Croc covering

 


Home Up 7G605 Bomber 7G605 Clipper 8G00TZ1 B600 T600 Brown T600 Battery 50A1/1L6 AM Broadcast Croc covering G 500 Exterior

 

 

 

 

These are close ups of the Zenith 7G605 "Transoceanic" croc covering.   I am trying to find a most accurate reproduction as possible.

Click on these pictures to expand.

IMG_0370.JPG (59659 bytes) Rear showing the pattern.  There are two rows of smaller scales centered at 1/3 and 2/3 across the front and back. 

There is a lighter color highlighting the embossed pattern on a black background.  This has darkened over time. 

 IMG_0375.JPG (62762 bytes)  Front.  The small rows of scaled occurs as though the covering is wrapped around the radio covering.  IMG_0376.JPG (56111 bytes)  This recurrence of the small scales is seen on all of the manufactured radios of this model.  IMG_0377.JPG (54015 bytes) Three inch wide column of small scales, separated by about 5 inches of large scales.  IMG_0378.JPG (52093 bytes)
IMG_0379.JPG (54013 bytes) IMG_0371.JPG (48792 bytes) Backing appears to be a loose weave cloth of some sort.  IMG_0372.JPG (45850 bytes) Thickness in inches. Reads .016".  Undoubtedly this has shrunken over the decades.  IMG_0374.JPG (45137 bytes)  Thickness in millimeters. This reads 0.4 mm.    

 

This comment was sent by Jason.

I think people look in the wrong direction for the Trans-Oceanic covering for all the tube radios.  It's much too thin to be a luggage covering material like Tolex and not supple enough to be an upholstery vinyl. 

It appears to me to be leather grained cloth backed vinyl book-cloth.  I've seen several large book collections dating from the mid 50s to late 60s  bound in a very close match to the 600 series "stag".   You could even see the backing cloth faintly protruding through the face.  Online bindery shops have plenty of regular leather grains  to choose from.  The alligator on the 7G605 looks to be the same material.  I haven't seen alligator book-cloth around or online but a bindery shop, large library or small printer might have it new or NOS.  

Another material to explore is cloth backed vinyl wallpaper (CBV), which is very similar in construction to vinyl book cloth.  I have seen CBV in alligator grain before.  Most places that deal in wallpaper have sample books you can browse and will order it for you.  This is a time consuming enterprise as there are hundreds of CBV manufacturers each with their own set of sample books.  If you do strike out in this direction be aware that paper backed vinyl and solid vinyl wallpapers also exist and would be undesirable for this application.  Just be careful and fully examine any sample to confirm the backing material.  I also wouldn't expect CBV to be as long wearing as book-cloth so it may be for display only.

Jason
Ardmore, OK

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