Hi All!
I have a chance to bid on an old philco radio, the only problem is, someone has taken the liberty to spray paint the cabinet, get this! GOLD! Good grief! what a waste! does anyone have any idea how to remove this terrible paint job without ruining the cabinet?
Mark

Metal or plastic cabinet? Wood cabinet? If metal, just strip it with Zip Strip. If plastic and bakelite or Catalin, use Zip Strip. If of some soft plastic (not likely with tubes), you may damage it with Zip Strip. With wood, you can either use Zip Strip or you can sand the paint off. I have never liked to use a stripper on wood cabinets, as it can drive finish into the wood, causing it to not take color properly. Still, since I never use stains with radios, this is not really a problem. With old dry varnish, you can sand the old varnish off, usually with some ease if it is really brittle. I always use various shades of colored varnish when finishing a radio, sometimes which I mix up myself by using colored oil based paste stains in the varnish. Many radios used colored varnish, which allowed the use of woods that do not hold color well or look hideous when stained. Such use was necessary when either the hard base wood was exposed at an end (not covered with veneer), or when ply layers were exposed--also an end of a board. If the colored varnish is dark enough, it will hide the ply layers.

I am not at all a fan of polyurathane, but if you cannot find varnish or do not like to color varnish, various hardware stores sell polyurathane with coloring under the name of "Polyshades," which acts like colored varnish.

Unfortunately, if the radio was pained, unless you can pick off some of the paint without picking off the varnish, you may not be able to see what correct shades of colored varnish were used, if any was used. Generally, however, dark walnut and jet mahogany stain colors, and variations between the two, make nice colored varnish that is close to the original colors used on many radios.

Thomas

:Metal or plastic cabinet? Wood cabinet? If metal, just strip it with Zip Strip. If plastic and bakelite or Catalin, use Zip Strip. If of some soft plastic (not likely with tubes), you may damage it with Zip Strip. With wood, you can either use Zip Strip or you can sand the paint off. I have never liked to use a stripper on wood cabinets, as it can drive finish into the wood, causing it to not take color properly. Still, since I never use stains with radios, this is not really a problem. With old dry varnish, you can sand the old varnish off, usually with some ease if it is really brittle. I always use various shades of colored varnish when finishing a radio, sometimes which I mix up myself by using colored oil based paste stains in the varnish. Many radios used colored varnish, which allowed the use of woods that do not hold color well or look hideous when stained. Such use was necessary when either the hard base wood was exposed at an end (not covered with veneer), or when ply layers were exposed--also an end of a board. If the colored varnish is dark enough, it will hide the ply layers.
:
:I am not at all a fan of polyurathane, but if you cannot find varnish or do not like to color varnish, various hardware stores sell polyurathane with coloring under the name of "Polyshades," which acts like colored varnish.
:
:Unfortunately, if the radio was pained, unless you can pick off some of the paint without picking off the varnish, you may not be able to see what correct shades of colored varnish were used, if any was used. Generally, however, dark walnut and jet mahogany stain colors, and variations between the two, make nice colored varnish that is close to the original colors used on many radios.
:
:Thomas
Hi Thomas
It is a bakelite cabinet I am positive on that, so I should be ok using Zip Strip?
Mark

Zip Strip is great. Try not to scratch the bakelite. Use a stiff plastic brush or natural fibre brush to get at the difficult stuff. Reapply stripper multiple times. Factory paint, if any, is very difficult to remove. If you can, try to save the paper label on the bottom of the radio. You can either cover it by supergluing a plastic bag over it--super glue around the edge, not on the paper, or you can place the radio over your scanner or copier, which will allow you to copy the label. If you print the label with water soluable ink, coat the paper with one or more coats of varnish.

As everyone seems to agree, use Brasso to polish the bakelite once it has been stripped.

Thomas

:Zip Strip is great. Try not to scratch the bakelite. Use a stiff plastic brush or natural fibre brush to get at the difficult stuff. Reapply stripper multiple times. Factory paint, if any, is very difficult to remove. If you can, try to save the paper label on the bottom of the radio. You can either cover it by supergluing a plastic bag over it--super glue around the edge, not on the paper, or you can place the radio over your scanner or copier, which will allow you to copy the label. If you print the label with water soluable ink, coat the paper with one or more coats of varnish.
:
:As everyone seems to agree, use Brasso to polish the bakelite once it has been stripped.
:
:Thomas
Hi Thomas
Thanks for the info, never heard of using Brasso for polishing Bakelite, will definitely have to try that, sounds neat, thanks again:)
Mark

Brasso works wonders. Mothers Aluminum Polish workes as well, though the liquid Brasso gets into more places.

Thomas

::Zip Strip is great. Try not to scratch the bakelite. Use a stiff plastic brush or natural fibre brush to get at the difficult stuff. Reapply stripper multiple times. Factory paint, if any, is very difficult to remove. If you can, try to save the paper label on the bottom of the radio. You can either cover it by supergluing a plastic bag over it--super glue around the edge, not on the paper, or you can place the radio over your scanner or copier, which will allow you to copy the label. If you print the label with water soluable ink, coat the paper with one or more coats of varnish.
::
::As everyone seems to agree, use Brasso to polish the bakelite once it has been stripped.
::
::Thomas
:Hi Thomas
: Thanks for the info, never heard of using Brasso for polishing Bakelite, will definitely have to try that, sounds neat, thanks again:)
:Mark
:

:don't forget to tape over the area above the control knobs. They might have decals... and also there might be a Philco brand decal on the cabinet somewhere. I put a piece of blue painters masking tape over those small areas before stripping off paint and varnish.

Brasso works wonders. Mothers Aluminum Polish workes as well, though the liquid Brasso gets into more places.
:
:Thomas
:
:::Zip Strip is great. Try not to scratch the bakelite. Use a stiff plastic brush or natural fibre brush to get at the difficult stuff. Reapply stripper multiple times. Factory paint, if any, is very difficult to remove. If you can, try to save the paper label on the bottom of the radio. You can either cover it by supergluing a plastic bag over it--super glue around the edge, not on the paper, or you can place the radio over your scanner or copier, which will allow you to copy the label. If you print the label with water soluable ink, coat the paper with one or more coats of varnish.
:::
:::As everyone seems to agree, use Brasso to polish the bakelite once it has been stripped.
:::
:::Thomas
::Hi Thomas
:: Thanks for the info, never heard of using Brasso for polishing Bakelite, will definitely have to try that, sounds neat, thanks again:)
::Mark
::

If you are really good at it, you can pick the paint around the old decal if it is still present and not under paint itself. However, Philco decals are readily available at www.tubesandmore.com, and also another place who's name I forgot. It think it's radiodecals.com, but I'm probably wrong. Anyway, check these places before doing any damage to the old decal. If they have the decal you are looking for, then do not worry about the original.

Thomas

:If you are really good at it, you can pick the paint around the old decal if it is still present and not under paint itself. However, Philco decals are readily available at www.tubesandmore.com, and also another place who's name I forgot. It think it's radiodecals.com, but I'm probably wrong. Anyway, check these places before doing any damage to the old decal. If they have the decal you are looking for, then do not worry about the original.
:
:Thomas

What kind of paint is it? enamel or lacquer? For enamel, I use "easy off" oven cleaner on my plastic model cars. Even a 30 years old paint is easily removed and plastis is not affected at all. Use the spray can only. Other non aerosol easy off won't work. Hope this help.
Danny

:Brasso works wonders. Mothers Aluminum Polish workes as well, though the liquid Brasso gets into more places.
:
:Thomas
:
:::Zip Strip is great. Try not to scratch the bakelite. Use a stiff plastic brush or natural fibre brush to get at the difficult stuff. Reapply stripper multiple times. Factory paint, if any, is very difficult to remove. If you can, try to save the paper label on the bottom of the radio. You can either cover it by supergluing a plastic bag over it--super glue around the edge, not on the paper, or you can place the radio over your scanner or copier, which will allow you to copy the label. If you print the label with water soluable ink, coat the paper with one or more coats of varnish.
:::
:::As everyone seems to agree, use Brasso to polish the bakelite once it has been stripped.
:::
:::Thomas
::Hi Thomas
:: Thanks for the info, never heard of using Brasso for polishing Bakelite, will definitely have to try that, sounds neat, thanks again:)
::Mark
::Hi All!
Well I'll keep all this in mind, unfortunately the radio in question was not aquired, I lost the bid on it, but thanks so much for all the good advice! and Thomas, that Brasso Idea is absolutly unbeleivable! I aquired a GE Model 115 recently and the case was a disaster! it looked like it had been in a barn for the last 30 years, after cleaning and using brasso, it looks like brand new!!!! thank you so much for the great advice!!!!!!!!!
Mark

::sorry you didn't win the radio but I am excited about Brasso on bakelite. I have been using Armour-All but it doesn't give an even polish. I just restored a small Art Deco Majestic bakelite and I am getting out the Brasso... good to read these emails- great info.

Brasso works wonders. Mothers Aluminum Polish workes as well, though the liquid Brasso gets into more places.
::
::Thomas
::
::::Zip Strip is great. Try not to scratch the bakelite. Use a stiff plastic brush or natural fibre brush to get at the difficult stuff. Reapply stripper multiple times. Factory paint, if any, is very difficult to remove. If you can, try to save the paper label on the bottom of the radio. You can either cover it by supergluing a plastic bag over it--super glue around the edge, not on the paper, or you can place the radio over your scanner or copier, which will allow you to copy the label. If you print the label with water soluable ink, coat the paper with one or more coats of varnish.
::::
::::As everyone seems to agree, use Brasso to polish the bakelite once it has been stripped.
::::
::::Thomas
:::Hi Thomas
::: Thanks for the info, never heard of using Brasso for polishing Bakelite, will definitely have to try that, sounds neat, thanks again:)
:::Mark
:::Hi All!
: Well I'll keep all this in mind, unfortunately the radio in question was not aquired, I lost the bid on it, but thanks so much for all the good advice! and Thomas, that Brasso Idea is absolutly unbeleivable! I aquired a GE Model 115 recently and the case was a disaster! it looked like it had been in a barn for the last 30 years, after cleaning and using brasso, it looks like brand new!!!! thank you so much for the great advice!!!!!!!!!
:Mark
: