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This is a Philco model 620 multiband radio. I would like to help my niece refinish the wood as a surprise gift to her husband as it belonged to his father.
1. Will Formsby's refinisher be effective in stripping and reblending this finish or should I just start with stripper and work from there?
2. Any ideas how old this is, I am guessing from the 40's?
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan
Follow Ups:
there is a lot of info on this site and all about radios & electronics...
http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=231863
there has been a number of articles about getting a good refinish on an old radio from antique refinishers and the like, people who have a lot of experience on the subject... also this is just a damn good site for electronics and the people there are really nice and helpful!
that is a '30e era Philco tombstone, seen hundreds of them. Too bad I didn't get to this post before ya stripped it, could have saved you some time. At any rate it is pretty obvious that most of the wood is box wood that was just spray-lacquered with toning lacquer, that is what you need for the refinish. If you have access to a lacquer spray booth, or, less desireable, can lacquer (as there is very little lacquer in a spray can and the results are less than good...) use a toning lacquer the color that you removed, the front is the only real wood, and that needs a clear coat AFTER wood filler. DON'T POLYCOAT THIS, IT WILL LOOK LIKE SHIT! Too many people slap some can stuff on and it looks it, if that is what you wanted, buy a re-pop, otherwise, spray-lacquer several coats and then a satin or rub out a final finish, these never had a "shiny" finish on them. For more good info, go to antiqueradios.com, all kinds of experts on these things, got a few myself...
My nieces husband is now talking about getting the Philco up and running. Any suggestions for a shop in the Blacksburg area?
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan
thanks for the input. Totally agree on the no Poly.
I talked with my niece about spray lacquer but she is wary of the concept. I suggested brush on lacquer and talked her through the process. I am leaving the east today for Chicago, then Back to California, so she gets to take it from here. It is stained now so we can use clear lacquer. (see my post "further update")
Wish her luck!
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan
Look at Formbys wiping tung oil at HD and Lowes.
you can wipe it on and smooth it out at the same time. Excellent hard finish smooth finish that doesn't require a spray gun.
Avoid brushing anything on. That ends up streaking.
charles
she will need the luck, brush-on lacquer doesn't really work, it dries fast and leaves brush marks, also, it won't "level" because of the fast drying, really, the best option is spray lacquer, that was what was used (not shellac or oil) and would provide the best look. Note, I have been collecting and restoring these old radios for over 20 years and have done my share of attempted refinishing, so you can learn from my mistakes. There is a local guy here in the DC area that refinishes these radio cabinets, excellent work and not too expensive, that is who I would send it to. There may also be someone in the Blacksburg area, but I don't know, what I do know is that there are a LOT of people who don't know shit about fixing and refinishing old radios properly, that is more than evident watching "American Restoration". Too bad your not closer to DC, I do electrical restoration on old radios as part of my electronics business...
It will have to be spray in a can.. She has a good size hobby room so I will try to re-convince her. She can practice on other wood surfaces.
However, what about tung oil?
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan
tung oil looks like crap on these old radios, stick with the spray. BTW, you should be able to buy replica grill cloth that will look great on that set, don't settle for fabric store junk or replacement grill cloth for guitar amps, let me know if you have a problem with that...
That's REAL tung oil. The stuff you get at Home Depot and Lowes is actually rubbing varnish. Basically Varnish thinned out so you can rub it on, or brush it on with a brush and then wipe off the excess with a paper towel before it dries.. Avoids a lot of brush marks.
Just get some and try it on a piece of scrap wood.
Put on a lite coat and wipe off the excess with a paper towel. After it let it dry for a day then use 400 grit paper to gently rub off the bumps. Clean and repeat four or five coats or until you get the finish you like.
Just go try it before you mess up the radio.
If you have questions email me. I build furniture!!!! So I'm a little aware of how to finish stuff.
charles
well, that is not how these old radios were finished, spray lacquer was what was used, and moving to something different will not give you an original look, but usually something worse. You also have the problem of trying to stain the boxwood, that just doesn't work well, covering that boxwood with a toning lacquer is really the way to go, I know because I have finished a number of these old radios for around 20 years, so I am not ignorant of how the process works, and have seen many old radios where other finishing method were used and it just detracts from the look...
So the original lacquer finish seems to be out.
charles
http://woodworker.com/gloss-black-jet-spray---lacquers-mssu-851-078.asp?search=spray%20lacquers&searchmode=2
The lacquer isn't banned, it was the VOC solvents. Since 2007 they have been trying to find the best match of non ozone destroying solvents. They have has some luck with a few combos, but you don't get that original Lacquer finish you used to.
Both acetone and Oxol 100, two solvents that work as lacquer thinners allowing formulators to make legal solvent based lacquer using only those two solvents. However they are STILL trying new solvent mixtures like alcohol. Though so far it has not been.
SO to your reply - both yes AND no.
charle
I see you are a scotch drinker, have you tried Laphroaig? A scotch drinking friend of mine turned me on to it, tasty!
So do you need am air compressor and a paint gun? Actually, you can get this fairly inexpensively at Harbor Freight. I would imagine you would need to practice a while to get a good result.
Dave
Here's where we are so far...
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan
Looks great, please update once you have it finished.
Stain applied
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan
N/T
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
Wow! An amazing transformation already. So much better. I tend to agree with some of the other posts that an oil finish may be good.
Please do keep us posted about your progress.
cheers,
roN
I think a little waco danish oil with tung oil finish and you're good. Or a good rubbing lacquer
...likes this pretty much as is? I would shoot it with an automotive clear coat and leave the finish looking pretty much as is
Well I wasn't asked if I like it as it is. But no I don't and I'd never clear coat over it the way it is. I would consider repairing it electronically, installing new grill cloth and cleaning it up with oil and Old English scratch cover.
ET
A lot of those pieces from that era were finished in shellac and oil stain.
I would first try denatured alcohol to remove the old clear coat. And see if the finish comes up with it as well.
try this on a small piece in the rear first.
You can get this a home depot or any store.
charles
that is a lacquer finish...
Looks like clear lacquer on the front (wood has darkened considerably) and brown toned lacquer on the rest. I'd say it needs stripping (with lacquer thinner).For electrical restoration, I have the Philco service bulletin on my website: http://audiophool.com/Philco.html
Edits: 11/04/14
There are two 620's listed at Nostalgia: one from pre June 1940 and a 620,code 121 from October 1936. I can't say on the refinish I'm no expert and it's not here in front of me to really see. Good luck!
ET
I did some googling and this cabinet was known as the "tombstone" model, or 620b. I will not stain the sides again as the two tone finish doesn't really appeal to me. The front looks good enough to leave alone and just polish up.
Thanks, I was hoping to use lacquer thinner instead of stripper.
"When the demon is at your door, in the mornin' it won't be there no more"
Steely Dan
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