Rebuilding the Dome Assembly

This is the point where I started to get really excited about finishing-up this project!

When I had all of the chrome re-done, I also had the all of the aluminum extrusions for the dome glass polished to a "show-like" shine. Not exactly OEM, but it's what I wanted. Don't like it? Sue me! 😁 (Actually, they may have been polished like this from the get-go, but I haven't been able to verify or disprove this.)

Originally Rockola used a sealant of some sort inside the frame channels/extrusions in order to hold the glass in-place, but I didn't want to make things "permanent". Knowing that I was using felt elsewhere in the jukebox (sourced from  Rockler, https://www.rockler.com/felt-tape-select-size-needed), I decided to give it a try here as well. Using 1/2" wide felt, I cut one piece to the correct length, and then I cut it in half along the length, which gave me the correct width (1/4") to fit inside both channels:

Then, working front-side-down, I installed the Dome Casting Assembly (which is specific to the 1452), and the Latching Bar mount:

After carefully sliding the Dome Glass (also specific to the 1452) in-place and installing the Lower Front extrusion (which already had a layer of felt), I found that there was a certain amount of "play" between the glass and frame, so I took it part, added another layer of felt in the frame channels, and reinstalled:

I got lucky, as it was a perfect fit!

Not wanting to scratch the glass, I took it out again and applied felt to the Dome Casting:

I put the dome glass back-in, installed some felt on the other/top side of the Dome Casting, and then very gently installed both Dome Upper Window Glass pieces (also specific to the 1452):

Everything still looked good, so I installed the Upper Front extrusion:

As well as the Dome Glass Backing Plates (left and right), which also had felt applied:

Once all of the frame pieces were in-place and there was little chance of the glass falling-out, I checked for "play" in the assembly: None, or at least dang near none! Now someone may want to argue with me about using felt instead of a sealant, but I feel that the results speak for themselves. Plus, should I ever need to take the glass out, I won't have to spend hours and hours scraping-off silicone.

Anyway, with the re-chromed hinge attached, and some of the Upper Selection pieces installed, things started looking really good!

Toss-in the re-chromed Upper Program Holder with some Title Strips:

  Spin it around and set it upright:

And you can see why I'm so excited now!

One last thing. I am assuming that most people who read this Blog are interested in Rockola's to some extent, and to these people I make this plea: If anyone knows where I can obtain a new piece of "Selections" glass, Rockola P/N 19355 (upper RH glass, two pictures up), please, please, PLEASE contact me! I have a spare/parts 1452 in the basement that I want to get running (but not restore), and this piece of glass is broken.