Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

FERNSEH · 11th Oct 2014, 1:03 pm

This unfortunate Defiant radio was used in a garage and as you can see was the victim of an attack from a welding torch.
One option to repair the cabinet top would be to re-veneer the whole surface.
But before that is attempted I'm considering doing a patch up job with layered on veneers. I did something similar with the HMV 900 TV cabinet.

Note the similar Odeon theatre styling of the Defiant and RGD 516.

DFWB.

FERNSEH · 11th Oct 2014, 1:37 pm

The carbonised wood is gouged out and a filler paste of consisting of sawdust and PVA glue is used to fill the hole.

DFWB.

stevehertz · 11th Oct 2014, 2:16 pm

Yup, that's what I'd do. Then use different brown and black coloured felt tip pens to 'repaint' the wood grain back on. You can buy felt tips in many various colours from specialist art shops. They are not cheap, but they're great for matching up and disguising scratches and stuff on old radios. Here's some specifically for touching up wood, a 'set' of ten, very pricey though. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Konig-Felt...item43aa1b57c7 Otherwise as I say, just buy a few colours from an arts shop and supplement them with brown ones out of kids sets of pens. Another alternative is to use small tins of coloured lacquer/varnish and mix them with black lacquer to get more, darker variations.

FERNSEH · 13th Oct 2014, 12:12 pm

The sawdust paste filler was not a success. It was still mushy this morning after almost two days so the next plan is to employ the router and cut out the bad part then insert a new piece of plywood. I believe this will result in a better repair anyway.

DFWB.

stevehertz · 13th Oct 2014, 12:32 pm

Sorry to hear that. Your new route sounds good and sound though. Alternatively proprietary wood filler would have probably worked.

Are you going to fill the hole with plywood faced with a piece of 'matching' veneer of your choice? You can get small veneer samples from firms who sell the stuff. I'll see if I have anything suitable.

FERNSEH · 14th Oct 2014, 11:16 am

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the offer of samples of veneers, but there are good stocks of veneers in the shop.
Not so good however is the results of the insertion of a veneered patch into the burnt out area. As you can see I should have removed more of the burnt wood surface. No problem, I'll "shave" off the damaged area and insert another piece of veneer.
The untouched picture shows that the burnt surface extended out far more than was originally thought.

DFWB.

FERNSEH · 14th Oct 2014, 1:04 pm

I've selected a piece of which almost matches the original, some touching up will be necessary of course. There was no way I could have signed the job off with the previous repair, it looked awful.

DFWB.

FERNSEH · 14th Oct 2014, 1:15 pm

Picture of the shaved off area before the new piece of veneer was inlaid.

DFWB.

stevehertz · 14th Oct 2014, 3:48 pm

Hmm. Nice job! By the time you get - as near as you can - matching lacquer on that, it'll be a super job. I don't think I could do that, lotta skill there. Well done matey.

FERNSEH · 27th Oct 2014, 12:00 am

I've decided that the cabinet repair was not good enough so I've removed a full back to front strip of veneer from the cabinet top.
Now it looks a lot better. You can't see the join between the new and old veneers. There is a colour difference between the old and new veneers which will have to be dealt with..

DFWB.

stevehertz · 27th Oct 2014, 1:07 pm

Super job. Will be nice to see the finished set.

FERNSEH · 13th Nov 2014, 7:22 pm

More progress with the cabinet restoration.
I've made two replacement curved bars for the loudspeaker aperture. One was missing and the other was damaged. Plywood has been used this time because it is much stronger than the solid wood of the originals and to retain the original appearance the surfaces have been veneered.
Next stage is to strip off the original lacqure.

DFWB.

Nickthedentist · 13th Nov 2014, 9:58 pm

Very impressed indeed, David.

FERNSEH · 26th Nov 2014, 10:24 pm

Today an attempt to strip off the old lacquer. I normally take work like this out doors to avoid the fumes of the paint stripper. However, it started to rain so the set was not brought completely indoors to do the job and the workshop back door was left wide open. The paint stripper was applied to the cabinet top surface. Anyway, even though there was a good breeze into the workspace I got a whiff of the fumes and that was it. I've been feeling dodgy since, that stuff is deadly! Checked my blood sugar at 7pm it was 9.3! that's too high. Goodness knows what this stuff does to ones wellbeing.
I believe there are safer paint stripper products available.

DFWB.

stevehertz · 29th Nov 2014, 8:23 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by FERNSEH

.... I got a whiff of the fumes and that was it. I've been feeling dodgy since, that stuff is deadly! Checked my blood sugar at 7pm it was 9.3! that's too high. Goodness knows what this stuff does to ones wellbeing.
I believe there are safer paint stripper products available.

Safer than what...?

FERNSEH · 29th Nov 2014, 10:39 pm

Hi Steve,
I'm sure there was a topic on this Forum about a much less toxic paint stripper.
Anyway, the news is that the cabinet has at last been stripped of it's original lacquer and a number of surprises have appeared. A great deal of corrective work had been done to the cabinet before the dark lacquer was applied. In places the veneer had been sanded away to expose the plywood. On the left side of the cabinet a large repair patch to the veneer can be seen.
We all know that the dark finish lacquer was a favourite trick with radio cabinet manufactures, it hides all those imperfections.

Here is the topic about a product called Homestrip.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=85053
http://ecosolutions.co.uk/homestrip.html

DFWB

stevehertz · 30th Nov 2014, 8:47 am

Hi David,

My point was, "safer than what"? - meaning, what was the nasty product that you actually used so that I and others can be careful in future. Apologies in advance if it's stated and I've missed it!

Ironically, like a lot of these things, it's often the noxious stuff that is best at doing what we want it to do! Trich is banned but it was darned good at cleaning. There's a US product that will shift poly finishes (standard paint strippers won't touch it normally, I've tried lots of times on guitars) called Aircraft Remover, although I don't know how 'potent' it is in the gas stakes. In any case it doesn't seem to be available outside the US.

FERNSEH · 1st Dec 2014, 10:16 pm

Hi Steve,
There's no doubt about it, the nasty stuff used to be a lot better at shifting off the old paints and lacquers.
Anyway, I'll try out the Homestrip sometime and report my findings about how good it is at removing lacquers.
The Defiant cabinet is ready for sanding and corrections to the imperfections which were evident even when it was new.
More news to follow.

DFWB.

FERNSEH · 2nd Dec 2014, 6:49 pm

Behold the magnificent! The cabinet is all prepared for it's final finish.

DFWB.

stevehertz · 3rd Dec 2014, 8:05 pm

I'm thinking that is going to 'lacquer up' lovely. Great job so far!

11th Oct 2014, 1:03 pm	#1
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. This unfortunate Defiant radio was used in a garage and as you can see was the victim of an attack from a welding torch. One option to repair the cabinet top would be to re-veneer the whole surface. But before that is attempted I'm considering doing a patch up job with layered on veneers. I did something similar with the HMV 900 TV cabinet. Note the similar Odeon theatre styling of the Defiant and RGD 516. DFWB. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by FERNSEH; 11th Oct 2014 at 1:09 pm.

11th Oct 2014, 1:37 pm	#2
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. The carbonised wood is gouged out and a filler paste of consisting of sawdust and PVA glue is used to fill the hole. DFWB. Attached Thumbnails

11th Oct 2014, 2:16 pm	#3
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,831	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Yup, that's what I'd do. Then use different brown and black coloured felt tip pens to 'repaint' the wood grain back on. You can buy felt tips in many various colours from specialist art shops. They are not cheap, but they're great for matching up and disguising scratches and stuff on old radios. Here's some specifically for touching up wood, a 'set' of ten, very pricey though. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Konig-Felt...item43aa1b57c7 Otherwise as I say, just buy a few colours from an arts shop and supplement them with brown ones out of kids sets of pens. Another alternative is to use small tins of coloured lacquer/varnish and mix them with black lacquer to get more, darker variations. __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..

13th Oct 2014, 12:12 pm	#4
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. The sawdust paste filler was not a success. It was still mushy this morning after almost two days so the next plan is to employ the router and cut out the bad part then insert a new piece of plywood. I believe this will result in a better repair anyway. DFWB.

13th Oct 2014, 12:32 pm	#5
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,831	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Sorry to hear that. Your new route sounds good and sound though. Alternatively proprietary wood filler would have probably worked. Are you going to fill the hole with plywood faced with a piece of 'matching' veneer of your choice? You can get small veneer samples from firms who sell the stuff. I'll see if I have anything suitable. __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..

14th Oct 2014, 11:16 am	#6
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Hi Steve, Thanks for the offer of samples of veneers, but there are good stocks of veneers in the shop. Not so good however is the results of the insertion of a veneered patch into the burnt out area. As you can see I should have removed more of the burnt wood surface. No problem, I'll "shave" off the damaged area and insert another piece of veneer. The untouched picture shows that the burnt surface extended out far more than was originally thought. DFWB. Attached Thumbnails

14th Oct 2014, 1:04 pm	#7
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. I've selected a piece of which almost matches the original, some touching up will be necessary of course. There was no way I could have signed the job off with the previous repair, it looked awful. DFWB. Attached Thumbnails

14th Oct 2014, 1:15 pm	#8
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Picture of the shaved off area before the new piece of veneer was inlaid. DFWB. Attached Thumbnails

14th Oct 2014, 3:48 pm	#9
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,831	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Hmm. Nice job! By the time you get - as near as you can - matching lacquer on that, it'll be a super job. I don't think I could do that, lotta skill there. Well done matey. __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..

27th Oct 2014, 12:00 am	#10
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. I've decided that the cabinet repair was not good enough so I've removed a full back to front strip of veneer from the cabinet top. Now it looks a lot better. You can't see the join between the new and old veneers. There is a colour difference between the old and new veneers which will have to be dealt with.. DFWB. Attached Thumbnails

27th Oct 2014, 1:07 pm	#11
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,831	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Super job. Will be nice to see the finished set. __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..

13th Nov 2014, 7:22 pm	#12
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. More progress with the cabinet restoration. I've made two replacement curved bars for the loudspeaker aperture. One was missing and the other was damaged. Plywood has been used this time because it is much stronger than the solid wood of the originals and to retain the original appearance the surfaces have been veneered. Next stage is to strip off the original lacqure. DFWB. Attached Thumbnails

13th Nov 2014, 9:58 pm	#13
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,846	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Very impressed indeed, David.

26th Nov 2014, 10:24 pm	#14
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Today an attempt to strip off the old lacquer. I normally take work like this out doors to avoid the fumes of the paint stripper. However, it started to rain so the set was not brought completely indoors to do the job and the workshop back door was left wide open. The paint stripper was applied to the cabinet top surface. Anyway, even though there was a good breeze into the workspace I got a whiff of the fumes and that was it. I've been feeling dodgy since, that stuff is deadly! Checked my blood sugar at 7pm it was 9.3! that's too high. Goodness knows what this stuff does to ones wellbeing. I believe there are safer paint stripper products available. DFWB.

29th Nov 2014, 10:39 pm	#16
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Hi Steve, I'm sure there was a topic on this Forum about a much less toxic paint stripper. Anyway, the news is that the cabinet has at last been stripped of it's original lacquer and a number of surprises have appeared. A great deal of corrective work had been done to the cabinet before the dark lacquer was applied. In places the veneer had been sanded away to expose the plywood. On the left side of the cabinet a large repair patch to the veneer can be seen. We all know that the dark finish lacquer was a favourite trick with radio cabinet manufactures, it hides all those imperfections. Here is the topic about a product called Homestrip. https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=85053 http://ecosolutions.co.uk/homestrip.html DFWB

30th Nov 2014, 8:47 am	#17
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,831	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Hi David, My point was, "safer than what"? - meaning, what was the nasty product that you actually used so that I and others can be careful in future. Apologies in advance if it's stated and I've missed it! Ironically, like a lot of these things, it's often the noxious stuff that is best at doing what we want it to do! Trich is banned but it was darned good at cleaning. There's a US product that will shift poly finishes (standard paint strippers won't touch it normally, I've tried lots of times on guitars) called Aircraft Remover, although I don't know how 'potent' it is in the gas stakes. In any case it doesn't seem to be available outside the US. __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..

1st Dec 2014, 10:16 pm	#18
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Hi Steve, There's no doubt about it, the nasty stuff used to be a lot better at shifting off the old paints and lacquers. Anyway, I'll try out the Homestrip sometime and report my findings about how good it is at removing lacquers. The Defiant cabinet is ready for sanding and corrections to the imperfections which were evident even when it was new. More news to follow. DFWB.

2nd Dec 2014, 6:49 pm	#19
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. Behold the magnificent! The cabinet is all prepared for it's final finish. DFWB. Attached Thumbnails

3rd Dec 2014, 8:05 pm	#20
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,831	Re: Defiant MSH938 cabinet repair. I'm thinking that is going to 'lacquer up' lovely. Great job so far! __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..