have barbed threads on the outside, with threads for screws on the inside. These will go into the wood case in the original holes. I forget what those things are called.

Threaded inserts. I was laughing. As soon as I saw your question, I forgot the answer, Then it popped back.
Chris Campbell

I always referred to them as blind nuts....Are you taking the legs off as well?... they are just nailed on

[electra225]

I have the chrome parking bumpers off. They use those rivet-looking.things for attachment. I plan on cutting the ends off, then glue them back on. I mooched a set of wood clamps so cabinet gluing may continue....

[electra225]

I've taken some photos of the clamping procedure. The water damage to this cabinet is more severe than I realized. There are several areas of delamination on the plywood, usually in the worst spots for structural integrity....

Unless I find something else after the adhesive dries overnight, the next step will be filling the imperfections in the wood that may show under the new Tolex. I will need to repair at least three of the corners on the lower cabinet. They used brads to hold the bottom of the cabinet to the sides. Moisture has removed the glue in those areas, so I'll fill them with body filler. It's a good thing they don't use horses to make glue. Animal glue which was probably used in this cabinet is extremely sensitive to moisture.

[electra225]

The material and the adhesive on the inside of the lid is different than that used on the outside. It is similar to wallpaper. It is really stuck well. Water loosens the glue, but it dries fast and just balls up and makes a mess. I am going to try 91% alcohol to see what it will do. I have worked all afternoon trying to get as much of the glue off as I can. I can't do the entire lid since I need have the decal repopped. The material on the outside appeared to have some fiber in it. The material on the inside of the lid is just paper. I believe I am close to being ready to sand.

[William]

Those are fancy looking clamps you are using. I have never seen ones like that before. It's looking good Greg, keep up the good work.

Bill

[electra225]

Those good-looking clamps are borrowed and are from Harbor Freight. They were exactly the perfect size for the job. I shall extend your kind words to him from whom they were mooched, er, borrowed.......

The project is coming along. I am taking my time, wanting to do this as well as I can. I'm learning a lot.

[electra225]

I may have found fasterners for the lid hinges. We have the best hardware store on the planet only five miles north of here. If they don't have it, you don't need it. I found some threaded ferrells that had a flat surface that will keep from pulling thru the cabinet. I could also get the original fasteners they called split rivets. Finding someone to reproduce the decal in the lid is another kettle of fish. So far, no joy. The lady in Missouri who made decals for me ran a T-shirt business. Maybe I need to find a T-shirt shop and talk to them.

[TC Chris]

Finding someone to reproduce the decal in the lid is another kettle of fish.

Isn't that something any good print/copy shop can do? My local camera shop prints image onto canvas. If you have a shop that does that,you could put a photo on a thumb drive, measure the image, and have them print it. I'll bet they could edit the damaged part, too. My shop does photo restorations. There are likely online canvas printers too but for some things it's so much easier to be able to walk in and chat about it.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

This is Arizona. You can get anything done, but at what cost? This is the wild, wild west. People charge first, then ask what you want done. If you want it done right, that costs extra. No, seriously, and to answer your question respectfully, print shops around here don't want to fool with custom jobs. One was worried about copyright laws. I explained that Magnavox as a corporation was long gone. IT was a dodge, they didn't want the job. I have run across three or four decal/sign companies in AJ who should be able to help. They do silk printing and that so I'm getting closer. Seems funny, back in Bugtussle, MO, in the middle of nowhere, there was this fantastic lady in a little Home Depot storage shed behind her house who could do anything like that. She made the Club Car decals for the golf cart I restored, ten dollars. Anything she did was ten bucks.......

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I may have found fasterners for the lid hinges. I found some threaded ferrells that had a flat surface that will keep from pulling thru the cabinet. I could also get the original fasteners they called split rivets.

Greg,
When you start the lid hinges, please post photos
showing how you go about replacing them.
I'm very interested in this process, too.
Thanks !

[electra225]

That is my next job. The plan right now is to remount the hinges so the fasterners will stay in place while I fill the damage from the original rivets. When I get the damage fixed, I can remove the hinges and the bolts, then the fasteners should stay in place so I can mount the hinges when I get the Tolex on. I may use these things on the latches as well. The holes in the cabinet are just a fuzz smaller than the fasterners. I'm not sure what I want to do about that yet. I didn't want to drill the cabinet holes bigger. I will gladly share pictures with the forum. Stay tuned.......

Yesterday, I couldn't talk anybody into making a decal for the lid. Today, they are burning up my email inbox with offers to help. Stay tuned, this may work out yet.....

I have bought many a tub of Bondo for less than $5 in my lifetime. Now, the cheapest I've found it, at Walmart, is $13! My budget for the restoration of this little record player was $200. Let's double that. And that doesn't include any labor, that is just material cost. This thing is going to cost as much as a stereo console to restore and do it right. I'm doing this like I'd do a Packard, I'll admit that. I could have skipped/skimped in a couple of steps. I want this to be a nice one. I don't care if it takes all winter, I want to do my best on this.

Life rather got in the way of me working on this much today. I thought I'd share these pictures. One shows the brass fasteners and the matching bolts. They came as a set, but I will use silver colored bolts during final assembly, preferably with tapered heads. They are a common size, 8-32, so I should have options. One picture shows a hinge I started polishing with Simichrome and 0000 steel wool. One pic shows the original split rivets.

[TC Chris]

I'm doing this like I'd do a Packard, I'll admit that. I could have skipped/skimped in a couple of steps. I want this to be a nice one. I don't care if it takes all winter, I want to do my best on this.

And when you are done I'll send you my TP-235. No Tolex, just some ripple-finish tan paint. And the buzzy metal grille.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I have been thinking about the "buzzy grille" on your 235, Chris. What if one were to put black grille cloth on the speaker board, behind the mesh grille? Looks to me like that might kill two birds with one stone. The speaker board on those instruments is not the most attractive I've seen. So covering the speaker board would help eliminate the buzzing and also hide the speaker board. One would not have to cut strips of cork so the side trim would fit the mesh grille. Grille cloth is a contrasting color would work, too.

[TC Chris]

Good ideas. I also need to fully recap it and check resistors because the tone balance is off--too bass-y. And now the changer needs some lube.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

Could the "too bass-y" situation be due to a loose or rattling voice coil? The big speaker in the 241 is in a confined area and sets near three of the hottest-running tubes there ever was, a 35W4 and two 35C5's. That can't be good for extended speaker life. The amps in the little record players are not very complex, not a lot to go wrong.

[William]

I like the brass hardware you are going to use. Is the hardware and ACE where you purchased them? Does this hardware have about 5 miles of those little drawers filled with all kinds of treasures? My local ACE has drawers like that. I can usually find what I want if I take my time and open each drawer looking for it. I'm pretty good at remembering what I see as I look so I will know if they have what I want the next time.

When you get done, Greg, you will have the best-looking Maggie portable every built. Keep up the good work, and please include lots of photos.

Bill