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Acetone
2/13/2008 4:03:02 PMThomas Dermody
Here's something interesting for you to try. I was going to try it myself, but haven't been able to get around to it yet.

I was applying the various tones of finish to my little Majestic TRF, and didn't like how dark the border turned out. I wanted just a bit of the grain to show through. I didn't want it to look like dark maroon paint. What I did was carefully mask off the border with strips of masking tape where I cut the edge clean on a cutting board with a straight edge (which is how I masked off the various sections in the first place--makes for very clean edges). Then I carefully wiped off the colored lacquer from the border with acetone, being careful not to let too much acetone get on the tape. While I did mask off the edges of the border so that I wouldn't wipe off any other lacquer, I did not mask off the rest of the radio. I had gone over the finish on the rest of the radio earlier with steel wool, and so it was hazy. However, once I was done with the acetone, I noticed that the hazy surfaces had become rather shiny. I didn't want to disturb the masking tape at the time, so I masked off the rest of the radio, and then applied new lacquer to the border (which turned out really nice, by the way). Then, once I was all done, I lifted all of the masking. I noticed that all of the surfaces that were left exposed during the acetone process were much glossier than those protected under the tape. The acetone vapors must have softened the lacquer just enough to lay it down! This led me to wonder what would happen if a radio was placed in a large sealed container with a dish of acetone. I haven't tried it yet, though. It could be rather interesting. It might be a way to get a nice glossy finish, though new finishes often are glossy anyway. Perhaps it could be used to bring shine back to an old finish? I will have to give it a try and see what I get. It would be nice if acetone vapors might help lay down a surface with slight orange peel.

T.

2/13/2008 8:00:23 PMMarv Nuce
T,
Well, your theory seems reasonable, judging by the rapid evaporation of Acetone. Depending on the size of the prepared cabinet, it may take quite a bit of Acetone, and a large enclosure, but don't get inside while the evaporative process works. Since the vapors are lighter than air, wouldn't you have to rotate the cabinet onto it's several sides for complete coverage? Seems like polishing, rubbing, steel wool or new shiny coat of lacquer might be a less expensive alternative, although more labor intensive. Be afraid, be very afraid, because the EPA vapor sniffing cops are watching all of us refinishers.

marv

:Here's something interesting for you to try. I was going to try it myself, but haven't been able to get around to it yet.
:
:I was applying the various tones of finish to my little Majestic TRF, and didn't like how dark the border turned out. I wanted just a bit of the grain to show through. I didn't want it to look like dark maroon paint. What I did was carefully mask off the border with strips of masking tape where I cut the edge clean on a cutting board with a straight edge (which is how I masked off the various sections in the first place--makes for very clean edges). Then I carefully wiped off the colored lacquer from the border with acetone, being careful not to let too much acetone get on the tape. While I did mask off the edges of the border so that I wouldn't wipe off any other lacquer, I did not mask off the rest of the radio. I had gone over the finish on the rest of the radio earlier with steel wool, and so it was hazy. However, once I was done with the acetone, I noticed that the hazy surfaces had become rather shiny. I didn't want to disturb the masking tape at the time, so I masked off the rest of the radio, and then applied new lacquer to the border (which turned out really nice, by the way). Then, once I was all done, I lifted all of the masking. I noticed that all of the surfaces that were left exposed during the acetone process were much glossier than those protected under the tape. The acetone vapors must have softened the lacquer just enough to lay it down! This led me to wonder what would happen if a radio was placed in a large sealed container with a dish of acetone. I haven't tried it yet, though. It could be rather interesting. It might be a way to get a nice glossy finish, though new finishes often are glossy anyway. Perhaps it could be used to bring shine back to an old finish? I will have to give it a try and see what I get. It would be nice if acetone vapors might help lay down a surface with slight orange peel.
:
:T.

2/14/2008 12:32:48 AMfrank
Also,Thomas-can you re-create the same exact results using a totally different atmospheric condition? Could you possibly melt a layer or two?
2/14/2008 4:25:32 AMWalt
I remember using a product called an 'amalgamator' to repair a piano finish that had dried to an alligator-skin texture. It softens the surface layer and reflows it to dry to a smooth finish. The results were 'fair', but I would try it again.
2/14/2008 10:36:49 AMLewis Linson
: I remember using a product called an 'amalgamator' to repair a piano finish that had dried to an alligator-skin texture. It softens the surface layer and reflows it to dry to a smooth finish. The results were 'fair', but I would try it again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My experiences with acetone have usually been a disaster. We used it in the radio shop at Delta to dissolve PWB coatings, and I usually wound up spilling it on something expensive. In my experiments, I found it was better just to buff the finish to a shine rather than try to cover it with clear, use acetone, or any other kind of shortcut.
Lewis
Lewis
2/14/2008 12:02:09 PMThomas Dermody
Yeah....acetone is risky.

T.

2/16/2008 8:02:15 AM
Is it possible that the exposed surface was unchanged, but the masking tape affected the surface it was in contact with?
2/16/2008 8:03:35 AMAlan Douglas
Oops, forgot to fill in the name box.
2/17/2008 12:17:08 AMThomas Dermody
Normally you can't reply if you don't fill in the name box. I'm surprised that you could. I can't read what you wrote, though, because when I click on the blank space, nothing happens.

T.

2/17/2008 8:22:03 AMmeade
you can get to the message by clicking prev and next message though. thats how i read messages with no names. go to one before it and click next message on the screen.

:Normally you can't reply if you don't fill in the name box. I'm surprised that you could. I can't read what you wrote, though, because when I click on the blank space, nothing happens.
:
:T.



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