Magnavox TP-241D record player cabinet restoration

[electra225]

I have been thinking about Chris' comment about the speaker grille vibrating on his Magnavox record player. I have been looking at the one I'm currently working on. The speaker board is painted black on the outside so bare wood doesn't show thru the mesh grille. The mesh grille is suspended on each end by an aluminum channel with a strip of cork in it to keep the grille firmly attached. There are two extruded rubber mounts, about an inch long, in two places on the top of the mesh grille, against the top of the cabinet. There is an expanse, over a foot long, in the middle of the mesh grille that has no support between the mesh and the speaker board whatsoever. I can see that, if the mesh was bent or bowed in the middle, that it would be possible for the mesh to drum or vibrate during heavy bass notes. I tried using a couple of those little felt bumpers they sell, but those show thru the mesh. Then it hit me! Why not cover the speaker board in felt? You could use black to imitate the black paint, or you could use some other color to give a bit of contrast to the mesh grille. I am thinking about covering my cabinet in red, black and white Tolex. I could use red felt, or maroon felt to give he front of the record player a dramatic new look. I don't see why the mesh couldn't be painted a different color. Covering the speaker board in felt seems like a good way to eliminate the drumming without changing appearance if you want to stay stictly stock. Trying to straighten the mesh grille so it won't drum seems like trying to teach a pig to dance.......

One could also cover the speaker board in grille cloth. That would give the same effect as the felt. Felt might come in more colors if that was important to you. You should also cut out the speaker holes if you used felt.

[electra225]

I have decided to start the restoration of the cabinet on this record player. I need to send the speaker out for repair, so, while I'm waiting on things like that to be done, and while I'm in the mood, I want to start cabinet restoration. I will remove all the electronics and changer first. Then pull all the hardware off the cabinet, document its location and how it is oriented. The latches for the top are held on with what appear to be nails with chrome heads. I'm not sure whether these will be usable again or not. I may have to source some small screws if not. One bottom corner of the cabinet has a small amount of damage that will need to be investigated and repaired. I will start with the bottom. I need to find a print shop that will repair and reproduce the Magnavox sticker on the bottom of the lid. The more I tinker with this cabinet, the more I'm convinced someone has replaced the material in the changer compartment with regular old contact paper. It is not very well done, plus it does not match the inside of the lid where the sticker is, so we know that part is factory. When I get the old contact paper off, I can assess what I'll need to do with the wooden cabinet. The plan at this time is to sand, add a couple coats of shellac, then sand again to give the contact cement a little grip. This after I repair the damage to the cabinet corner. I'll add pics as I go along. This will be a learning experience for me.

[electra225]

This little cabinet will be as much work as a console. I have confirmed that the material in the changer compartment is not the original. I found part of the original still there. As soon as I sprayed my water and dish soap mixture on the replacement material, it turned to goo. I scraped it off with a putty knife. I have the lid off. I have the bottom all stripped of the original material. Three of the four corners need repair. There is a small spot on one corner where the bottom is separating from the cabinet. I'll glue and weight that area. I even found some black mold, hidden under the original material in the changer compartment. The plan now is to get the balance of the glue off, sand the cabinet, then brush on a couple coats of shellac to seal the wood and to seal the mold. The hinges and other hardware is held on by some kind of rivet. I had to remove the covering, dig out the ends of the rivets, squeeze them together so I could drive them out. I have no idea yet what I'm going to use to hold the hardware on. The plan at this point is to use automotive body putty to repair the corners and other small damage in the wood cabinet. Then probably some kind of epoxy in the original holes for the hardware so they can be drilled for screws, used to retain the hardware. If anybody has a better idea, I'd be proud to hear it. I have pictures, but I got lazy. I'll post them tomorrow.

[TC Chris]

The plan at this time is to sand, add a couple coats of shellac, then sand again to give the contact cement a little grip.

Maybe you have used that combo before, but if not, do a test on scraps to make sure the shellac and contact cement are compatible, especially if they are under a covering material that may slow the contact cement drying.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I have used shellac before for a similar process. I always let the shellac dry for at least 24 hours before I put anything on top of it. I haven't found anything (yet) that will lift shellac or that shellac is not compatible with. That's why I use it. Makes a great sealer. I don't want the glue to penetrate the wood.

[electra225]

While the wife watches basketball, I can post some pictures.

[William]

I have an RCA portable stereo, the model escapes me right now, that needs recovering as well. It's sitting on a shelf in the storage room in the basement and it's a one of these days project. I think I have been putting it off because of the recovering process. Your project, Greg, is giving me courage to maybe move my RCA project closer to the front of the line.

Bill

[electra225]

I'm not done by a long way. I still have a lot to learn. I need to find a place that will reproduce the decal in the lid. There is plenty of work to do on the cabinet yet.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I have an RCA portable stereo, the model escapes me right now, that needs recovering as well. Your project, Greg, is giving me courage to maybe move my RCA project closer to the front of the line. Bill

Yes, Bill, I've got several hi-fi gals whose cabinets need a new wardrobe too !

Thank you Greg for demonstrating the processes.
The cabinets' locking hinges problem solving will be very
helpful, too.

I think I'll have the most problem with how to cut to fit
the covering material.

[electra225]

I've been making notes and taking lots of photos. I'm probably over thinking this, but I see areas where mistakes could be fatal. As to the hinge question, I may have a plan. I need to visit our local True Value hardware store. Epoxy, body putty and a drill motor may figure predominantly.

This will be a shared adventure. We can all learn together.

[William]

I'm so glad Greg is taking the lead on his project. Speaking just for me, watching him recover his little Maggie will give me some courage to tackle my RCA. Keep up the good work, Greg, and be sure to take lots of photos.

Bill

[electra225]

I appreciate your kind words, Bill. I will assure you, I've never done this before and am still watching videos on how to do it. There doesn't seem to be a wrong way. I am going to make patterns out of masking paper to use when I start working with Tolex. I can work out the angles and sizes with masking paper. If I make a mistake, it's no big deal. I am going to mark the cabinet and use masking tape to mark the middle of the Tolex. I will use a straight edge on every cut. Someone familiar with working with Tolex may find my methods quaint, but, hey, they are always welcome to come here and do it. I'll watch and learn......

Holding the lid hinges on without using the original hardware is going to be a big deal. Re-using the original hardware will be a bigger deal. The wood is only 3/8" thick. 1/2" screws is what I'll use, accounting for the thickness of the hinges. If I re-use the original rivets, it will leave damage in the cabinet that will show. Right now, at this point in the project, I am going to see if I can use 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. The greatest strain on the fasterners will be on the body where the top hinges go. My next task is to remove all the glue from the cabinet. The material on the cabinet is much like wall paper. The glue they used is like wallpaper paste, animal based and water soluble. When the material gets wet, it turns to mud, much like when you remove wallpaper.

It is obvious that this record player cabinet was not built by Magnavox. The quality of the workmanship is really shabby. In fairness, it may not have been all that bad when it was new. There are little bits of material that were cut to kluge their poor job of applying the material to the cabinet. And, again in fairness, the cabinet has been wet. Perhaps something was spilled on it. The electronics are beautiful. So, since it was so poorly done initially, I don't have a good pattern to go by. I'll have to make my own. Kinda like trying to use a '57 Cadillac trunk lid on a "57 Buick Roadmaster. It will ALMOST work. You need to make the Cadillac lid an inch shorter and re-position the holes for the emblems. It may take most of the winter to repair and recover this cabinet. I'm going to put the electronics and changer in a box and put them upstairs while I work on the cabinet.

There are several videos on how to cover new work with Tolex. Uncle Doug seems to have one of the better ones. There are none I've found on removing the old material, prepping the cabinet, then applying new Tolex to an old record player. Could we be a pioneer?

[hermitcrab]

Once I got the old material off , I re-glued the questionable pieces and sanded them to get the strings of material and old glue off .. try and keep the old covering in one piece to make your tolex copies.. looks like you are off to a good start...

[electra225]

The old covering is laying in the trash can. It was so rotten, there was no way I could get it off in one piece or to use it for a pattern. The glue was still holding somewhat well. Where the cabinet had been wet, mainly on one corner, the covering was coming off. This is why I mentioned using masking paper to make a pattern. I'm going to make a complete covering for the cabinet out of masking paper, if I can. Then, when I cut the Tolex, and I have a senior moment and forget where I am, I can refer to the pattern and not make a mistake when I make a cut. I may need a compound stronger than soap and water to get all the glue off. Alcohol, maybe? Lacquer thinner?

[TC Chris]

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

[electra225]

You DID see my notation about my having a senior moment, right?

I found something else. Wood rivets. Yep. Sure enough. How I get these to work and not show, they aren't telling me. Maybe the guitar amp guys are going to be useful after all. I'm going to give this outfit a jingle and see what they can tell me.

https://www.reliablehardware.com/poprivets.aspx

Reliable Hardware is a pretty good resource if you are building a speaker cabinet or are working with a small cabinet. I may offer them in the Parts and Services board.

[electra225]

I have the majority of the glue off the cabinet. All that is left is on one Masonite pop-out on the side of the cabinet. There is more damage to the wood than I initially realized. That's not surprising, given that this little record player may not have had the best life. One Masonite pop-out, on the side with the mold, really should be replaced. It has been wet for a sustained period and it not only warped, but it is not very stable. It appears to me to be two 1/4" sheets of tempered Masonite glued together, with the edges mitered, then stapled and glued to the plywood cabinet. I can't use water to remove the glue from the Masonite pop-outs. I'll have to figure out a way to scrape it off dry. After the glue is off and the cabinet has been sanded, I'll make repairs to the wood. Probably will use epoxy and body filler for the repairs. I'll glue and clamp one corner where the cabinet is coming apart, very minor, but should be attended to before I recover the cabinet. Three of the four corners on the lower cabinet need to be repaired. After the cabinet is repaired, then I document where all the holes are supposed to be. I'll take an awl heated with a torch to make the holes in Tolex. If I use wood rivets to hold the hardware on, looks to me like the outside of the cabinet will get Tolex, then the hardware will be riveted on, the area where the rivets are repaired, then put Tolex on the inside of the cabinet with the lid on. Sounds like fun, huh? Stand by.......

[William]

It does sound like fun, but I'm still glad you are tackling this project first. Actually, it sounds like Elton was first so there is a reliable source you can compare notes with.

Bill

[electra225]

I'm learning a lot. Right now I'm in the "I really shouldn't have messed with this thing" mode. Very common and almost expected in a restoration project. The fasteners that hold on the hardware is going to be an issue. Wood rivets won't work in this case. There is more damage to the lid than there is to the lower body. One whole side came loose when I took the covering off. They must had double-glued the top material. It was "happy" as Art used to say, happy with where it was with little desire to cooperate with its removal. I'll have to dig up a set of clamps to do some repair to the lid. I took pictures today, and will try to get them posted yet today.

[William]

Behind every door there is a secret or mystery. I guess your door, Greg, is/was what's behind the covering. That's what scares me with the RCA portable I have been avoiding. One of these days, kind of like one of these days I will tackle a Collaro, I will put the RCA on the bench and start down that road. But first, I have other units I want to do.

Bill