05-14-2021, 04:52 PM
Back to working this radio. I don't have it electrically working right yet but have started restoring the cabinet. Some folks here are really skilled at cabinet work but I'm still in the neophyte stage. I've been watching videos by Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration on youTube. He has a nice calm style of telling you what he's doing and why that I find entertaining and informative.
This cabinet was in pretty good shape except for one side that had bubbled veneer that someone had pushed some glue into to try and get it to lay down again. I felt I needed to get the veneer off in order to properly get it reglued and flat. I have not yet decided whether to reuse the veneer pieces that I took off or continue my learning and try putting down new veneer. Let's get it off first.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/t9omqrr0ai0xes....jpg?raw=1]
I felt it would be easier to get at the veneer if I took the bottom molding off. It too had some extra glue in addition to the hide glue that was probably originally used. It took some heat gun, a little moisture on the newer glue and some wedges to work the piece loose.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kc4u8hifmnf9gg....jpg?raw=1]
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l2cbosbj7253dj....jpg?raw=1]
With the end of the veneer exposed I heated the veneer with a heat gun and worked a utility knife under it to start to lift the veneer from the base wood. Slowly working the veneer loose with heat and a putty knife it finally came off. In the places where there was newer glue (probably yellow carpenter or elmer's glue) I added a little water with the heat and that softened it up. Note...you can get that veneer to start smoking if you are not careful about the heat gun. Ask me how I know.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g62fianp5yhxfl....jpg?raw=1]
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/t9j7ptwvev1k3p....jpg?raw=1]
The underlying plywood base was delaminated in a couple places so the next job was getting some glue into the layer and clamping. More later...
This cabinet was in pretty good shape except for one side that had bubbled veneer that someone had pushed some glue into to try and get it to lay down again. I felt I needed to get the veneer off in order to properly get it reglued and flat. I have not yet decided whether to reuse the veneer pieces that I took off or continue my learning and try putting down new veneer. Let's get it off first.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/t9omqrr0ai0xes....jpg?raw=1]
I felt it would be easier to get at the veneer if I took the bottom molding off. It too had some extra glue in addition to the hide glue that was probably originally used. It took some heat gun, a little moisture on the newer glue and some wedges to work the piece loose.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kc4u8hifmnf9gg....jpg?raw=1]
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/l2cbosbj7253dj....jpg?raw=1]
With the end of the veneer exposed I heated the veneer with a heat gun and worked a utility knife under it to start to lift the veneer from the base wood. Slowly working the veneer loose with heat and a putty knife it finally came off. In the places where there was newer glue (probably yellow carpenter or elmer's glue) I added a little water with the heat and that softened it up. Note...you can get that veneer to start smoking if you are not careful about the heat gun. Ask me how I know.
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g62fianp5yhxfl....jpg?raw=1]
[Image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/t9j7ptwvev1k3p....jpg?raw=1]
The underlying plywood base was delaminated in a couple places so the next job was getting some glue into the layer and clamping. More later...
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