[Kirbyc]

I've got a 38-62 that someone stained and refinished very poorly some years ago. What wood is this made of? The stain in the grain makes it very hard to tell what it should look like.
Thanks

[Ron Ramirez]

The front panel was originally covered with photofinish.

http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/1937b.htm#n

Behind the photofinish is a very cheap white wood.

The top and sides are a species of Walnut - Arran probably knows which species it is, I'm afraid I don't.

[Arran]

I think that the top and sides maybe the same grainless white wood, possibly poplar, it was finished dark anyhow. Bob had a 38-62 that he fixed up and the top and sides looked pretty much like those on a Philco 620. I have no idea if they used the same on the front panel or whether they had to go with a harder wood like maple veneer, but probably not. In any event the marquetry that you see in pictures was a faux finish, basically a large decal that can flake off if the set was stored improperly, or disappear if it is stripped. Supposedly there is a guy making from panel decals for a 37-610 or 37-630 tombstone but I don't know about a 37-62 or a 38-62. I hate cabinets with such finishes, I have a Packard Bell which had something similar, and it's turning to dust too.
Regards
Arran

[Kirbyc]

The top and sides have a grain. The lady at the paint store thought it looked like mahogany but with the dark stain it's a little hard to tell.

[Bob Andersen]

Here's a video showing a Refaux Pro reproduction decal being applied: http://youtu.be/KwsEq7PW1_4

They don't appear to offer a 38-62 yet though: http://www.vintageradiolabels.com/refaux-pro.html

Here's my 38-62 after stripping. As Arran said, it's some nondescript cheap secondary wood.

[Image: https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8640...233f_z.jpg]

After grain filling and some dark walnut toner.
[Image: https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8122/8656...9927_z.jpg]

[Kirbyc]

The stripped top and sides look just like mine. What did you use for filler and what did you do to the front?
Thanks.

[Arran]

It's definitely not mahogany, mahoganies of all species have an open grain, even more so then walnut. But the veneer they used has a tight closed grain like poplar, maple, birch, or beech has. Sometimes poplar does display some interesting grain, like spalting or fungus stains, as does maple, but more often then not it's just a bland white wood. Beech looks like maple but has more of an orange colour to it, birch is whitish but it has more of a grain to it then either beech or maple. If they knew that the wood was going to be finished dark they would have used whatever hardwood was cheap and available, I've even seen ash used for this.
Regards
Arran

[Bob Andersen]

Here's the detailed thread on my 38-62 cabinet restoration. http://www.philcoradio.com/phorum/showth...p?tid=6200

[Kirbyc]

Thanks, Bob. The photo finish on mine is gone. I'm thinking about getting some veneer, maybe walnut, and doing the front. Maybe change the direction of the grain a couple of times or something then staining the rest of the cabinet to match.
Any thoughts from the group?

[Steve Davis]

I would use a walnut burl veneer on the front. Look on Ebay.

Steve

[Kirbyc]

Great idea. Thanks!

[Kirbyc]

I just received the veneer and need to know what to do next. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Thanks.