I have a Roberts DAB radio with a traditional style case It seems to be
covered in some fake leather or suede effect stuff with a very thin
plastic skin on some powdery cork-like substance.

The plastic is shedding, it's really badly made. I thought I might get
a second hand faulty one on eBay and swap the innards, but they all seem
to have the same problem.

I can fairly easily remove the plastic coating, but how could I seal the
crumbly substrate?

Cheers
--
Clive

On Mon, 12 Aug 2019 16:53:18 +0100, Clive Arthur wrote:

I have a Roberts DAB radio with a traditional style case It seems to be
covered in some fake leather or suede effect stuff with a very thin
plastic skin on some powdery cork-like substance.

The plastic is shedding, it's really badly made. I thought I might get
a second hand faulty one on eBay and swap the innards, but they all seem
to have the same problem.

I can fairly easily remove the plastic coating, but how could I seal the
crumbly substrate?

PVA?



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On 12/08/2019 16:53, Clive Arthur wrote:
I have a Roberts DAB radio with a traditional style caseÂ* It seems to be
covered in some fake leather or suede effect stuff with a very thin
plastic skin on some powdery cork-like substance.

The plastic is shedding, it's really badly made.Â* I thought I might get
a second hand faulty one on eBay and swap the innards, but they all seem
to have the same problem.

I can fairly easily remove the plastic coating, but how could I seal the
crumbly substrate?

Cheers

It depends which traditional style it is. The only Roberts I can think
of which fits the description has, I think, a fake leather cover over
something like I know as hardboard- a 'cross' between wood and
cardboard, often found in back of cheap furniture etc.

You could try the stuff intended to stablise rotten wood. It is a thin
resin like liquid you paint on, it soaks in, sets hard, bonding the
fibres together. I think Ronseal make it.

Brian Reay pretended :
You could try the stuff intended to stablise rotten wood. It is a thin resin
like liquid you paint on, it soaks in, sets hard, bonding the fibres
together. I think Ronseal make it.

I would suggest that would be my favoured substance to work, as well.

On 12/08/2019 16:53, Clive Arthur wrote:
I have a Roberts DAB radio with a traditional style caseÂ* It seems to be
covered in some fake leather or suede effect stuff with a very thin
plastic skin on some powdery cork-like substance.

The plastic is shedding, it's really badly made.Â* I thought I might get
a second hand faulty one on eBay and swap the innards, but they all seem
to have the same problem.

I can fairly easily remove the plastic coating, but how could I seal the
crumbly substrate?

Cheers
Years ago I took my mums old radio and built a plywood case with teak
bvenner in it and some tygan fret loudspeaker cloth. That lasted another
ten years I think


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Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as
foolish, and by the rulers as useful.

(Seneca the Younger, 65 AD)

On 12/08/2019 17:31, Brian Reay wrote:
On 12/08/2019 16:53, Clive Arthur wrote:
I have a Roberts DAB radio with a traditional style caseÂ* It seems to
be covered in some fake leather or suede effect stuff with a very thin
plastic skin on some powdery cork-like substance.

The plastic is shedding, it's really badly made.Â* I thought I might
get a second hand faulty one on eBay and swap the innards, but they
all seem to have the same problem.

I can fairly easily remove the plastic coating, but how could I seal
the crumbly substrate?

Cheers

It depends which traditional style it is. The only Roberts I can think
of which fits the description has, I think, a fake leather cover over
something like I know as hardboard- a 'cross' between wood and
cardboard, often found in back of cheap furniture etc.

You could try the stuff intended to stablise rotten wood. It is a thin
resin like liquid you paint on, it soaks in, sets hard, bonding the
fibres together. I think Ronseal make it.

Thanks. As it happens, when I peel off the plastic coating there's a
layer, maybe 0.5mm thick of very soft brown powdery stuff - I think it
might have been the 'leatherette' and probably was originally bonded to
the plastic skin.

That scrapes away easily with a penknife blade and underneath is
something harder - maybe hardwood maybe MDF - with a grain or
fabric-like patterning. I can easily get down to that and paint it.
Given it's not going to be subject to much wear and tear, I guess most
paints would work?

Looking on the interweb shows that this is a common problem with these
radios. Roberts used to have a very good name, I suppose they were
bought out and, well, usual story.

The little demon on my shoulder is telling me that I could buy new for
much less time than it's costing me. He just doesn't understand.

Cheers
--
Clive

On 12/08/2019 19:59, Clive Arthur wrote:


Looking on the interweb shows that this is a common problem with these
radios.Â* Roberts used to have a very good name, I suppose they were
bought out and, well, usual story.

Roberts were great in the old days, the one I bought to take to
university in 1967 served me well for many years afterwards. Some time
in the 90's I bought a Roberts DAB radio from John Lewis. It was total crap.

On 12/08/2019 21:02, newshound wrote:
On 12/08/2019 19:59, Clive Arthur wrote:


Looking on the interweb shows that this is a common problem with these
radios.Â* Roberts used to have a very good name, I suppose they were
bought out and, well, usual story.

Roberts were great in the old days, the one I bought to take to
university in 1967 served me well for many years afterwards. Some time
in the 90's I bought a Roberts DAB radio from John Lewis. It was total
crap.

Did your Roberts model in 1967 have the turntable on the bottom
so that you could orientate for best signal?

Their second generation was even worse, all the knobs and handles were
covered in a kind of rubberised material and after a couple of years this
goes sticky and leaves black itchy stuff on your skin or gets jammed into
any receptacle you put it in.
This substance is being used everywhere, do not these people realise it is
rubbish.
I remember the old Tandy walkman cases were like you describe, ie, fake
leather that cracked and fell to bits.
Bah humbug.
Brian

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"Clive Arthur" wrote in message
...
I have a Roberts DAB radio with a traditional style case It seems to be
covered in some fake leather or suede effect stuff with a very thin plastic
skin on some powdery cork-like substance.

The plastic is shedding, it's really badly made. I thought I might get a
second hand faulty one on eBay and swap the innards, but they all seem to
have the same problem.

I can fairly easily remove the plastic coating, but how could I seal the
crumbly substrate?

Cheers
--
Clive

newshound wrote:
On 12/08/2019 19:59, Clive Arthur wrote:


Looking on the interweb shows that this is a common problem with these
radios.Â* Roberts used to have a very good name, I suppose they were
bought out and, well, usual story.

Roberts were great in the old days, the one I bought to take to
university in 1967 served me well for many years afterwards. Some time
in the 90's I bought a Roberts DAB radio from John Lewis. It was total crap.


We have several modern Roberts Radios.

I won the first DAB one in a Classic FM competition. Id didnt even
remember entering and it turned up. They have them specially made ( or did)
with a Preset Classic FM button.

We also got a couple of iStreams (i94?). They not only do DAB, FM, but
Internet radio, and DLNA.

We find them all very good. Sound quality is fine, given they are portables
etc. Reception is good.

I especially like the Internet Radio and DLNA function on the i94. There
are a few classical Internet stations I like and the DLNA is ideal to
listen to my media server.

I also have an old Pure One Flow. It also has the Internet/DLNA capability
but there matt covering is peeling. It has an odd finish. The basic case is
normal, hard, plastic. It looks like they applied a matt, rubber like,
coating to it, which is now coming of.

On 12/08/2019 21:09, Gareth's was W7 now W10 Downstairs Computer wrote:
On 12/08/2019 21:02, newshound wrote:
On 12/08/2019 19:59, Clive Arthur wrote:


Looking on the interweb shows that this is a common problem with
these radios.Â* Roberts used to have a very good name, I suppose they
were bought out and, well, usual story.

Roberts were great in the old days, the one I bought to take to
university in 1967 served me well for many years afterwards. Some time
in the 90's I bought a Roberts DAB radio from John Lewis. It was total
crap.

Did your Roberts model in 1967 have the turntable on the bottom
so that you could orientate for best signal?


Yes, I think it did. I had forgotten about that.