My latest addition - Radialva Groom

[Geaney]

I should add, I was using clear inkjet film and not waterslide transfer (decal) paper, but the method is probably applicable using either.

Regards

Thanks Robert, I've checked that my printer will print to inkjet film - it does, so I've ordered some and will give that a try next.

Cheers, John

[Geaney]

I've been doing some more research starting out with the 'radical' idea of finding white ink to put in an inkjet cartridge and 'fool' the printer into printing white. Of course it's all been thought of before.
The frustrating thing is I found ref to a few printers that could print white but they've all vanished off the market about 5 years ago. Nowadays it seems you're looking at about $70,000 for a printer that will print white!

My clear film transparencies arrived today so I'll see how far I can get with that...

Cheers, John

[Geaney]

...some light at the end of the tunnel perhaps:

http://www.atttransfer.com/whitetoner.html

Looks like I'll be in the market for a laser printer one of these days!

Cheers, John

[Yorkie]

Whoooooeeee - eye-watering prices when only needed for printing a few sheets!

If the artwork for a dial has been done in a form that would be satisfactory for screen printing onto glass, it would be interesting to learn what a screen printing firm would charge. The Super Groom seems not to be all that rare, and other restorers will face similar problems. The dial is such a central feature of any radio - not least this on - that maybe if a batch of ten say were professionally printed, the price would be not too prohibitive and what you make on selling the ones you don't need might more than fund the whole exercise. Something of a gamble of course, it has to be admitted.

I'm aware that Gary ('Radio Fixer') has trodden that path, as his experiences were covered in two excellent articles in the BVWS Bulletin, in which he explored alternative options for dial reproduction, including decal paper ('water-slide transfers' to use the UK term), window film, and screen printing.

[Geaney]

David, Indeed this would turn out to be a very expensive dial. So, I took the easy way out, I found another Groom on eBay which looks to have been badly bodged but the dial looks in good shape. The price is a rip-off but all things are relative so for 100 Euros or so I'll have a nice dial (if they pack it properly!)

http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270940160857

I'm always reluctant to buy a set just for spares - I want to get them all restored and I hate breaking a set up. Anyway in this case someone got started already so I'll save the dial and the rest will go in the attic.

Cheers, John
I'll keep tinkering around with decal/transfer process as I'm sure I'll need it again in the future......

[Yorkie]

I did wonder when you sent that link earlier if you might be tempted. £70GBP inc delivery doesn't sound too outlandish, and I suspect that as is often the case, the 'breakdown value' of the set is worth more than the whole, so maybe the cabinet and other components (speaker, OPT etc) could help recoup some of the cost in due course. I was a bit surprised that set was offered on a 'buy it now' basis rather than on auction to the highest bidder. At least you know that if you clinch the deal, it's yours. I often can't be bothered to bid - I saw a valve I could have done with recently - an ECH81, with a starting bid of 99p. I didn't bother to bid, and that's what it went for - 99p. Of course, had I put in a bid of say £2.00 in the last few seconds, there's no guarantee that I'd have got it - someone might have gone to a fiver.

Best wishes for a safe arrival of the Super Groom John!

[Robert Darwent]

I'm always reluctant to buy a set just for spares - I want to get them all restored and I hate breaking a set up.

Hi John,

That is how I look at things as well. For me personally, buying a second set wouldn't solve the problem just delay it. I would then want both sets in working order and still be short of a dial in due course - so back to square one again!

Regards

[Robert Darwent]

Yesterday evening I spent a few hours producing the following;

   

It is a recreation of the 'Cover 1' image that I uploaded earlier in post #87 of this thread. It has been scaled so that the overall graphic is A4 size, that should ensure that the back cover itself prints out at the correct dimensions.

Hope it proves useful.

Regards

[Geaney]

Thanks Robert,

Excellent work. Fortunately the heatwave over here has delayed me making progress so I can now benefit from your hard work. I can't get anything done when its 36C and still stays in the mid 20's during the night!

Once it cools down a bit I'll get stuck in.

Cheers, John

[Geaney]

I'm always reluctant to buy a set just for spares - I want to get them all restored and I hate breaking a set up.

Hi John,

That is how I look at things as well. For me personally, buying a second set wouldn't solve the problem just delay it. I would then want both sets in working order and still be short of a dial in due course - so back to square one again!

Regards

Hi Robert,
In this case i console myself by saying I can finish off the first set and show it to the neighbour who gave it to me - plus - I have another set to restore in due course and lastly, I have more time to work on the dial issue. I'm determined to find a feasible solution for printing white on clear but accept it might take some time. Incidentally I saw what looks like a modern replica of the Groom on eBay.fr today.

Cheers, John