Revox A700 paint

[Vulcanzero1]

Hello everyone

My first post brought about because I've just purchased one of these from one of the UK Revox agents. It's in excellent condition both aesthetically, mechanically and electrically. The agent has replaced a number of items, including some bearings, caps, pinch roller, etc and lapped the heads. They've supplied a performance chart that shows that the machine exceeds the manufacturers specification, so I'm delighted.

However, I'm a fussy person and looking closely, there are one of two places where small imperfections are visible. My B710 Mk2 is perfect and I would like to get the A700 to the same condition. The 2 anodised aluminium side strips have small nicks, same with the 2 plastic rails and single ali strip on which the machine stands when it's vertical, the main fascia panel with the holes for the pots and the writing has a few very small marks and the raised plastic panel (Nextel finish?) which fits around the head assembly and onto the main top painted aluminium cover has a small gouge in it (not the editing groove) so if anyone is stripping a machine and has any of these parts for sale, in as new condition, I'd be interested. The teak veneered side panels are marked but I've obtained some solid teak (£1,716 /cu ft!!) which I will machine to replace them

However, the main point of my post is to try to find a match for the weird paint finish on the panels which looks like tiny grey pebbles. I've tried all over the world to locate someone who knows the paint spec/code/process or even better, someone in the UK that can respray the panels. I do know it's not Nextel which on the A700 is only on the reel turntables.

I've read some threads although from many years ago and see that there are some experts on the A700 on this forum (Thierry are you still around?) so would be most grateful if someone could help me.

 

[Thierry]

Hi,
The finish on the grey panels is definitely not paint, nor Nextel, but some sort of vinyl skin (same skin is also found on the A720 pre-ceiver and A722 power amplifier). I'm afraid Studer got those aluminium sheets already coated from a supplier as a special order, so you you will certainly not be able to find the same finish as a paint can or jar.
Depending on the amount of damage your A700 has, the only solution it to use stuff from hobbyist shop and create a perfectly matching colour by mixing different ones. This is what I do and it proved to work well. If you let the paint solvents evaporate long time enough, the consistence of the paint will help recreating those pebbles by pitting the paint with your brush tip.

 

[Vulcanzero1]

Ah, that’s enormously helpful Thierry, thanks so much.

Not the answer I wanted to hear of course but this information has saved me wasted yet more time on something I was never going to solve. Amazingly, I have been able to order a brand new main front panel via Thear Technology, where I bought the machine and who are one of the UK Revox agents. They are getting it from German stock (Revox?) so I am trying to find out whether this stock is newly made, in which case someone may be recreating the original finish, or more likely old stock in which case the opposite.

I have a compressor and spray gun so I could imagine that a very thin coat of matching paint (automotive, modelling, enamels, etc) might take up the same shape as the existing surface. The odd paint chip could be done with some filler and a modelling brush as you say. So I will press on with this.

Have you any experience of renovating the 2 decorative anodised aluminium side strips? On my machine, there are a few tiny marks/chips on the edges. They are no longer available new. I was wondering whether to try getting them re-anodised but maybe the process only adds a few microns and would make no difference.

Finally, I have been warned by Thear Technology that when I come to replace the main painted aluminium top panel (the one with the holes for the turntables and tape guides), there are some plastic clips somewhere than can age and become brittle and snap. There are no new ones available. However I cannot find any mention of this in the service manual and have no idea where these clips are located. Can you assist me with this too please?

Thank you again – it’s really great to know there is someone helpful out there.

Charles

 

[landsberger]

Have a look at http://www.isr-ev.de/ and select english language.

you may find just what you are looking for.

Regards
John

 

[Vulcanzero1]

Have a look at http://www.isr-ev.de/ and select english language.

you may find just what you are looking for.

Regards
John

 

[Vulcanzero1]

John - that's amazing. Thanks very much, I would never have found it. What a fascinating place, a bit like a proper old-fashioned ironmongers!

What is also amazing is that those shelves stay up. I saw one with TWO A700's on it!

I'm emailing them now.

cheers
Charles

 

[landsberger]

Charles

You are more than welcome, if I was still in England my Revox's would have had a trip there by now.

"Finally, I have been warned by Thear Technology that when I come to replace the main painted aluminium top panel (the one with the holes for the turntables and tape guides), there are some plastic clips somewhere than can age and become brittle and snap. There are no new ones available. However I cannot find any mention of this in the service manual and have no idea where these clips are located. Can you assist me with this too please?"

I must admit that I have no idea what is meant by plastic clips under the deck plate, I have had the deck plates off my A700's more than once with no problems at all. The only piece that was brittle was a moulded bit on the back to wind a cord around and that broke off years ago but as it is at the back and I can't see it who cares.

I have had good results getting spare parts from eBay for the A700's the only bit I need at the moment is a head cover there is a small scuff mark on the brushed aluminium.

Another person I always found helpful in England was Brian Reeves in Cheadle, Cheshire

http://www.revox.freeuk.com

Also you could look at

http://www.nagravox.com.au (also on eBay and ships worldwide)

Very helpful for parts

Regards
John

 

[Vulcanzero1]

Charles

You are more than welcome, if I was still in England my Revox's would have had a trip there by now.

"Finally, I have been warned by Thear Technology that when I come to replace the main painted aluminium top panel (the one with the holes for the turntables and tape guides), there are some plastic clips somewhere than can age and become brittle and snap. There are no new ones available. However I cannot find any mention of this in the service manual and have no idea where these clips are located. Can you assist me with this too please?"

I must admit that I have no idea what is meant by plastic clips under the deck plate, I have had the deck plates off my A700's more than once with no problems at all. The only piece that was brittle was a moulded bit on the back to wind a cord around and that broke off years ago but as it is at the back and I can't see it who cares.

I have had good results getting spare parts from eBay for the A700's the only bit I need at the moment is a head cover there is a small scuff mark on the brushed aluminium.

Another person I always found helpful in England was Brian Reeves in Cheadle, Cheshire

http://www.revox.freeuk.com

Also you could look at

http://www.nagravox.com.au (also on eBay and ships worldwide)

Very helpful for parts

Regards
John

 

[Vulcanzero1]

Sorry, I haven't quite got the hang of this yet!

I took the main cover off last night and it became more obvious what plastic clips Thear were talking about. They were the 4 clips which hold each of the 2 plastic rings that fit around the reel turntable holes in the main cover. I got both rings off without breaking them. I've ordered a new main cover which amazingly is still available.

Sent an email off to IRE and had a quick auto response saying they'd get back to me next week. I've been in touch with Brian Reeves - helpful as you say but no answers or parts that I need. Nagraxox is another new one that I'll try so thanks for that.

Had an interesting meeting with an anodising company today about the pros and cons of re-anodising the bottom and 2 side ali strips which have some nicks in them but there were more cons than pros. Then went to a bodyshop and they reckoned the could fill the nicks and respray with an exact match satin silver 2 part paint for £80. They won't look 100% the same as the anodised finish but very close. If nothing else comes up, I may go that route. I can always change them to originals later.

I have some other bits coming on sale or return from a guy in Surrey who has 4 machines in various states of disrepair, so things are moving along. I'll post some pics in a few weeks.

atb
Charles

 

[landsberger]

Hi Charles

Just been looking through the favourites list on the computer for Revox and these may be of use to you if you haven't already found them!

Regards
John


http://www.revox-online-shop.de

www.revoxsammler.ch


http://www.ledtronics.com/Products/ProductsDetails.aspx?WP=70 (replacement slide base lamps)


http://www.littlediode.com/components/search.php?mode=search&simple_search=Y&posted_data[by_title]=Y&posted_data[by_shortdescr]=Y&posted_data[by_fulldescr]=Y&posted_data[by_sku]=Y&posted_data[including]=all&substring=TDA1000&search_redirect=Y (this is the TDA1000 chip)


http://www.revox-gebraucht.de/revox-exclusiv/revox-zubehoer-neu-gebraucht/


http://www.taperecorder.co.uk/spares.htm


http://www.revox-online.de/


https://www.ricardo.ch/search/index...cription=true&SearchId=A55TKFdcLkezwxq1zeiIDA


http://www.studerundrevox.de/compon...-revox-reparatur-ersatzteile-deutschland.html


http://revox-gebraucht.de/revox-exclusiv/revox-top-gebrauchte/

 

[Vulcanzero1]

Thanks again John. I know some of these and have been in contact but certainly there are several that are new to me. I'm working this weekend but will have a look at the websites early next week.

There are several bits on eBay which might suit me. It's just so difficult to see tiny marks using photographs because they look like dust and, although most people tell the truth, not everyone does so. So you take your chances.

I've bought some Humbrol enamel modellers paint so I can touch up the marks but if I use it, it will be temporary until I can find proper replacements. I've drawn a blank in finding anything out about the 'paint' finish, so I could either have the old finish stripped and start again, say with Nextel which I can get spayed in the UK, or try to replace the 2 remaining marked panels as and when mint ones become available. My preference is to retain the manufacturers finish, although it's pretty ugly for home use, because changing it is irreversible and I think it would devalue it. What do you think? But if I could get it to look like a PR99 Mk111 ........

kr
Charles

 

[landsberger]

Thanks again John. I know some of these and have been in contact but certainly there are several that are new to me. I'm working this weekend but will have a look at the websites early next week.

There are several bits on eBay which might suit me. It's just so difficult to see tiny marks using photographs because they look like dust and, although most people tell the truth, not everyone does so. So you take your chances.

I've bought some Humbrol enamel modellers paint so I can touch up the marks but if I use it, it will be temporary until I can find proper replacements. I've drawn a blank in finding anything out about the 'paint' finish, so I could either have the old finish stripped and start again, say with Nextel which I can get spayed in the UK, or try to replace the 2 remaining marked panels as and when mint ones become available. My preference is to retain the manufacturers finish, although it's pretty ugly for home use, because changing it is irreversible and I think it would devalue it. What do you think? But if I could get it to look like a PR99 Mk111 ........

kr
Charles

I know exactly what you mean about the look. Some of my B77's need the Nextel repainting, but here in Australia forget it. The Nextel has also gone on the B795 turntable as well. I've got the PR99 MkII but there is nothing else in the Revox line that really matches it, I missed out on a PR99 MkIII some little while ago unfortunately.

One of my A700's has a clip on Perspex lid which latches on to metal clips on the wooden side panels, the other A700 doesn't have the clips so they are not quite a matched pair! The other problem I had was getting the correct red and green lenses for the indicator lights on the A722 power amplifiers. also the wood finish although original is not quite matching across the range (A700 x2, A720, A722 x2) luckily I have managed to get the remotes for all of them.

I'm still looking for a B710 MkII .

Regards
John

 

[landsberger]

Charles[/QUOTE]

Sorry, I haven't quite got the hang of this yet!

I took the main cover off last night and it became more obvious what plastic clips Thear were talking about. They were the 4 clips which hold each of the 2 plastic rings that fit around the reel turntable holes in the main cover. I got both rings off without breaking them. I've ordered a new main cover which amazingly is still available.

Hi Charles

I think that you have got an odd variation of the A700! My machines do NOT have plastic rings on the holes for the turntables I've looked through the service manuals and cannot find a reference to them. I also had look on the web and cannot find images of the A700 with plastic rings. However the Studer version (A67& B67) does have the plastic rings but the deck plate is bare aluminium.

If you do a search for the A67/B67 you will see what I mean, I'm wondering if someone repainted a A67 deck plate.

By the way have you looked at:

ftp://ftp.studer.ch/Public/Products/

Here by going to recording analog you can get all the manuals you need for free and without having to fill out surveys

Regards
John

 

[Vulcanzero1]

Hi John

I'm not aware that my machine is non standard. I'd be happy to exchange private email addresses as I can never work out how to post pictures on forums, which is odd because I'm a photographer (primarily of the Vulcan bomber which has only last week finished flying forever). I can then send you some pics of my gear, B710 and A700, although the latter is partially in pieces whilst I search for new panels. Sorry but I don't know how to go about doing the exchange though.

Thanks for the link. Yes, I'd finally found that one although it's extremely obscure.

 

[txturbo]

Hi,
The finish on the grey panels is definitely not paint, nor Nextel, but some sort of vinyl skin (same skin is also found on the A720 pre-ceiver and A722 power amplifier). I'm afraid Studer got those aluminium sheets already coated from a supplier as a special order, so you you will certainly not be able to find the same finish as a paint can or jar.
Depending on the amount of damage your A700 has, the only solution it to use stuff from hobbyist shop and create a perfectly matching colour by mixing different ones. This is what I do and it proved to work well. If you let the paint solvents evaporate long time enough, the consistence of the paint will help recreating those pebbles by pitting the paint with your brush tip.

Sorry if this is a bit off topic...

I am trying to find company that sells or can restore the front panel on my A720. Any ideas? I have two A720/A722 sets. Both of them did not work when I received them. I have them both working great now but one of them has some of the Nextel paint that is coming off.

I sent an email to nearly every company in this thread just now.

 

[Vulcanzero1]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic...

I am trying to find company that sells or can restore the front panel on my A720. Any ideas? I have two A720/A722 sets. Both of them did not work when I received them. I have them both working great now but one of them has some of the Nextel paint that is coming off.

I sent an email to nearly every company in this thread just now.

 

[Vulcanzero1]

Hi Txturbo

I can put you in touch with someone in the UK (Revox agent) that does this. They normally wait until they have a batch to do, so it might take a while and it probably wont be cheap. Would that be any use?

By the way to everyone that offered advice, I was able to buy a brand new main front panel via Revox GmbH and tracked down a brand new 'fascia panel' (the bit with the holes for the sliders/pots) in Norway plus various other bits and pieces. So my A700 now looks about 95% as new!