Does anyone knows what happened to the "Molds" which RCA used for casting these tenite escutcheons for 811K or 816K?
I wish someone can find these and help us out with new escutcheons.
A dreamer

I'm dreamin' right with you!

If someone could reproduce those escutcheons, it would be a godsend!

-Steve

Where they went? Into a WW2 scrap metal drive, most likely.

I wish I had the talent and machines to make these with aluminum.

It is one of those on the list of reproductions I may make.

@FStephenMasek ~ That will be really great for all of us with these radios.

I wonder if they were made in two pieces. Mine is warped badly and the top part is pulling away from the bottom with the controls.

Jon

Jon,
Major design fault was that it is one piece. This is why contraction on these escutcheon are so amplified and they broke.

I think, reproductions can be made in 2 pieces for easy install. Or if someone can just make the top part for RCA 816K as the bottom part is kind of OK.

Attempting to reproduce this part in plastic will be a very expensive venture...

A more econonomical solution would be to fabricate a pattern for reproduction as a brass investment casting. The finish could then be closely matched via patinas such as the following:
http://shop.surfinchemical.com/PATINAS- ... NZE_c7.htm

Cheers

Will Kutler

Perhaps in the future, those new 3-D printers can be used to reproduce escutcheons.

Agreed that Rapid Prototyping would be another option. The problem is that finishing in the proper brown/black pattern would be a secondary manufacturing operation that could prove costly. I do believe that a brass investment casting might be the most economical solution.

Cheers

Kutler

Can someone could reproduce those escutcheons?

Another question to be raised: How much would anyone be willing to pay for such a reproduction?

Tom

Anyone willing to take up this challenge should give us a price and minimum order (pieces) to set the ball rolling. And lets see how many of us are willing.

That goes both ways. How much would you-all be inclined to pay for an escutcheon that takes the radio from looking like damaged junk to like-new? There is quite a bit of cost in protoyping a new one before even on is made.

And another good question is, how many of each of these radios still exist and of those how many people would pay $25 - $40 for a replacement. For some models, if not many, I would think that those numbers would be low.

I would gladly pay $50 for a complete new escutcheon for my 816K!
Even if I had to transfer the glass over.

I think the 813K uses the same escutcheon. Not 100% sure.

The 811K shares the escutcheon with the 812K as well as the big 16 tube radio/phonographs U108 and U109.
Could use one of those too.

-Steve

OK $50.

How many of those 816(s) do you think are out there?

Consider as well that, of the radio collectors/collections, I have seen, less than half of the collectors would even consider buying new parts like this. Those who don't either want the original part, or just like to stack radios in a shed.

I am not trying to dissuade anyone from making these. I might even try it some day. I just don't think there is a huge market for them, while there are other parts more in demand and more easily constructed, say, Philco 70/90 cabinets and parts. But if molding plastic is your specialty - go for it.

Count me in for $50 for 811K (1) and may be little more for 816K (1).
Who is next?

I will be posting more information on reproduction escutcheons for these and other radios as I develop it. The year ended with us busy with work, and the new years is starting that way, but I hope to have the first one (1938 Emerson cone) done in January.