Thank you for the information! So Howard's is basically the same thing as Topps Scratch Cover but just with added hype?!nostalgia wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 2:31 am Jerry, I have had the same feeling about this oak model 156, I need strip it, and then use a wood dye to add the correct color. The problem I had earlier with HMV cabinets are that light sand papering does not help much, I need get rather deep to remove the coating, if not the new layer of dye will not attach and it all looks horrible. On my cabinets, where I have stripped motor boards, and sometimes the lid, I have used Liberon Dark Oak Spirit Wood Dye. I watched the late Graham Barber using this product in his videos after stripping the lid of a cabinet. He was using a shaving blade to strip the lid, but myself I have now turned to carefully using a grinder, to avoid destroying my hands and fingers on the tedious work. Last summer I also stripped a complete light oak Odeon cabinet the same way, and it worked well. One has to be careful though, as Steve also reminds, to not get through to the veneer.
If someone has a good tip for the upper cover (Shellac/varnish/lacquer) that makes it shine a bit, after using Liberon Spirit Wood Dye, I will be happy to receive it, and it must be a product available in continental Europe. I had a extremely hard time getting Howard's Products into Scandinavia, it was constantly stopped in the customs worldwide because it is flammable, but at one stage I was able to get 4 bottles into Scandinavia ( Dark oak, and two shades of Mahogany, and Golden Oak), and they have saved my restoration work for sure.
Steve, I am here pasting the information taken from the UK supplier of Howard's Products: Restor-A-Finish® is a unique finish penetrating formula that contains a small amount of stain combined with just the right amount of solvent and restoring oils, giving it the ability to permanently restore the existing finish without removing, softening, or stripping it. Restor-A-Finish penetrates faded lacquer, shellac and varnish to bring back the original colour and lustre. It restores the depth of grain, going much deeper than temporary “scratch cover” products. Restor-A-Finish® penetrates and permanently restores most wood finishes without removing any of the existing finish. Restor-A-Finish® works best when applied with a small pad of cloth or for severe white rings or oxidation a super fine (#0000) Steel Wool also available from our website. For carved surfaces, you may use a small paintbrush or soft toothbrush. Never pour Restor-A-Finish® directly onto the finish.
There are 9 colours to choose from if you are not sure of the colour you need please get in touch and we will send you our brochure which has a colour chart so that you can best match the finish you want to restore.
Follow up with Howard Feed-N-Wax or Citrus-Shield paste Wax to help maintain the newly restored finish. Photos of the product are on the suppliers website: https://www.justpuddingbasins.co.uk/
Update: I am adding a photo of my HMV 145. On the photo it has just received Liberon Wood Dye Dark Oak, on the top lid. This was my first machine, bought back in 1990, but the lid always looked terrible before I decided to strip it last summer, while the rest of the cabinet looked very good. (there is a big lamp in the ceiling with yellow light that makes the lid look a bit yellowish, while it is really impossible to see a color difference from the rest of the cabinet) As we can see the color matches well the rest of the cabinet. However, a top layer has also not been added to the machine, again because I am not sure what product would be best to use. I know it it possible to get shellac in a solution that is said to be easy to add on, since I have no experience adding shellac the original way.
Update 2: I finally found and ordered a product this morning that I will try to use for a top layer, after using the Liberon spirit wood dye on stripped cabinets. I am posting a photo of the bottle, and will also post photos after using it on my cabinets.It will be very interesting to see how it works.
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