01-21-2023, 05:01 PM
Hi gang,
I wanted to share this surprising clean-up job on a Philco 37-60B cabinet. This is one of those cabinets with a "photo finish" - as opposed to an actual wood veneer.
The wood grain effect was applied at the factory as a very thin ink-printed layer of paper onto a cheaper base wood — typically white poplar, I think. Then the whole cabinet would be sealed with a light varnish.
Here are a few photos of the cabinet before any attempt to clean it:
[attachment=27776]
[attachment=27783]
As you can imagine, I approached this job with some trepidation. But, I had read a lot on this Phorum (thanks everybody!) about "photo finish" cabinets and decided that if I made a horrible mistake, it might still work out ok.
Removing the bezel revealed the original colors and brightness of the "photo finish" underneath decades of dirt and grime.
[attachment=27777]
Then I went over the whole cabinet with warm water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Applied with cotton rags to minimize the chance of scratching the surface. Light pressure. Repeated three times.
[attachment=27780]
[attachment=27779]
[attachment=27781]
Cleaned up pretty well!
[attachment=27775]
[attachment=27782]
Even the Philco badge is a "photo finish"
[attachment=27778]
See all those holes?
Now, could it have been baseball cards or radio star pics that somebody tacked onto this radio back in the day? Hm...
I wanted to share this surprising clean-up job on a Philco 37-60B cabinet. This is one of those cabinets with a "photo finish" - as opposed to an actual wood veneer.
The wood grain effect was applied at the factory as a very thin ink-printed layer of paper onto a cheaper base wood — typically white poplar, I think. Then the whole cabinet would be sealed with a light varnish.
Here are a few photos of the cabinet before any attempt to clean it:
[attachment=27776]
[attachment=27783]
As you can imagine, I approached this job with some trepidation. But, I had read a lot on this Phorum (thanks everybody!) about "photo finish" cabinets and decided that if I made a horrible mistake, it might still work out ok.
Removing the bezel revealed the original colors and brightness of the "photo finish" underneath decades of dirt and grime.
[attachment=27777]
Then I went over the whole cabinet with warm water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Applied with cotton rags to minimize the chance of scratching the surface. Light pressure. Repeated three times.
[attachment=27780]
[attachment=27779]
[attachment=27781]
Cleaned up pretty well!
[attachment=27775]
[attachment=27782]
Even the Philco badge is a "photo finish"
[attachment=27778]
See all those holes?
Now, could it have been baseball cards or radio star pics that somebody tacked onto this radio back in the day? Hm...