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Hints on restoring old cabinets It is very rare for early equipment to be found in pristine condition. Most will have suffered from one or more varieties of a long list of mistreatments — ranging from rodent damage, through rust and rot to vandalism and missing parts. This month we discuss remedying exterior damage. What can or should be done when you can ruin an artifact. There are stories of Naturally, to save money, there is a find a vintage radio that is in a poor coin collections that were devalued be- temptation to 'have a go' at cabinet resto- state? Restore it, or merely conserve it? cause the misguided owner polished the ration, and in many cases, such as the The key words here are restraint and cau- tarnished specimens with Brasso! It is reglueing of a piece of veneer, the job tion. Early receivers can be valuable, important to realise that a radio in rea- may not be too difficult. At the other end both historically and financially. Like sonable original condition is more valu- of the scale, to make a new panel or lid most antiques, their values are governed able than an immaculate example which with elaborate mouldings involves the by originality, condition, age, rarity and shows evidence of restoration. In many use of special cutting knives or routers. fashion — and lately they have been ap- cases, however, some judicious work Much depends on your own level of preciating quite markedly. Many enthu- will be warranted. skill, and the available facilities. Exper- siasts lament this new situation, but it is tise comes only with experience, and it is the inevitable result of the growing inter- Seek professional aid not very wise to practice on a vintage est in vintage radios and their increasing The ideal is that any restoration work receiver cabinet. Always keep in mind scarcity. should be undetectable. Major skills in- the fact that you may have a potentially The natural temptation with a newly volved in cabinet restoration are cabinet- valuable item and that some mistakes are acquired receiver is to fire it up, and see making and finishing, but there are not reversible. It does not make sense to if it still works. Don't do it! Most sets others. Occasionally there is even panel ruin several hundred dollars worth of were discarded because they were faulty, beating needed, on corroded and battered radio for the sake of saving $50. and prolonged storage may have caused metal! Special machinery not often Although, with the exception of some further deterioration. Chances are that found in the home workshop may also be very expensive consoles, radio cabinets there will only be a disappointing si- necessary, at times. were not usually made to the same stan- lence; and more seriously, components may be damaged. My recommendation is to restrict initial action to cleaning the equipment for careful evaluation. There is some debate about restora- tion. At one extreme there is the example of vintage car restorers, whose aim is perfection — their pride and joy finished to a standard often never achieved in the factory. On the other end of the scale there are museum curators who insist on 'warts and all' originality, accepting the inevitability of deterioration with age and use, and with little concern that the artifact may not be in working order. A consensus of opinion amongst most experienced vintage radio collectors is that work done on a receiver should be a balance of these extremes. It has been argued that we have a significant respon- sibility in owning a rare or historic radio, Left: The lacquer on this valuable and that we have something of a custo- 60-year-old Atwater Kent model 84 dial function, to give it good care and to 'Golden Voice' cabinet had pass it on to succeeding generations — deteriorated to the point where who will not thank us if we have modi- repolishing was the only remedy. Done fied or botched it. professionally (above), this has really Well meaning but ill-advised efforts enhanced the set's value. 102 ELECTRONICS Australia, September 1992 dard as fine furniture, the techniques boiler glue pots to melt it in. The practi- used were much the same. There is avail- cal glue to use today is PVA, sold in able a wide selection of books dealing handy squeeze bottles. with cabinet and furniture restoration The trick is to hold the cloth under and refinishing, and these can be of con- tension and with the pattern lines siderable assistance. straight, while the glue sets. Easiest to fit are cloths fastened to wooden or card- Repairing veneers board baffles. In some instances, structural repairs Place the cloth, which should be cut will be needed, but the most common slightly larger than the baffle, front side problem is lifting and damaged veneer. down on top of a flat surface and stretch Reglueing and patching can be under- it evenly — holding it in position with taken in the home workshop, but large masking tape, pins or staples. Now areas should be tackled only if you have LIGHTLY and evenly coat the face of the correct equipment and experience. the baffle with glue, lay it on the cloth Locating and matching of replacement and after positioning it carefully, put a veneers can provide plenty of problems weight on it for an hour or so. If the glue today. Unfortunately, iron-on plastic is is too thickly applied, it will bleed the present fashion, and the availability through to the cloth. Finally, trim the of genuine veneers is limited. Even if edges of the cloth back to the baffle. veneer of the right species is available, If there is no baffle, the cloth will be matching of grains can be difficult. Geo- stuck directly to the inside of the cabinet graphic origins and differing sub-species — requiring a lot more care and pa- influence grain and colouring. Careful tience. Again, pins and masking tape can staining may be required to achieve a be useful. good match. Refinishing: last resort Some cabinets featured what appears A skilled panelbeater, a spray painter to be expensive exotic veneers. But they and an artist all contributed to the Complete stripping, restaining and were in fact paper, printed with photo- restoration of this Claritone speaker. recoating a vintage cabinet should only graphic copies of the real thing! Others Originally, the flare had a hole in it from be undertaken as a last resort. In many had painted patterns to resemble burr being nailed to a beam, and much of cases, the original finish can be rejuven- graining. Lacquer removal from these the paint was missing. After the metal ated adequately, and in so doing the risk surfaces may well end in disaster. The repairs, the horn was resprayed in of devaluing the cabinet minimised. rule is to proceed carefully, if you must black cellulose lacquer and the logo Back in December 1988 we described strip the surface of a cabinet. was repainted from a photograph. Not the refinishing of a somewhat beaten up Clearly, there is a limit to the extent of a project for the novice! cabinet, dating from the mid 1940's, with amateur repair work to cabinets. Don't polyurethane lacquer. It is generally hesitate to seek professional advice. If agreed that this treatment is acceptable finance or facilities are not available, it is is a degree of elasticity so that it remains for newer cabinets; but prewar sets wiser to leave cabinets 'as is', rather than taut. Generally if there was a pattern, it should, if at all possible, have their orig- create further damage by an inexperi- was small and geometric, sometimes in inal type of polish. enced do- it-yourself exercise. two or more shades. If monocoloured, First try and identify the finish. The there was usually a pattern in the weave. great majority of cabinets were finished Grille cloth Lately there has been sufficient de- in nitrocellulose lacquer, which is still in Another problem area is that of grille mand for at least one manufacturer to use today. Nitrocellulose has the merits cloth. Fading, physical damage, grease make a range of genuine grille cloths, of transparency, a high gloss, durability and grime are a common outcome of half although naturally it is somewhat expen- and drying almost instantaneously. Its a century or more of domestic exposure. sive. NZ Vintage Radio Society mem- disadvantages are that it must be sprayed Sometimes, original cloth in reasonable bers have been able to order cloth on, and in time it discolours. condition can be salvaged by softening through the Society, and it is also avail- There are several methods of restoring the glue with hot water and very care- able from the Antique Electronic Supply, nitrocellulose finishes. First and often all fully washing in warm water and deter- PO Box 27468, Tempe, Arizona 85285- that is necessary is a good scrub with a gent. Fraying and shrinkage can however 7468, USA. This well established and non- abrasive household cleaner. It is be a real problem. efficient firm publishes a comprehensive amazing how much old furniture polish Even if laundering is successful, fad- catalog, with coloured illustrations of the and general grime can accumulate. If the ing is almost certain to have left a grille cloths available. surface is crazed, there are preparations shadow of the grille on the cloth. One The same firm carries a wide range of available that can be used to reliquefy remedy, if this is the case, is to reverse vintage radio components, ranging from and blend the surface, often with excel- the cloth, although the pattern may then a huge inventory of valves including Eu- lent results.

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