Valve Radio Box Restoration

**GarciaJ** · 4th September 2019, 12:25 AM

After seeing some of my furniture projects, friend of a friend asked me whether I would take on the restoration of the wooden box for this old valve radio.

It's supposed to look like this:

69433598_446441109289717_2613972746236854272_n.jpg
But this is what it looks like now...

20190903_222756.jpg 20190903_222823.jpg

Dark stain appears to have been slopped on quite roughly over the original finish and then top coated with polyurethane.

The box itself is made from plywood (ie nothing exotic or worth much effort salvaging, and the rounded top/front and bottom front edges are achieved by bending a large sheet of veneer over the quad edged plywood panels. There are two smaller pieces of highly figured veneer (silky oak??) on either side of the speaker/tuner panel holes, but this is virtually hidden away by the application of a thick coat of stain and top coat (polyurethane??). I can see that at some stage, someone has sanded across the grain on a few locations.

Now stripping and sanding are not my favorite pastimes

and some of those decorative edgings look like they will be very fiddly to strip back to the orinal surface anyway. The client has said that he is willing to pay me to do the job

But I am sure that he does not understand how much work is involved and how tedious and dirty that work will be.

Does anyone have any suggestion for this job that will not involve hours and hours spent stripping with nasty chemicals and or sanding? Is it even worth the hassle? Sometimes restoration actually detracts from the value of the vintage good... But this finish is so bad that I don't think that's a consideration.

Some ideas that have occurred to me are:

1- Stripping and sanding and finishing with a darkish stain and clear satin top coat. (Does anyone have any tips on how to do this cleanly, fast and effectively?)

2- Removing and replacing the veneer. Perhaps painting the rounded trim on the side edges and the face black, using an enamel paint. The veneer may be hard to remove - perhaps I can glue new veneer straight over the top of the old one? (What do other s think? any pitfalls I should be aware of?)

3- Sanding the best I can and then painting with a black or dark blue spay on enamel. this will hopefully cover up all the old finish beneath.

Any suggestions welcome.

Regards

Jorge

q9 · 4th September 2019, 01:09 AM

If you take that on, without chemicals, you will need to hand sand. A machine will eat the veneer too quickly and by the time you realise what is happening, it will be far too late. To do the profiles, you'd probably want to make some custom shaped pads and stick the sand paper to them. I'd be inclined to wash it down with turps to de-gunk it as much as possible first. Don't use anything coarser than 240, and then only a bit. 320/400 mostly. It is more tedious but less chance of blowing through the veneer. Reveneering would probably require disassembling the trim bits on top and in front. My guess is the front bits are there to keep the veneer from peeling off around the openings. Can't tell enough from 2 photos to know how involved that would be, but I think it would carry higher risk of damage.

Is it worth the effort? Probably not. I have been looking at far too many old radios of late, and they need to be quite special to be worth some good money. Dunno if that is particularly in demand, but nice enough I'd do if for my own amusement if it were mine.

**Robson Valley** · 4th September 2019, 02:05 AM

Cabinet scrapers will be vastly superior to any sand papers.
And you can begin when the stripper is still wet.

Is it worth the grief of restoration? No.
Maybe if it was a big, free-standing floor model cabinet.
Looks to have short wave bands. I'd try to get the guts working first.

**auscab** · 5th September 2019, 10:49 PM

First thing Id be looking at is how loose is the veneer going round those corners. I can see raised parts . Sometimes they are slight and not lifted off and can be sanded flat . Or its just a small amount lifted get glue under and clamp them down with paper in between a curved block .

If its lifting off in a lot of places either quote accordingly or step away from it .

The fastest best way is to glue down veneers , strip off back to the raw wood after that, and then re polish .
Use the nasty stuff for stripping, it works . Just be careful with it . Your car is a lot more dangerous than a tin of stripper.

It would be a fast little job done right and come up looking nice .

Avoid re veneering . Sanding and spaying Balck and Blue sounds horrible .

Even staining dark doesn't sound good , Its Walnut and is already dark , Try and bring out its best natural colour .
French polish after that and it'll be a nice little gem once again .

**GarciaJ** · 7th September 2019, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by q9

Is it worth the effort? Probably not. I have been looking at far too many old radios of late, and they need to be quite special to be worth some good money. Dunno if that is particularly in demand, but nice enough I'd do if for my own amusement if it were mine.

We are on the same wavelength

)

It's not mine... and sanding etc is a job I love to hate... The timber is nothing special...

The would be client is... persistent.

**GarciaJ** · 7th September 2019, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

Looks to have short wave bands. I'd try to get the guts working first.

The fellow who is asking for the cabinet to be restored is the electronics hobbyist - I believe he got the "guts" working.

The crux is that it's not a job that I would enjoy doing - and no matter what they say, people don't really realize the time and effort involved when they say "I can pay you", so I tend to take jobs on only when there is some appeal in the task and I tend to do it either for nothing or for the cost of the materials.

**GarciaJ** · 7th September 2019, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by auscab

It would be a fast little job done right and come up looking nice .

Do you want me to put the client in touch with you AUSCAB? Seriously...

**auscab** · 7th September 2019, 08:26 PM

Yeah Ill have a chat and try and see from better pics . See what happens . Ill send a mobile number PM for texting.

Thanks

**GarciaJ** · 8th September 2019, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by auscab

Yeah Ill have a chat and try and see from better pics . See what happens . Ill send a mobile number PM for texting.

Thanks

I sent you a private message - I hope you got it... Unfortunately the client changed his mind... Thanks for reaching out!

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