Reproducing missing knobs and channel indicator escutcheon for a Meck TV?
 

Hello everyone, last night at work I got to thinking, I wonder how hard it would be to 3D Print replacement knobs for my 1950 Meck "Philharmonic" TV to replace the missing channel selector knob and volume control/power switch knob on my TV?

I was thinking that if someone on here had access to the original knobs for this TV or pictures even of the original knobs for this TV maybe someone could 3D print out of brown plastic some replica knobs for my TV, and then fabricate out of sheet brass the brass inserts for the knobs.

As for the Escutcheon, I know some people on another forum that deals with antique fans that reproduce the metal ID badges for antique fans out of metal and does it at a reasonable cost, and I was thinking that maybe if someone had a good picture of what the original channel indicator escutcheon for my TV is supposed to look like maybe I could have that person that I know on the other forum see if they could reproduce the original channel indicator escutcheon for my TV.

If anyone has pictures or access to the aforementioned parts that they could send me I would really appreciated it so I could check into getting those parts reproduced for my TV, seeing as I'm more than likely not going to ever find those parts NOS anywhere anytime soon, because of how rare this my TV is.

Far better off making a silicone mold of the original you want to copy. Colored epoxy in the mold and you can have a very high quality reproduction, far better than what can be printed. There is a company that sells the metal inserts in all different shapes/sizes. Can't recall the name right now. AES in AZ sells the D shape ones in small quantity.

A couple pictures of Mecks from google search
https://ebth-com-production.imgix.ne...DSC_0980_2.jpg
https://d3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.ne...6faPmTH8Kg.jpg
https://www.radiolaguy.com/images/TVs/Meck_10inchTV.jpg

I think the channel indicator escutcheon on top one is close to yours since the 2nd has the "Meck" name on the escutcheon. The 3rd has a round versus rectangular escutheon. I have a 7 inch Meck which is entirely different

As for the knobs, you can contact Renovated Radios. He makes excellent reproduction knobs.
http://www.renovatedradios.com/

Tony

Yes, I think the first one is a little closer to what mine would of looked like as the escutcheon's original nails that were still left in my TV's cabinet were arranged in a square pattern as opposed to a circular pattern.

although somone else on this forum has the same exact TV as I have and the channel marker escutcheon on theirs has a slightly different look to it than the one on the first Meck TV picture you posted.

+1

Most consumer 3D printers I've seen don't make especially smooth or detailed surfaces and the industrial ones that do are expensive...Also, there is the matter of creating and suitably refining a CAD model of the part.

Making a silicone mold is cheap, fast (ignoring mold and epoxy dry times, but you don't sit and watch it dry for a day like you might have to sit and tweak a cad model for hours) and accurate.

You can even make high-temperature silicone models that you can cast lead or pewter in...I've been considering doing that for a reproducing cracked pot metal parts for a Capehart turnover changer that I would like to eventually pair with my E.H Scott FM Philharmonic.

It says on his website that he mainly specializes in reproducing radio parts, I don't know if he'll be able to do the knobs for my TV or not.

Plus he needs a good original knob to use to make his replica, which I don't have the originals of the knobs I need for my TV, which is why I need a replica in the first place.

Look up the AFCA online and look up "switch replicas" on the forum there.

There are people out there that have 3D printed replicas of 110+ Year Old Power Switch Knobs for GE Pancake Fans from 1893-1908, and they turned out just fine, all they do is wet sand and buff out the rough edges and then polish with plastic polish like Novus on a Jewelers Rouge and they have a nicely reproduced plastic knob that looks just like the original.

http://afcaforum.com/view_topic.php?...e+switch+knobs

See link above for what I mean, they completely reproduced an entire ceramic bodied switch from a 100+ year old GE Fan using 3D Printer Technology and the switches look just like the originals, and the 3D Printer they used was NOT an industrial grade one.

Based on the style of the 2 knobs that are on your set, I am inclined to think that the second set linked to above matches the original style of your missing knobs. It also has a square number plate.

I think I may have them. Let me know if you want me to look.

That's what I said, I thought so anyways, the second set (which is the only Meck TV I can ge to show up in a GIS) is the one that's closest in design to mine except mine doesn't have the rope design along the edge of the front of the set, and the escutcheon design on another TV owned by someone else on here that's the same exact model as mine has a slightly different design to the escutcheon than the one in image 2 that you posted.

http://videokarma.org/showthread.php...nic+Model+8200

Check the link above for a thread from here that was posted by another member several years back with the same exact TV as mine and take note of what his channel marker escutcheon looks like, I think that's what mine needs to look like as well, where it has musical notes on the Channel 6 spot on the tuner indicator escutcheon because that's where the FM band is and the TV could function as an FM radio when the tuner is set to that position and you rotated just the fine tuning knob, which would tune you across the FM frequency spectrum as I understand it.

And yes I would love for you to take a look and see what you have in your stash, as I haven't any luck finding anything on ebay or anywhere else.

Here's another Meck Channel indicator. It looks the numbers are 2.3...4.5...6 on the right and 13.12.11.10.9.8...7 on left. It's hard to make out lettering on bottom. Looks like TRED.RAMIE?

I have a 3D printer and could try printing channel indicator in plastic using 2D to 3D print technology versus designing it in a CAD program. 2D to 3D is inputting a simple drawing of the object where grey levels determine height of 3D object. In this case two heights Numbers, letters and outside line frame higher then the background. I have Rhinoceros 3D and Sketchup 3D programs but I usually create 3D objects with Meshes versus Engineering constructs (Nurbs etc).

Meck "Iso-ramic".

http://www.videokarma.org/attachment...1&d=1572908002

The number plate reads ISO-RAMIC.

I enlarged the photo of the 2nd set linked to above. I also think I have found the correct knobs for your set in my stash. If interested, click on my username and send me an e-mail.

Attached is a JPG picture used as input to 2d to 3d conversion program (Cura). Also attached is the output of the converson to 3D. The JPG picture is 3 colors corresponding to height. Black converts to a hole. Blue is the normal surface and white is a raised surface. The height of the raised surface can be raised and lowered with the 3D slicing program (Cura). It's hard to tell from the previous photos in this topic exactly where each channel number is on the face. I need some help with that. I will also need help on demensions of the channel selector. I have Gold (yellow) plastic filament, Wood filled Plastic filament, black plastic filament and clear (milky). plastic filament. The wood filament comes out as pine color and can be painted or stained. The other colors can be painted. Since I have a 3D printer and filament here I would be willing to 3D print a channel selector indicator for you for free (if desired). The last picture is an example of an object, then model of that object, then that object 3D printed in gold color filament. The 2D to 3D process is a simpler process.

The only problem I have with the 3D printing of the channel indicator escutcheon is that I wonder if the plastic would hold up to a hammer nails because the original escutcheon was attached with 4 small brass nails one on each corner and I would hate for the hammer to slip while trying to attach the escutcheon to the cabinet and shatter the escutcheon.

Other than that I like the idea of printing off an escutcheon, as for the knobs, someone here has already offered me some originals for a small cost.

Here's a little better picture of what the original channel indicator escutcheon should look like on my TV:

Familiar with what a 'nail set' is?...it is a small steel rod with a point on one end finish carpenters that make cabinets and or install molding in homes use it to drive nails flush with the wood without making hammer marks.

Yes, I'm familiar with what a nail set is, my dad built manufactured homes for several years and he has one from when he did that, I just forgot about that.

The nail holes can be 3D printed in the plastic. What is the distance apart between the nails holes across the top and top to bottom. The plastic filament only cost a couple of cents for printing something this thin so after getting the design (notes and channel numbers) finalized then making additional copies is no problem. The Cura program estimates a little over 1 hour to print but my 3D printer is usually just sitting there collecting dust anyway.

The Meck Photofact for model XQ-776 at
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/meck_xq_776.html
I can only view the photofact initial page as a guest since I am not a member.
Does anyone have a copy of the Photofact which they can scan a picture of the Channel Indicator Escutcheon. It looks like the numbers go counterclockwise from 2-13. The Meck XQ776 doesn't seem to have the Notes symbol at the top?
The 2nd picture is my guess of your probable channel layout?

That's because my TV while it was made by Meck, and has the same circuitry layout as a Meck XQ-776 is actually a Philharmonic Branded TV which is why the Channel Indicator Escutcheon is different, because Meck made the TV for Philharmonic using Philharmonic's own design specs.

Hardly legible looking directly at it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0477919a_b.jpg

I did a trial 3D print of a channel selector using yellow plastic filament. It is 3/12 x 3 3/4 inch. It is 2 mm approximately .0787 inches thick. I think the required size for your set would be smaller? You can zoom into the picture to see the filament lines left by my 3D printer. When I was watching it print it appeared that the holes were causing the printer to do unusual tracking back and forth. It may be smoother to print without holes and then drill the holes with a dremell. Again the channel order is a guess. I left channel 6 off with the position being the note symbol. The width of the outside raised rim also needs to be nailed down.

Midwest used the same knob sets on their televisions. Must have been fairly common type from some company that made knobs.

That is interesting. Of note, I did used to have an old Magnavox Stereo Console from 1958 that also had knobs similar to what this TV has.

Ok so I've got some exact measurements for what size the escutcheon for this TV should be: It should be 3" X 3" square, the center hole is 1 1/4" in diameter, and the nail holes are 1/16" in from each corner, the bottom of the escutcheon should say "CHANNEL" and then in the position of channel 6 there should be a musical note, denoting the fact that Channel 6 is also where the FM Bandspread is located, the channels as best as I can tell from what I've seen of another TV like mine that had its escutcheon still intact starts with Channel 2 on the right hand side and ends with Channel 13 on the left hand side and it goes in a circle shape because the channel selector knob rotates in a complete circle.

Hope this helps.

Here is the latest 3D print out. PM me your postal mailing address. I'll send you the plastic channel selector. It is pretty light weight and should fit into a regular US mail envelope. If it needs any changes after checking it out against your TV let me know then I can see about making another.

Thanks, that looks great, I'll just paint it up to match the original with some hobby paints.