"Wood-grain paint" or other veneer fixes?
DavidSloan
>From: <ix...@nospam.com>
>Date: Tue, Mar 9, 1999 11:16 EST
>Message-id: <090319991121070002%ix...@nospam.com>
>
>I've got an old Zenith console radio from 1941 in need of refinishing
>and restoring, and it has a contrasting wood-grain trim circling the
>top and bordering the front of the dial face (about a one-inch strip
>all the way around and down). What I initially thought was veneer is
>actually painted on. Minwax furniture refinisher dissolves and removes
>it. (The rest of the console is real veneer and will clean up very
>nicely.) I'm told that the trim is called a "photo finish" and that it
>was a common practice at the time the console was made.
>
>I don't want to lose the contrasting trim, but it's scratched and
>nicked and gouged, and the lacquer over it is crackled. What are my
>options?
>
>* Is there an extremely gentle solvent that would remove the old
>lacquer yet preserve the painted-on wood trimming? If so, then what? I
>thought about carefully matching the colors of the photo finish grain
>pattern and painting the scratched and gouged areas, but even if I
>could duplicate the color, the process seems too painstaking.
>
>* This thought would truly be antique vandalism, but could I carefully
>cut off the photo-finish trim and replace it with actual veneer of the
>same thickness as the original?
>
>* And finally, the product mentioned in the subject of this post. I
>came across something called "wood grain paint" that's supposedly
>available at Tru Value, Sherman Williams and elsewhere. Just slap it on
>with a brush, the company claims, and there ya have it - instant wood
>grain. Reminds me of an old Three Stooges bit in which they were trying
>to mix up a batch of "polka dot paint," and I'm sure I can guess the
>answer to this one, but I thought I'd ask anyway.
>
>Thanks for any suggestions.
>
>Joe
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Joe:
Without looking at your radio I can only theorize about how to make the repair
but here's the best armchair advice I can offer from this distance:
1. Take closeup color photos of the damaged area so you have a record of what
it looks like in case you mess it up.
2. Since the lacquer covering the painted grain is already cracked, try
rubbing gently with a rag soaked in lacquer thinner. If you're lucky, the
thinner will desolve the top layer of lacquer without disturbing the painted
grain underneath the lacquer which (hopefully) has a different solvent base.
Worst case is that the lacquer thinner will dissolve both the lacquer and the
paint underneath. If that's the case, stop rubbing.. Save as much of the
painted grain as possible cause you're gonna need to match it later. Other
possibility is that the lacquer thinner won't dissolve the top coat, in which
case it isn't lacquer but maybe shellac. Try denatured alcohol as a solvent
if lacquer thinner doesn't work.
3. Now comes the fun part. Get yourself some acrylic artist's paints from
the art store and some artists paint brushes. Start mixing up (on a piece of
wood for a palette) color to match the painted on grain. Get out your
magnifying specs and repaint the damaged areas. (I know you were hoping to
avoid this step!).
4. When the acrylic paint has dried, reapply lacquer over the repairs with an
artist's air brush.
That's the theory. It's easier than you think. You might want to practise
painting on some scrap wood just to get the hang of it. If you mess up, you
can wipe off the wet acrylic paint and start again.
Give it a try.
Hope this helps.
David Sloan
*Casey*
What I'd do it wet sand the area in question with 400 or 600 wet/dry, using
paint thinner as the lubricant. This will smooth it out and remove all the
years worth of film, gunk, etc. Don't sand through the grain painting. Wipe
off the residue, and with some matching artists paints, touch up any
scratches in the graining. Then you can finish as you like. Be careful that
your top coats are compatible with the existing finish, because it can go
crazy on you. Finishing with shellac may avoid this.
Casey
ix...@nospam.com wrote in message <090319991121070002%ix...@nospam.com>...
John Milton
: I've got an old Zenith console radio from 1941 in need of refinishing
: Thanks for any suggestions.
: Joe
Why not just set fire to the thing? It's faster and cheaper than what you
have in mind and will give simillar results.