The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I think quite a few first time refinishers use sandpaper to remove the unwantedl finish. These photos show why I believe that's not a good idea. If you use sandpaper, you'll sand farther down on areas that are easy to sand such as the rounded edges of molding. Areas that are difficult to reach with sandpaper get little or no sanding. The result is a blotchy colored sanded cabinet. On this cabinet, I removed the old finish with paint remover. You could also use denatured alcohol. The stripped cabinet has the old finish removed but retains much of the original color and the color is uniform. The last photo shows the pieces with a coat of Watco medium walnut stain and it's ready for a finish coat. I would estimate that I have about 1.5 hours invested from a fully assembled Edison Standard to a stained cabinet. Jerry Blais

Thanks Jerry. This may be a stupid question, but if you already have a cabinet with uniform color, why put a coat of stain on it? I understand when you use grain filler that you would have to use stain, but then you would also have sanded before. Not criticizing in any way, just trying to learn from the experienced.

Thanks
Andreas

I like a touch of stain to replace what was lost by the stripping process and also by years of UV light. It makes the cabinet look alive to me. I suppose it's just personal preference. How would others proceed with a stripped cabinet? Jerry

I never use sandpaper ether. I use Suddsy Ammonia to clean the cabinet. This usually is all that's needed. If I have to strip the cabinet, I use a product called Kutzit. It is some mean stuff. Works great if you are stripping a cabinet model. Paint it on, wait a few minutes, then use a putty knife and wipe it off. A lot of times on a small cabinet like a Edison Standard I clean it, then wipe it with Old English scratch hider. Spray a coat of clear and it is done.

I find that when refinishing furniture, a sanded piece of wood will accept stain more evenly and easily.
Is this the case when a cabinet has it's finished removed by chemical and alcohol alone? A medium walnut seems
like it would be too dark of a stain if the piece was completely sanded, is it penetrating properly?

Also, does the grain need to be re-filled after this process?

Here's a mahogany music cabinet that I refinished for DeeDee. It was stripped, stained with Constantine Red Mahogany stain and finished with varnish. I don't doubt that sanded wood accepts stain better. The problem arrises when you can't sand all surfaces uniformly. This music cabinet took the red stain just fine on a stripped but not sanded cabinet. There is enough varnish to fill the grain and give a piano finish. The photo was taken with a flash which makes it look even more red. Jerry

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for those helpful and informative
refinishing tips! One question I have about
the Edison Standard case is: How bad was it?

It would be interesting to see a "before" picture
so that I can get some idea how messed up an
original finish needs to be, in order to get stripped and redone, vs trying to save what's there.

Chuck

I should have taken a "before" photo but didn't. There were places where the original finish was missing and the decal was only partially there. I prefer an original finish over a refinished one and I only refinish when, in my opinion, the finish is a distraction. Even at that it's a personal decision. A year ago I purchased a Victor Junior project machine. The cabinet had been sanded and was blotchy. There were small nails through the top but the decal was not too bad. I posted photos on the Forum to solicit opinions. One member's opinion was to leave it alone and everything previously done was now part of its history. I valued and appreciated all the posts but decided to give the little machine a little more history which included a new finish. My only dilemma was whether or not to replace the decal. It's really tough to strip up to the decal without making it obvious. I've done it on previous machines with mixed results. Gregg Cline's decals are so good that I decided to replace the decal. To refinish or now is strictly a personal decision. Jerry Blais

Heres one I have been working on. Had to put a repro horn on it. It is pretty.
Before, After,

Am new here, so I do hope you don't mind if I give an opinion regarding the restoration of cabinets.

The majority of the early cabinets were refinished with Shellac or commonly known as French Polish. Some of course were finished in a resinous finish which I believe may have been Copal Varnish. Both are easily dissolved with an alcohol or Methylated Spirits.
This is easily done with steel wool and applying liberal amounts of the alcohol on the wood and then wiping it off with a rag.

The problem as I see it, and this is of course my personal view, is the removal of the original patina or character of age. Why people obsess with an old cabinet to look restored or new, challenges comprehension at times.

Some minor miracles however can be achieved with minimal effort.

Make a solution by taking some pure gum turpentine and in this mix pure linseed oil in a ratio 2:1 Then use 400 grade wet and dry paper and use this paper to dipped into the solution working with your hand in a circular motion to clean the cabinet. The reason why we do not use water is the oil mix does not expand the timber but rather burnishes it and nourishes it. When the areas are cleaned to a satisfactory level without removing too much of the original finish, this base forms a perfect medium to be polished.
I use shellac or a French polish mix and I form what I call a pad, with cotton wool covered with pure cotton. There is an art in apply French polish but I am sure there are many videos on Youtube to assist.

This method is perfect for cabinets which have, bubbled, sun damaged or dry surfaces.