So.... it's time now to do a little catch-up with the cabinet work details.
I may have indicated in my previous post that I'd be stripping and then top-coating in lacquer.
Good choice.. easy touch-up.
I used a 50/50 mix of Lacquer thinner and Acetone to strip with.
I applied it by flooding it on and rubbing it with a soaked steel wool pad rinsing frequently.
The old finish just melts and rinses away!
As you can see the top needed to be re-veneered. It was my very first attempt at this.
I used paper-backed walnut.
I used regular yellow carpenter's wood glue on both surfaces and when dry I positioned the veneer as needed and ironed it on ...which re-activated the glue and secured it in place.
After stripping I put on penetrating stain.. special-walnut and red-oak.
I also used Watco Teak oil afterward.... and let that dry fully. This is a good product for any hardwood and has an effect of sealing and helping to close open grain a bit. So I didn't use any grain filler here.
I applied four or five coats of lacquer in variuos stages.
I've been diddling here and there with this cabinet now the past day or so...mostly just re-spraying lacquer in little problem corners and grooves where I overlooked little stuff.
... and fixing a few spots where I must have sprayed way too heavy.. ( I usually go with several heavy coats instead of lots of thin coats) but it collected in some low areas and it got a little coagulated looking.. and more lacquer over those spots to attempt to re-flow it..just made it worse.
.... so scraping it off down flat and respraying that area fixed it and it finally looks nice in those little spots.
When I ran out of $7.99 Deft lacquer I remembered I had a partial can of $4.59 Rustolem lacquer and that I used in a few parts.
... and it too was amazingly beautiful and mixed well with Deft.
Then some Mohawk.. very nice too ...but I don't like their spray nozzle.
The nice surprise was I found some Dutchboy lacquer I got on sale at Kmart for $2.50 a can.... and wow when that stuff dries it is super beautiful!!
I don't even have to rub it out.
Nope it's so nice that it looks like wet ice.
So even though I was a tad hesitant to go mixing products.. I didn't want to go run to the store and get more Deft.. so "what the heck" .. what can I loose I thought.. I can always take it off if no good.
But it was fine!
On the lower trim on one side it was lighter wood so I also tried some Mohawk dark toner lacquer. I took a friend's advice/tip and just 'spritzed' it on to get a nice look and covered and diluted it a bit with Mohawk clear.
So this is like Joseph's coat of may colors.. but the cabinet of many coats!
Anyway boys and girls.... here is the fruit of my handiwork.
You'll notice a "witness mark" on the upper right side.... I didn't even make an attempt to remove this. Part of history!
I'll be reassembling soon and then shooting some completed shots.
:Here's The cabinet restoration for my Silvertone 1962 that I recently showed the entire chassis restoration for.
:So.... it's time now to do a little catch-up with the cabinet work details.
:
:I may have indicated in my previous post that I'd be stripping and then top-coating in lacquer.
:
:Good choice.. easy touch-up.
:
:I used a 50/50 mix of Lacquer thinner and Acetone to strip with.
:
:I applied it by flooding it on and rubbing it with a soaked steel wool pad rinsing frequently.
:
:The old finish just melts and rinses away!
:As you can see the top needed to be re-veneered. It was my very first attempt at this.
:
:I used paper-backed walnut.
:I used regular yellow carpenter's wood glue on both surfaces and when dry I positioned the veneer as needed and ironed it on ...which re-activated the glue and secured it in place.
:
:After stripping I put on penetrating stain.. special-walnut and red-oak.
:I also used Watco Teak oil afterward.... and let that dry fully. This is a good product for any hardwood and has an effect of sealing and helping to close open grain a bit. So I didn't use any grain filler here.
:
:I applied four or five coats of lacquer in variuos stages.
:
:I've been diddling here and there with this cabinet now the past day or so...mostly just re-spraying lacquer in little problem corners and grooves where I overlooked little stuff.
:... and fixing a few spots where I must have sprayed way too heavy.. ( I usually go with several heavy coats instead of lots of thin coats) but it collected in some low areas and it got a little coagulated looking.. and more lacquer over those spots to attempt to re-flow it..just made it worse.
: .... so scraping it off down flat and respraying that area fixed it and it finally looks nice in those little spots.
:
:When I ran out of $7.99 Deft lacquer I remembered I had a partial can of $4.59 Rustolem lacquer and that I used in a few parts.
:... and it too was amazingly beautiful and mixed well with Deft.
:Then some Mohawk.. very nice too ...but I don't like their spray nozzle.
:
:The nice surprise was I found some Dutchboy lacquer I got on sale at Kmart for $2.50 a can.... and wow when that stuff dries it is super beautiful!!
:I don't even have to rub it out.
:Nope it's so nice that it looks like wet ice.
:
:So even though I was a tad hesitant to go mixing products.. I didn't want to go run to the store and get more Deft.. so "what the heck" .. what can I loose I thought.. I can always take it off if no good.
:But it was fine!
:
:On the lower trim on one side it was lighter wood so I also tried some Mohawk dark toner lacquer. I took a friend's advice/tip and just 'spritzed' it on to get a nice look and covered and diluted it a bit with Mohawk clear.
:
:So this is like Joseph's coat of may colors.. but the cabinet of many coats!
:
:Anyway boys and girls.... here is the fruit of my handiwork.
:
:You'll notice a "witness mark" on the upper right side.... I didn't even make an attempt to remove this. Part of history!
:
:I'll be reassembling soon and then shooting some completed shots.
Here is a link over to ARF where I have all the steps in detail of how this cabinet was done.
http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=116645
Good luck.. it's not that hard.
:
I worked very hard to bring this old beauty back to life.
And...if anyone here can learn from the things I've done then glad to help. But that's what this forum is all about. Isn't it?
... Sharing ideas and examples.
That's how I learned... right here.