The finish on the cabinet of the 37-650 I am restoring has degraded in several areas. My preference is to strip the original finish off, do some light sanding and refinish as close to the original as possible.
I am looking for suggestions on the best way to remove the original finish. Attached are a couple of pictures with the chassis and accessories removed.
I use a 50/50 mix of lacquer thinner and acetone. It really works well, just need to do it in a well ventilated area with no pilot lights or flame. I use a respirator when I do it. If you are refinishing using lacquer products you don't have to worry about hidden stripper causing issues during that process.
1929 Victor R-32, 1933 60L, Phil 40-158, Phil 42-400X, Phil 47-1230 Radio/Phono,, 1950 Phil TV t-1104, Air King 4000, Philco 41-105, Philco 37-675, RCA Victor 9K2, PT-50, Phil 54C, PT-44 Cabinet, Phil 118X Cabinet
Getting the wood clean and free of the old finish is really important. The method that Gregg uses is what I use and is really the best way to go. The only time I’ll use a stripper product is when I have to remove polyurethane. Yuk
I purchased a few small nylon brushes that work great for getting finish out of seams and tight spaces. Dip it in the Lacquer thinner mixture and brush with the grain. Rinse and repeat till clean.
I always wipe the cabinet down with a clean rag and fresh thinner. I’ll let it dry and recheck to make sure there is no finish left.
Good luck.
Tony
“People may not remember how fast you did a job, but they will remember how well you did it”
New to the Phorum here. I have a 37-610 very similar to the 37-650 pictured in this thread and am considering refinishing it. The cabinet isn't horrible but is dinged up and scratched up enough that I'm thinking about a refinish.
My question is, how do you deal with the PHILCO decal? Will the lacquer thinner/acetone solution mentioned here damage that decal? Maybe a silly question but since I'm a novice at this, I don't want to do something that can't be undone.
Thanks much,
Randy
(This post was last modified: 01-21-2019, 09:26 AM by Randy Ulrich.)
The decal will be removed when you strip the cabinet. The good news is the reproduction decals are available from Radio Daze. They have a variety of Philco decals so measure yours and then check them out. I suspect your 1937 model will use the DCL-PH8 version.
Thank you for the suggestions Gregg. It is greatly appreciated. I will post back if I have any additional questions. Unfortunately I have to wait a little while to do this outside since it is only 10 degrees....in my garage!
Thanks for the additional suggestions and advice on removing the original finish. I'm anxious to get started but need to wait for slightly warmer weather since I need to do this in an open area.
(01-21-2019, 08:59 AM)Ron Ramirez Wrote: DO NOT USE DCL-PH7 or DCL-PH9. The fonts are these are grossly incorrect. Why they keep selling these, I do not know...
DCL-PH8 looks incorrect on their website but what you receive will be the correct 1932-1936 (and early 1937) font.
The medium size PHILCO decal in DCL-PH1 would be a good choice for later production 1937 and 1938 model Philcos.
wow..
see its the little things like these kinds of facts that qualify as a "right click, save as"
there is no way anyone would know this unless they ask the only person on the planet who does.... the level of knowledge and detail here is impeccable.
Okay. It has been a while since my last post. However, I am almost done striping and sanding my 37-650 console. My question now is recommendations on how to finish it:
1) Stain color
2) Brands (if it matters)
3) Does it make sense to stain then clear coat, or purchase the products that combine the two into one?
4) What are the pros and cons of either option above?
I would advise taking some time to read through some of the refinishing threads to get a feel for what folks do and how they do it. There are a number of discussions with varying opinions. Good finishes take practice and skill. In general the finish is accomplished with sanding sealer, grain filler, toning lacquers and clear lacquer. At times there may be a place for stain but mostly its toning lacquer to provide the colors. If you have an HVLP spray gun you can mix your own to exactly what you want. If not you have to rely on spray rattle cans. Mohawk is a reliable brand. They have a dye based product (Ultra Classic) and a pigment based product (Tone Finish). Dye is a more transparent and lets some of the grain show through, pigment can be more opaque (although it all depends on how much you put on...it takes some practice). After stripping the finish I may sand lightly if needed, being careful not to go through the thin veneer. Then a couple coats of sanding sealer. (I use Deft spray products for the clear and sealer that can be found in most hardware stores). Very Light sanding with 220 or higher grit followed by grain filler if needed. Walnut veneers have grain that needs filling but some of the other woods used in cabinets may not. I use Timbermate (walnut) although there are other brands. Filler on, scrape it off then when dry sand carefully to get the surface smooth. Grain filling may take several attempts, I have yet to really master it. Next is spraying on toner to get the colors you want. The tendency is to spay on too much toner. Once the colors are as you like then coats of clear gloss lacquer. I usually do three coats of clear separated by 10 to 15 minutes to let each coat dry, then wait a day and sand lightly and follow with another 3 coasts as before. Depending on how the surface is I may wet sand with 600 grit at this point and then do 3 more clear coats. If it looks good I'll let it all sit for a couple weeks and then rub out with 4F pumice and then rottenstone. I'll often then polish with a carnuba wax. Other folks will have other ways of getting the job done so take your time and decide how you'll approach it. The good thing about lacquers are that you can easily strip it if you do something that looks bad and start over.
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