Joiner's Musings

This past week my brother in law passed away after a lengthy illness at age 74. I am sure that Fred was not ready to go but a number of health issues complicated his journey through life and the last couple of years were certainly the most challenging for him. Fred was a complicated man and I don't think he was very well understood. Sometimes when he tried to do the right thing his actions were misinterpreted but he always tried to do what he thought was best. I will always respect him for that even though some might not have completely agreed with his stance on some issues. Fred was dependable, reliable and predicable. If you needed something done, Fred was there to help. His general knowledge of construction, his attention to detail and his meticulous approach to any job large or small made him an invaluable help when you needed something done and done right.10 years ago I asked Fred to design an extension for our cottage which he did with great enthusiasm. We copied the...

Magnavox Speaker  As most of you know I am in the process of tearing down my Westinghouse console radio to do the refinishing. I am doing a partial refinish since most of the radio is in relatively good shape. However, I am a little concerned about the "plastic" dial face and how to refinish / restore / replace (??) it. Someone suggested the same type of material to recondition auto headlights but I am willing to entertain other ideas. Chipped edges The grill cloth is in bad shape as you can see (I was happy to see that the speaker cone is in really great shape). Again, the fabric is impossible to duplicate but I may go the same route as my Stromberg Carlson and try a fabric store for ideas. Discoloured dial face I am going to focus on the trim / edging only as I feel that is the area that needs the most attention. Generally the veneered surfaces look very good. Anyway, it is a voyage of discovery and we'll see what turns up as I disassemble ...