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HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN DIAL COVERS
ON MANY OLD SETS THE PLASTIC VACUUM FORMED DIAL COVERS WILL BECOME WARPED, SCRATCHED, BROKEN, OR TURN YELLOW. THE BELOW DESCRIBED METHOD ALLOWS YOU TO REPRODUCE THESE COVERS EXACTLY AS ORIGINAL. REPLACING THESE LENSES THAT ARE IN BAD SHAPE CAN MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IN THE APPEARANCE OF A SET. PLUS, IT'S FUN TOO..
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
1. A PIECE OF .020 CLEAR PLASTIC. THIS IS AVAILABLE AT ANY HOBBY SHOP. IT IS USED BY MODEL AIRPLANE BUILDERS TO MAKE CANOPIES FOR THEIR MODELS. YOU CAN GET IT IN ALL DIFFERENT SIZES. I GET A BIG PIECE, SO I CAN DO MANY LENSES OUT OF ONE PIECE. .030 WILL WORK, BUT .020 IS LIKE THE ORIGINAL IN MOST CASES.2. A PIECE OF HARDBOARD (NOT HARDWOOD). IT IS PRESSED WOOD FIBER AND HAS ONE SIDE THAT IS HARD AND SLICK. IT IS AVAILABLE AT HOME DEPOT, LOWES ETC.. IT CAN BE BOUGHT IN ALL SIZES TOO. A 2' X 4' PIECE CAN MAKE DOZENS OF DIAL COVERS.
3. BANDSAW, JIG SAW, COPING SAW OR SCROLL SAW. A JIG SAW DOES FINE.
4. COOKIE SHEET
5. SCISSORS
6. EXACTO KNIFE
7. OVEN
8. PENCIL AND PAPER
9. SANDPAPER
HERE'S HOW
1. MAKE A TRACING OF THE INSIDE OF THE DIAL OPENING (OR BEZEL IF IT HAS ONE). I USE CONSTRUCTION PAPER.
2. CUT OUT THE TRACING AND TRANSFER THE OUTLINE TO A PIECE OF HARDBOARD. MAKE THE PIECE OF HARDBOARD AN INCH OR TWO BIGGER ALL AROUND.
3. USING A JIG SAW OR EQUIVALENT, CUT OUT THE PATTERN ON THE INSIDE OF THE LINE. MAKE ONE CONTINUOUS CUT, YOU WILL USE THE OUTSIDE PIECE TOO.
4. SAND THE EDGES SMOOTH AND STRAIGHT. SAND ENOUGH SO THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT 1/16" TO 1/8" ALL AROUND. CHECK IT WITH THE RADIO OR BEZEL TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THIS CLEARANCE ALL THE WAY AROUND. YOU CAN PUT A RADIUS ON THE TOP CORNERS (SLICK SIDE) IF YOU WISH, BUT THE PLASTIC NATURALLY FORMS A RADIUS. DO A GOOD JOB ON THIS AND YOU WILL HAVE A GOOD FITTING DIAL COVER.
5. CUT A PIECE OF PLASTIC AS BIG OR A LITTLE BIGGER THAN THE ENTIRE PIECE OF HARDBORD. THIS MEANS THE PATTERN AND THE PIECE AROUND IT
.
6. PLACE THE PATTERN OF THE DIAL COVER FACE UP (SLICK SIDE UP) ON A COOKIE SHEET. PLACE THE PLASTIC OVER TOP OF IT, CENTERED
7. PLACE IN A OVEN, PREHEATED AT 200 DEGREES ON BROIL. LEAVE THE DOOR AJAR SO YOU CAN WATCH IT.
8. WATCH THE PLASTIC CAREFULLY. IT WILL START TO SOFTEN AND CONFORM TO THE SHAPE OF YOUR PATTERN. WHEN THE PLASTIC HAS SOFTENED TO A POINT WHERE IT HAS MOLDED TO THE FORM AND IS LYING ON THE COOKIE SHEET, TAKE THE PAN FROM THE OVEN.
9. QUICKLY PUSH THE OUTSIDE PIECE OF THE HARDBOARD OVER THE PATTERN. IT WILL FORM NICE SHARP CORNERS AND RADII.
10. LET THE PLASTIC COOL FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND REMOVE FROM THE PAN AND REMOVE IT FROM THE HARD BOARD.
11. PUT IT IN THE BEZEL OR RADIO AND SEE WHERE YOU NEED TO TRIM IT. ALSO DRILL ANY MOUNTING HOLES ECT.
12. INSTALL IN THE RADIO AND THERE YOU GO....GOOD AS NEW. BEST OF ALL, YOU HAVE THE SATIFACTION OF SAYING "I DID IT MYSELF"
THE LITTLE PHILCO PT-91 LOOKS MUCH BETTER!
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