Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

At last I've made a start on the veneering of the cabinet. First task, lay on veneers around the chamfered CRT screen aperture.

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

My goodness! That's a rather higher quality of construction than EMI used.

Peter

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

"My goodness! That's a rather higher quality of construction than EMI used."
Hi Peter,
although that said I wish Baird Television had simply applied brown paint instead of the veneer. I've no idea how manufactures laid on the pieces of veneer around the chamfered edges of screen apertures and also radio tuning scales because for me it's a time consuming and messy process doing it.

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Hi David,

If it was a mechanised process you might think of separate sides and corners. Four straight sides and four identical corner pieces.

How was the original structured?

Peter

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

That's going to look very good David!
Quite a lot of work.

I think I have only two sets with this construction: Pye LV30 and the 1948 Philips experimental projection receiver (SX861A).

Jac

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Peter_Scott wrote: "If it was a mechanised process you might think of separate sides and corners. Four straight sides and four identical corner pieces."
Hi Peter,
The attachment shows a corner of the screen aperture of the original Baird top panel. I just can't believe the veneer around the edges was applied by hand, some automated process must have been employed.

"Quite a lot of work." Hello Jac, I reckon it took almost two hours to do edge veneering. No production planner would allow for that.

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Hi David,

Is it one continuous strip with just the one seam?

Peter

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

"Is it one continuous strip with just the one seam?"

Hi Peter, because of its terrible condition one can't really tell how it is on the T5 panel. However, the T23 has a similar CRT panel and it would appear two strips have been used for the chamfered edge.

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Two pieces of wood veneer have been cut to size and will be glued into position.
The attachment shows the symmetrical wood grain pattern and this will be continued on the other two panels.

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

I faced a similar problem on my RCA 621TS, except that somebody in the past had wanted a larger sized picture so they cut a bigger hole in the CRT escutcheon !

When I first saw it I thought Gulp ! how to fix it. I thought of simply re-manufacturing the part, but I wanted to save as much of the original part as possible.

So I decided to cut it out further and glue in some Tasmanian Oak with epoxy resin. After that I re-worked it by hand to create the original shape (see pictures). It was a long job.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Link to the restoration of Hugo's RCA 621TS:
http://worldphaco.com/uploads/621TSARTICLE.pdf

A mighty press to fix the veneers to the panel was set up last night. It consisted of a Formica faced board, an 88 pound (40Kg) Marconi VT50 and two heavy radios.
The contraption has done it's job so now the veneer edges have to be trimmed.

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

The new CRT screen panel is now ready for staining and polishing.

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Looking great David!

Which glue due you use for the veneer?

Jac

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Hello Jac,
I used Gorilla wood glue, the best glue I've ever used. Made in the USA.
Gorilla market a wide range of adhesives. There's one for every job.

"For the toughest jobs on Planet Earth"

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Thanks David.

I'm looking forward to see (and learn from) your staining work!

Jac

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Hi David,

That's looking really good, wish my woodworking skills were as good as yours!

Regards,
Lloyd

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Hello Jac,
The original lacquer finish was very dark which was the way furniture was presented eighty years ago. However, it does seem a shame that the new veneer has to be stained to a very dark colour to resemble the original finish.

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Won't staining the veneer run the risk of picking up any scratches in the grain pattern? A spray-over toner would be safer and probably more original too.

Steve

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

Hi Steve,
Something to consider, although I was planning to apply French polish to the assembled cabinet. There was a time when large service departments employed a French polisher to tidy up radio and TV cabinets.
Attachment shows the new control panel being prepared for veneering.

DFWB.

Re: Baird T5 restoration project.
 

It looks as if it wasn't just expensive televisions that had venired chamfers. Here's a 1937 Bush SW45 that was priced at 15 guineas. And it wasn't just Bush Radio who were doing it. In the same thread there is a PYE P45 with similar chamfer.

Peter

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