View Single Post
Old 18th Jan 2023, 5:50 pm   #4
McMurdo
Dekatron
 
McMurdo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,263
Default Re: Good finish/dye for decorative cabinet sections Pilot T63

IMHO the only way to be sure about compatibility is to do a test piece first, exactly the same way as the intended article. Absolutely nothing worse than proudly leaving a lovely finish to dry over night and then find the next day it looks like hammerite or a crackle finish because something's reacted.

AFAIK by the 30's the cabinets would've all been sprayed via a compressed air gun on the production line with coloured lacquer, on a turntable. I've never had good results from brushing coloured varnish onto cabinets because it either leaves brush marks or patches of light/dark if you're not a skilled coach painter (I aren't!).

The last 30's wooden radio I refinished I scraped off the old varnish with stripper (it came off as a dark brown gloop) and then stained the bare wood with Rustins oil-based stain, followed by coats of satin clear aerosol lacquer, the first few being gently rubbed down to help fill the grain. (It really needed a few more filler coats in hindsight, but you live and learn).

These supermarket lacquers are great value for money BTW, a nice big can.
I have 2 types, a solvent-smelling one (Baufix from Aldi) and another that smells more oily, branded Parkside (Lidl).
__________________
Kevin

Last edited by McMurdo; 18th Jan 2023 at 5:52 pm. Reason: edit: might have got both lacquers from lidl, I forget!
McMurdo is offline