Hi,

So, after putting it off for many, many years, I'm finally getting around to restoring my old 1948 Astor HM floorstanding radiogram and the inside of the lid has what appears to be a brown felt lining which has deteriorated. Does anyone know for sure what type of fabric would have been used?

Thanks in advance.

Edit: Looking at it more closely, it seems thinner than standard felt.. Perhaps it's billiard cloth?

In the fifties flocking was commonly used in radiograms to line lids etc. It looks a bit like felt but is fine bristles shot at a surface that has been covered in a thin glue layer. Kriesler and Philips used it behind the tuning dials of their radios as well. May be this is what you have.

Thanks STC

Interesting. Hadn't heard of that before.

It doesn't appear to have peeled anywhere (I can't even pry any off with my fingernail) but there are small holes all over it especially around the edges (I thought they'd just been munched on by bugs) - Would that be a strong indication of whether it's flocking or not?

If it is, is it difficult to obtain flocking and redo the lid? Any special tools required?

Thanks for your help.

I have a Kriesler 11-7 which has brown flocking behind the dial which has bare spots. I assumed it had been mechanically damaged but moths or silverfish didn't occur to me. If the bristles are organic which they might have been in the 40s & 50s then moths or silverfish may have had a go, either for the bristles or the glue.

You should be able to see the bristles with a good magnifying glass or jeweller's loup.

There are kits available for flocking which can be found on the net. Considered doing it but a bit expensive as I remember, especially as the damage isn't really visible behind the dial. Visibility would would be different for a radiogram lid though. The bristles aren't that expensive but the kit for blowing them on, and the glue are, as I remember.

So I can't comment on the difficulty of application. Can imagine that it might be difficult for the first time operator to get a good result, like spray painting a car.

Had a look around Spotlight & Lincraft craft section but they hadn't heard of flocking, a bit of a surprise as have seen it in jewelry boxes etc. It was also used in the automotive industry, glove boxes, centre consoles etc so vintage car restorers might be another source.

Discovered that when the windows of my 2006 car started squeaking going up and down, that the window rubbers were lined with flocking, and that it had worn off. So it is still around, though probably synthetic fibres.

PS Have just been informed that it is used by train modellers as a grass substitute, so model shops might be a source.

Welcome back, mawdryn. It's been a long time!

I haven't seen this on a lid before but Kriesler did flock the surface of their turntables, including the 11-25. I don't mean the bit the record goes on, just the piece of Masonite that the turntable motor was mounted to.

As STC830 mentioned, it was also common as a background on tuning dials. I recall that the Reliance Sky Raider I once owned had this treatment. I wouldn't know where to get flock now and felt may well be a good substitute.

Hi STC,

I really appreciate your advice with this - Thanks heaps.

If it helps, I've uploaded a picture at https://ibb.co/YD6w8sy showing the damage
and another picture showing a closeup of the fibres - https://ibb.co/p14wYwp (unfortunately, the flash has bleached the colour from it)

I've found a couple of hobby shops that seem to sell the stuff online, as well as a makeup/costume site, oddly enough.

Of course being new to all this, I'm going to probably be posting a whole heap more questions in the coming weeks.

Hi Brad,

Yeah, it's been ages.. I was all set to start this way-back-when and then life kinda got in the way, and before I knew it - Boom!.. 15 years have whizzed past.

The picture you have online doesn't look like flocking as I know it - it should be bristles on the surface like velvet, only stiffer.
Your image shows longer fibres something like felted fibres stuck to the surface.

Felt is just tangled rather than woven fibre fabric. Quite tough as fabrics go - good enough for Akubra hats. Yours is just much thinner. May not be called felt in this application.

Hi STC,

I did some google searching on felt closeups, and it looks similar to wool felt.. It's probably safe to assume it's not synthetic due to all the damage.

I'm going to have to take a look at my local spotlight and see if anything they have is similar.

I really appreciate your input into this.
Cheers.

No worries, your initial call was right - it is felt.

Maybe it is blown onto a glue sprayed surface though. It would be tedious fitting felted cloth to the irregular surface shown in your pic. But if you have the patience thin felt should look good. It is available in various colours.

I have used thin soft wool felt to seal around sliding doors in my house. Nearly 20 years and the moths ignore it.