How to Replicate old wooden engraved buttons

 Dear Radio Friends,

Here I'd like to tell you how I replicated an old engraved  button to replace a missed one in my Sparton 65.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sparks_wit_65.html

Description:

Everybody knows how easy is to turn a piece of wood in a lathe. But the main difficulty is to replicate one picture not completely rounded, engraved on its top, . The picture couldn't be made using the lathe.

My decision was: to make in my lathe only the round part of the wooden button. The engraved slice was made apart to be glued afterwards on the  wooden piece made in the lathe.


To get the slice, I made first a rubber mould from the engraved picture.
(I tried also a gypsum mould. It is OK too).

Then I made a mixture of transparent epoxy resin and sawdust, (from the wooden piece).

The final colour was not the same of the original knob, so I had to adjust the colour using "Vieux-chaine".(to equalize the colour for all buttons).
(Another coloured product for wood darkening can be used instead).

HERE IT IS THE REPLICA:



I hope you try to enjoy this experience too.

Regards
Mário Coelho

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Excellent !!   Very Nice Job.

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Hello Dennis,

Thank You for your kind opinion.

I also tried to make a copy from a bakelite button.

This is the original one:

The procedure is the same .However this time the sawdust was replaced by bakelitedust. ( Took from  a broken radio ) In both cases the powder made with a  thin lime was mixed with transparent epoxy resin  .

Here is one photo to compare the graved slice  with the original button. Photo also shows the rubber mould:

Best Regards

Mário Coelho

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