Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

murphy512 · 28th Jun 2022, 10:55 pm

Hello,
I am repairing this radio for a friend. German 220v radio used for years in the UK, suffered valves damage and cabinet lacquer cracks mainly on top.
The radio is now working and operating at the correct voltage.
I do no want to strip the cabinet, just want to make it look better.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Aldo

Techman · 29th Jun 2022, 6:17 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by murphy512

I do no want to strip the cabinet,

I think you'll have to.

You could use some of that scratch cover stuff of the right tint on those chipped areas and give it a bit of a polish, which would make it look a bit better, but that's about it other than a complete strip down.

murphy512 · 29th Jun 2022, 9:21 pm

I would strip it down if it was mine, but she does not want to spend too much on it.
I had to replace 3 valves and that has pushed the price up already.
The loudspeaker was also faulty, but luckily it seems to be working ok again after spraying it with a lot of Servisol.

Tractionist · 29th Jun 2022, 10:08 pm

Mmmm .....

The veneers look O.K. - but they don't appear to have been stained prior to 'polishing' .... rather, coloured lacquer/varnish has been used ..... and it's the latter that's starting to fail. Per Techman & Murphy512 - ideally you should strip it.

I can however appreciate your reticence!!

Maarten · 1st Jul 2022, 1:42 am

It's probably a synthetic lacquer, but you could try and see if alcohol will work as a solvent so you can polish it out a bit.

David G4EBT · 1st Jul 2022, 7:22 am

I honestly don't think there's anything you can do other than to strip and re-finish it, or leave it well alone.

Anything else will almost certainly make it look worse rather than better.

It's a truism that 'you can't put lipstick on a pig'.

Panrock · 1st Jul 2022, 5:06 pm

If this has a 'continental' set style urethane finish that has crazed and cracked, it might be very difficult to get this off in any case...

Steve

fetteler · 1st Jul 2022, 11:28 pm

Its definitely worth trying cellulose thinners on a corner to see if it softens the finish. If it does then you are in with a chance, lightly spray the cabinet with thinners until the varnish softens and flows so that the cracks and heat damaged areas 'heal up'. keep going with several light sprays until you get the required softness and flow. Don't be tempted to drench it all in one go otherwise it will run all over the place. This technique is used by vintage guitar restorers to remove cracks in nitrocellulose finishes with a degree of success.

Given that the alternative is to completely strip and refinish the cabinet you have nothing to loose by trying and everything to gain.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

Steve.

Techman · 2nd Jul 2022, 2:51 am

It's as I said, if you're not going to strip it down and completely re-finish it, then a bodge job with scratch cover and a good polish will make it look a bit better than it is at the moment.

I had an old Murphy about seven years ago that had spent fifty years in a barn and was dog rough and didn't really warrant a full restoration - I only gave a couple of quid for it. After a quick overhaul of the electronics and a clean up, I fettled the badly chipped cabinet with a bit of sanding, scratch cover and a polish and it did sterling service for several years in the kitchen (that model doesn't half belt it out) until the stations that I wanted to listen to stopped transmitting on AM (also the volume control track started to need some serious attention that wasn't going to be easily sorted with switch cleaner), so I took it out of service...maybe it'll get a full restoration one day if I have the time.

You could do the same thing with the one you've got there to make it look a bit better...it's a total bodge I admit, and I could have done it better with a full make over, but it just wasn't worth the effort for me with that set at that particular time.

murphy512 · 5th Jul 2022, 10:57 pm

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.
I have now completed the electronic works and the radio is now a good performer with a great sound on FM.
I am still in two minds whether to do a full strip.
The radio belonged to the father of a lady, friend of a friend of mine and she inherited it after her father passed away.
After she heard that I restore valve radio, she asked me if I could restore hers, but did not want to spend too much on it. Unfortunately I had to replace 3 valves as the radio had not been converted to work on 245v and that added a lot to the cost.
I will ask the lady if she is prepared to spend a little more money on the radio as I will have to buy the lacquer or varnish. I am not charging anything for my work despite having spent many hours on it, and it will be more hours for the stripping and re varnishing. I will try some of the suggestions from the forum first.
I not happy about giving the radio back to her not looking good, hopefully she will agree to spend a little more on it.

28th Jun 2022, 10:55 pm	#1
murphy512 Pentode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: London, UK. Posts: 122	Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 Hello, I am repairing this radio for a friend. German 220v radio used for years in the UK, suffered valves damage and cabinet lacquer cracks mainly on top. The radio is now working and operating at the correct voltage. I do no want to strip the cabinet, just want to make it look better. Any suggestions? Thanks Aldo Attached Thumbnails

29th Jun 2022, 9:21 pm	#3
murphy512 Pentode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: London, UK. Posts: 122	Re: Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 I would strip it down if it was mine, but she does not want to spend too much on it. I had to replace 3 valves and that has pushed the price up already. The loudspeaker was also faulty, but luckily it seems to be working ok again after spraying it with a lot of Servisol.

29th Jun 2022, 10:08 pm	#4
Tractionist Heptode Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 874	Re: Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 Mmmm ..... The veneers look O.K. - but they don't appear to have been stained prior to 'polishing' .... rather, coloured lacquer/varnish has been used ..... and it's the latter that's starting to fail. Per Techman & Murphy512 - ideally you should strip it. I can however appreciate your reticence!! __________________ Red to red, black to black. Throw the switch and stand well back!

1st Jul 2022, 1:42 am	#5
Maarten Dekatron Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Haarlem, Netherlands Posts: 4,199	Re: Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 It's probably a synthetic lacquer, but you could try and see if alcohol will work as a solvent so you can polish it out a bit.

1st Jul 2022, 7:22 am	#6
David G4EBT Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Cottingham, East Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 5,760	Re: Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 I honestly don't think there's anything you can do other than to strip and re-finish it, or leave it well alone. Anything else will almost certainly make it look worse rather than better. It's a truism that 'you can't put lipstick on a pig'. __________________ David. BVWS Member. G-QRP Club member 1339.

1st Jul 2022, 5:06 pm	#7
Panrock Nonode Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 2,532	Re: Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 If this has a 'continental' set style urethane finish that has crazed and cracked, it might be very difficult to get this off in any case... Steve __________________ https://www.radiocraft.co.uk

1st Jul 2022, 11:28 pm	#8
fetteler Octode Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 1,474	Re: Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 Its definitely worth trying cellulose thinners on a corner to see if it softens the finish. If it does then you are in with a chance, lightly spray the cabinet with thinners until the varnish softens and flows so that the cracks and heat damaged areas 'heal up'. keep going with several light sprays until you get the required softness and flow. Don't be tempted to drench it all in one go otherwise it will run all over the place. This technique is used by vintage guitar restorers to remove cracks in nitrocellulose finishes with a degree of success. Given that the alternative is to completely strip and refinish the cabinet you have nothing to loose by trying and everything to gain. Good luck and please keep us posted. Steve. __________________ Those who lack imagination cannot imagine what is lacking...

2nd Jul 2022, 2:51 am	#9
Techman Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lincolnshire, UK. Posts: 5,000	Re: Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 It's as I said, if you're not going to strip it down and completely re-finish it, then a bodge job with scratch cover and a good polish will make it look a bit better than it is at the moment. I had an old Murphy about seven years ago that had spent fifty years in a barn and was dog rough and didn't really warrant a full restoration - I only gave a couple of quid for it. After a quick overhaul of the electronics and a clean up, I fettled the badly chipped cabinet with a bit of sanding, scratch cover and a polish and it did sterling service for several years in the kitchen (that model doesn't half belt it out) until the stations that I wanted to listen to stopped transmitting on AM (also the volume control track started to need some serious attention that wasn't going to be easily sorted with switch cleaner), so I took it out of service...maybe it'll get a full restoration one day if I have the time. You could do the same thing with the one you've got there to make it look a bit better...it's a total bodge I admit, and I could have done it better with a full make over, but it just wasn't worth the effort for me with that set at that particular time. Attached Thumbnails

5th Jul 2022, 10:57 pm	#10
murphy512 Pentode Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: London, UK. Posts: 122	Re: Heat damaged lacquer on Graets Komtess 611 Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I have now completed the electronic works and the radio is now a good performer with a great sound on FM. I am still in two minds whether to do a full strip. The radio belonged to the father of a lady, friend of a friend of mine and she inherited it after her father passed away. After she heard that I restore valve radio, she asked me if I could restore hers, but did not want to spend too much on it. Unfortunately I had to replace 3 valves as the radio had not been converted to work on 245v and that added a lot to the cost. I will ask the lady if she is prepared to spend a little more money on the radio as I will have to buy the lacquer or varnish. I am not charging anything for my work despite having spent many hours on it, and it will be more hours for the stripping and re varnishing. I will try some of the suggestions from the forum first. I not happy about giving the radio back to her not looking good, hopefully she will agree to spend a little more on it.