[Jbaker]

I recently was given a 46-480 console by a friend. After a recap and re-alingment, the radio is working well on both AM and FM. The cabinet is in very good shape...except....it looks like someone refinished sometime ago. It has been stained very dark and I am farly certain the finish is polyurethane or some modern type. It is definitely not lacquer.

I would like to see if it is possible to strip the finish and lighten up the color, closer to the original. Any thoughts on how to proceed?

[Ron Ramirez]

Short of dynamite, not sure. Maybe one of our cabinet experts such as Steve Davis, Etech, Exray, or someone will chime in soon.

[codefox1]

Ron is right, as usual. Most chemical strippers will work, but it will certainly take two or more applications. If you can, opt for a slow drying type and work one surface at a time. The usual assortment of helpers for grooves and crevices will be needed. I try to use found items like warped chopsticks filed down to fit whatever I need to clean out. When you get down to the stained veneer you may be able to get some of the stain out with either more remover or paint thinner. There are of course bleaches which can be used, but that's above my pay grade, other than a little clorox with a artist's brush to minimize the ever present ring caused by a porous flower pot on the top (one advantage of cathedral types!)

As always, better outdoors, safety glasses, gloves, let all the crap dry out from the newspapers before stuffing in the trash.

[TimC]

Kleen Kutter stripper works well. Sold at Home Depot.
Get Stripper not Remover.
Heed Codefox words of warning..

[Jbaker]

Thanks guys. The radio does not look too bad but it is so obvious the finish is not of the proper period and it bugs me every time I walk past it. It sounds like I should wait until spring so I can strip it outside. Thanks for the advice.

[dnitram]

I attended a refinishing seminar last spring and the instructor indicated acetone worked very well on poly. I'd be careful to use this in a well ventilated area.

[Jbaker]

Thanks. I will try it this weekend and let you know how it goes.

[Jbaker]

I tried using acetone to remove the poly finish. It was a bit gummy and if I didn't pay close attention to the timing, the finish would re-solidify in clumps and stick to the surface. After a little experimenting, I think I got a process figured out. In a month or so I am going to start working on it seriuosly. I will let you know how it goes.

[Arran]

I've always used regular paint and varnish remover (the kind that burns when you get it on your hand) to get stuff like poly off. Acetone will work but I find it evaporates too quickly unless you focus on stripping a small area at a time, not to mention stinking up the house and the fire hazzard. Regardless of what you use polyurethane is nasty crap to get off, it has a habit of just softening but not lifting off so it involves lots of work with scrapers, putty knives, and steel wool, and you need to keep it wet the whole time or it hardens again. In my opinion it belongs on wood floors and boats not on furniture, but I question it's usefulness on those too.
Regards
Arran

[Jbaker]

This radio has a bunch of slats on the front. I removed one to use as a test piece. What a nightmare! The acetone just evaporated too fast and I ended up with a gooey mess. It worked OK on a flat surface but the contoured part what just too putsy to scrape it off before it dried. The more agressive stripper was better but I think it just might not be worth the effort. Someone locally has the same model on Craigslist for $25 that has a chassis that is smoked. The cabinet is not in as good shape as the one with the poly. That poly one is stained very dark and is just not very attractive. I surrender!

Thanks everyone! Jim

[codefox1]

OK, way back when I used to buy a can of lye at the supermarket, stir it into a couple of gallons of water in a galvanized tub, add a cup of cornstarch dissolved in hot mwater, and come up with a real nasty finish remover which would be active for several hours. Brush it on with a fibre brush, keep it moist, usual rubbing and scrubbing in corners and such, and blast out with the hose. Of course outdoors, and eye, gloves protection manditory. Repeat, probably. Vinegar rinse that evening, take a look next day. Repeat if necessary.

[Arran]

This radio has a bunch of slats on the front. I removed one to use as a test piece. What a nightmare! The acetone just evaporated too fast and I ended up with a gooey mess. It worked OK on a flat surface but the contoured part what just too putsy to scrape it off before it dried. The more agressive stripper was better but I think it just might not be worth the effort. Someone locally has the same model on Craigslist for $25 that has a chassis that is smoked. The cabinet is not in as good shape as the one with the poly. That poly one is stained very dark and is just not very attractive. I surrender!

Thanks everyone! Jim

Don't give up, I've stripped this crap off before, not fun but not impossible by any means. Don't use lye, lye works on paint on solid wood but I wouldn't risk it on anything veneered. See if you can find a brand of stripper that says it will remove polyurethane, one brand to try is called Klean-Strip KS-3 Premium Stripper, unless that's what you already have.
Regards
Arran

[Jbaker]

Thanks Arran. I will pick some up and and give it a try.

[jadaman]

I recently was given a 46-480 console by a friend. After a recap and re-alingment, the radio is working well on both AM and FM. The cabinet is in very good shape...except....it looks like someone refinished sometime ago. It has been stained very dark and I am farly certain the finish is polyurethane or some modern type. It is definitely not lacquer.

I would like to see if it is possible to strip the finish and lighten up the color, closer to the original. Any thoughts on how to proceed?

Go to Lowes and buy Jasco Stripper. It is water clean-up. One application, wait 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully scrape old finish off with plastic scraper. Apply another coat and scrape off stain. Wet a piece of #1 steel wool with water. Scrub in direction of grain in wood. Wipe with dry cloth. Wait one day to dry then sand with 150 Grit sand paper in grain direction. Apply stain, wait one day. Apply varnish. I have been refinishing furniture for 27 years. It is not that hard to do. Just take your time and watch what you are doing.

[Arran]

I recently was given a 46-480 console by a friend. After a recap and re-alingment, the radio is working well on both AM and FM. The cabinet is in very good shape...except....it looks like someone refinished sometime ago. It has been stained very dark and I am farly certain the finish is polyurethane or some modern type. It is definitely not lacquer.

I would like to see if it is possible to strip the finish and lighten up the color, closer to the original. Any thoughts on how to proceed?

Go to Lowes and buy Jasco Stripper. It is water clean-up. One application, wait 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully scrape old finish off with plastic scraper. Apply another coat and scrape off stain. Wet a piece of #1 steel wool with water. Scrub in direction of grain in wood. Wipe with dry cloth. Wait one day to dry then sand with 150 Grit sand paper in grain direction. Apply stain, wait one day. Apply varnish. I have been refinishing furniture for 27 years. It is not that hard to do. Just take your time and watch what you are doing.

I don't want to come off as nasty but using water around veneer is just asking for trouble. Combine steel wool with water and you have an opportunity for bits of steel wool to get imbedded in the grain and cause rust and iron stains, if you must scrub the wood down with something use a nylon scouring pad or a stiff brush. Yes I have used water to clean up stripper in the past but water has a nasty habit of lifting veneer and loostening glue joints, if you can avoid using water I would.
As for the stain and varnish, old radio cabinets never had any stain applied to them and the finishes were usually lacquer based. The cabinet was grain filled, then sealed with sanding sealer, a shaded laquer was then applied, then coated over with clear laquer, then buffed out after everything cured.
Regards
Arran