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 AWA 'last of the bakelites' 528 532
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 Return to top of page · Post #: 1 · Written at 8:07:55 PM on 21 October 2011.
32 Volt Radio's Gravatar
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 10 March 2011
 Member #: 852
 Postcount: 69

Hi, has anyone had luck with restoring the grills on the
later hotpoints/awa's? They all seemed to distort from the heat of the valves. Use heat??? How?
The 532 mf was a 32volt model commonly converted to
240v operation. Anyone have the vibrator power supply/
speaker from the original?
Cheers Michael.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 2 · Written at 9:16:18 AM on 22 October 2011.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7290

I own an electric one with a grille that is in comparison to most, in fairly good condition. Even this one has warping at the bottom side though.

I don't think I have come across any late edition bakelite Radiola or Bandmaster that didn't have a warped thermoplastic grille - this product, whilst much quicker and cheaper to mould into shape, was quite vulnerable in many ways.

Oddly, the grilles on the later all-plastic models seemed more resilient. Perhaps there was improvement made to the types of plastics being used after this transition period.

I don't think much can be done to save a badly warped grille. The worst will probably not even survive a clean up with soapy water due to being too brittle though for most of them a clean up will be the only thing that can be done unless one is in possession of AWA's original moulds - then the possibilities would be endless.

Of course, a toolmaker would be able to make a mould so reproductions of these grilles could be made.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 3 · Written at 11:20:17 AM on 22 October 2011.
Larry's Gravatar
 Location: Mildura, VIC
 Member since 5 May 2011
 Member #: 896
 Postcount: 108

Mine has minor warpage at the bottom, I wish someone had the old AWA tooling, as agreed with Brad, Reproducing the Plastics would be nice!, especially for the HMV 62-52 cases!


 
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