I have enjoyed restoring radios for some time now. While I am proficient at servicing the electronics, I always find new problems to test my skills or more often test my ability to ask questions and learn. Cabinet repair has not been my strong suit. I can make passable repairs to most, but not the beautiful cabinet work many of you do. This year I have resolved to improve my cabinet restoration skills.

I have several early late 30's to early 40's radios with similar cabinet colors needing some work. They all have a reddish tint to the wood. I have noticed that where stickers or something has been peeled from the wood over the years part of the finish is lifted. The part that lifts seems to be a darker semi-opaque while what remains on the wood appears to be reddish. I've noticed this on period furniture as well, including a Rock-Ola portable bar I have.

How did they achieve the finish? Was it a colored base stain with tinted lacquer applied?

More importantly, what can be done to the 'patches' left behind by what appear to have been obviously stickers applied in the past?

And lastly, if one does get one with a sticker (like auction houses love to use) what is the best way to get a sticker's glue to release with minimal finish damage?

Thanks!

Richard

:I have enjoyed restoring radios for some time now. While I am proficient at servicing the electronics, I always find new problems to test my skills or more often test my ability to ask questions and learn. Cabinet repair has not been my strong suit. I can make passable repairs to most, but not the beautiful cabinet work many of you do. This year I have resolved to improve my cabinet restoration skills.
:
:I have several early late 30's to early 40's radios with similar cabinet colors needing some work. They all have a reddish tint to the wood. I have noticed that where stickers or something has been peeled from the wood over the years part of the finish is lifted. The part that lifts seems to be a darker semi-opaque while what remains on the wood appears to be reddish. I've noticed this on period furniture as well, including a Rock-Ola portable bar I have.
:
:How did they achieve the finish? Was it a colored base stain with tinted lacquer applied?
:
:More importantly, what can be done to the 'patches' left behind by what appear to have been obviously stickers applied in the past?
:
:And lastly, if one does get one with a sticker (like auction houses love to use) what is the best way to get a sticker's glue to release with minimal finish damage?
:
:Thanks!
:
:Richard

Richard:
I just got through repairing (and installing correctly) the humidifier for my home furnace. The installers were too lazy to cut a proper hole in the ductwork, so they taped the gaps shut and it looked (and worked) like h***. My wife had something called "Goof-off", I think it was, and that cut right through one of the residues left from the tape, and WD-40 took care of the rest. WD-40 might not be too good for wood, but that Goof-off stuff might do the trick.
Lewis

::I have enjoyed restoring radios for some time now. While I am proficient at servicing the electronics, I always find new problems to test my skills or more often test my ability to ask questions and learn. Cabinet repair has not been my strong suit. I can make passable repairs to most, but not the beautiful cabinet work many of you do. This year I have resolved to improve my cabinet restoration skills.
::
::I have several early late 30's to early 40's radios with similar cabinet colors needing some work. They all have a reddish tint to the wood. I have noticed that where stickers or something has been peeled from the wood over the years part of the finish is lifted. The part that lifts seems to be a darker semi-opaque while what remains on the wood appears to be reddish. I've noticed this on period furniture as well, including a Rock-Ola portable bar I have.
::
::How did they achieve the finish? Was it a colored base stain with tinted lacquer applied?
::
::More importantly, what can be done to the 'patches' left behind by what appear to have been obviously stickers applied in the past?
::
::And lastly, if one does get one with a sticker (like auction houses love to use) what is the best way to get a sticker's glue to release with minimal finish damage?
::
::Thanks!
::
::Richard
:
:
:Richard:
:I just got through repairing (and installing correctly) the humidifier for my home furnace. The installers were too lazy to cut a proper hole in the ductwork, so they taped the gaps shut and it looked (and worked) like h***. My wife had something called "Goof-off", I think it was, and that cut right through one of the residues left from the tape, and WD-40 took care of the rest. WD-40 might not be too good for wood, but that Goof-off stuff might do the trick.
:Lewis
:
:
Goof Off will remove dried latex paint from clothing very well. But I would stick (pun intended) with WD as far as sticker removal. They now have it in a small pen with a tip that helps remove the residue. Lighter fluid also works very well...used it on alot of pieces...don't smoke...
As far as your color matching..wow..I still have been fighting that one. I have one that has a brick red base..then a transparent black overcoat...still can't get it right..good luck there.

The reddish base is probably sealer/grain filler, which would have been followed by several sprayed coats of tinted lacquer. Mohawk sells toner in spray cans: the one you want is "Tone Finish Toner, Extra Dark Walnut, M101-0209". That matches most 1930s radios, anywhere lighter trim pieces were used, or the sides of Philco cathedrals.

Mohawk also sells transparent toners. The most useful is "Ultra Classic Toner, Perfect Brown, M100-0249".

I probably should have made it clearer that the M101 series is pigmented lacquer, while the M100 series is dyed. The M101 will eventually hide the wood grain.

There is a product called " Goo Gone " it is said to be safe for wood. I have used mineral oil or maybe baby oil that does work fine.

:I have enjoyed restoring radios for some time now. While I am proficient at servicing the electronics, I always find new problems to test my skills or more often test my ability to ask questions and learn. Cabinet repair has not been my strong suit. I can make passable repairs to most, but not the beautiful cabinet work many of you do. This year I have resolved to improve my cabinet restoration skills.
:
:I have several early late 30's to early 40's radios with similar cabinet colors needing some work. They all have a reddish tint to the wood. I have noticed that where stickers or something has been peeled from the wood over the years part of the finish is lifted. The part that lifts seems to be a darker semi-opaque while what remains on the wood appears to be reddish. I've noticed this on period furniture as well, including a Rock-Ola portable bar I have.
:
:How did they achieve the finish? Was it a colored base stain with tinted lacquer applied?
:
:More importantly, what can be done to the 'patches' left behind by what appear to have been obviously stickers applied in the past?
:
:And lastly, if one does get one with a sticker (like auction houses love to use) what is the best way to get a sticker's glue to release with minimal finish damage?
:
:Thanks!
:
:Richard
:

::I have enjoyed restoring radios for some time now. While I am proficient at servicing the electronics, I always find new problems to test my skills or more often test my ability to ask questions and learn. Cabinet repair has not been my strong suit. I can make passable repairs to most, but not the beautiful cabinet work many of you do. This year I have resolved to improve my cabinet restoration skills.
::
::I have several early late 30's to early 40's radios with similar cabinet colors needing some work. They all have a reddish tint to the wood. I have noticed that where stickers or something has been peeled from the wood over the years part of the finish is lifted. The part that lifts seems to be a darker semi-opaque while what remains on the wood appears to be reddish. I've noticed this on period furniture as well, including a Rock-Ola portable bar I have.
::
::How did they achieve the finish? Was it a colored base stain with tinted lacquer applied?
::
::More importantly, what can be done to the 'patches' left behind by what appear to have been obviously stickers applied in the past?
::
::And lastly, if one does get one with a sticker (like auction houses love to use) what is the best way to get a sticker's glue to release with minimal finish damage?
::
::Thanks!
::
::Richard
::
:They put the color in the lacquer finish and sprayed in on. As a furniture builder and refinisher the only way I have found to bring it back to new is to strip it down to bare wood ,dye the wood and spry on nitrocellulose lacquer.I use card scraper's (they are small flat metel plates apr.2"x5" with a bur on the edge)to take off the old finsh.this will take off the lacquer but very little wood.If you have dints and scratches be very carfull as some of the veniers are very thin.Hope this helps. Cheers Gord
:

Hi, I have had real good luck stripping wooden radios with Lacquer Thinner, and almost always us Natural colored stain. Then use Mohawk heavy sanding sealer to smooth out the wood, then start applying lacquer. I use toned extra dark and medium dark Mohawk lacquer in very light coat just to give it some character then this is very inportant. Use CLEAR not tonner lacquer to build up your finish. If you use tonned lacquer it has a tendency to darken the finish. Just my method hope it helps. George T

:Hi, I have had real good luck stripping wooden radios with Lacquer Thinner, and almost always us Natural colored stain. Then use Mohawk heavy sanding sealer to smooth out the wood, then start applying lacquer. I use toned extra dark and medium dark Mohawk lacquer in very light coat just to give it some character then this is very inportant. Use CLEAR not tonner lacquer to build up your finish. If you use tonned lacquer it has a tendency to darken the finish. Just my method hope it helps. George T
The extra dark and medium dark are in walnut I also like to do a light coat of Pine tonner after the dark stuff.
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