Restoring Antique Radio Cabinets

Wipe off the gel stripper and old finish with clean shop cloths.

Restoring antique radio cabinets. This antique radio cabinet was recently selected as a future show display piece. Most people don t even know what photofinish is or if their radio has it on it. Put on your painter s mask and latex gloves and use a clean shop cloth to apply gel stripper to the radio cabinet. To demonstrate the dramatic effect of complete restoration the left side remains untouched while the right side is.

Let it sit according to the instructions usually 20 to 30 minutes. Simply put photofinish is decorative work applied to the cabinet to dress it up. Put it on in a very thin even layer. Use good flat pieces of scrap wood to distribute the clamping force across the repair see picture.

Jim bradt is a well respected radio cabinet restoration specialist. I use scrap wood on both sides of the clamp to avoid damage to the radio cabinet. It is very fragile easily destroyed and difficult to reconstruct. This presentation is part 1 of a class he conducted at the california historical radio so.

Start with 220 grit for less damaged surfaces. For areas you are leaving original finish and blending new into old use 400 grit on any old finish that you are going to apply any new finish to.