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Old 13th Oct 2009, 5:51 pm   #1
David Simpson
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Default 1920's TRF

Folks, Further to my posts in "Vintage Radio" Forum a few days ago - - I've now stripped all the old yucky imitation mahogany varnish off the cabinet with Nitromors, scrubbed it clean, and given it one session with wire-wool. The central grained ebonite panel has been thoroughly cleaned & polished, as mentioned last week.
Originally I'd thought that only the two front side panels were Oak, & the rest - varnished pine. However, it can now be seen that its all Oak.
Should I re-stain it back to redy/brown mahogany, or just a light oak stain, or just leave it ?

Regards, David
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Old 13th Oct 2009, 6:14 pm   #2
chipp1968
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Default Re: 1920's TRF

It did seam unlikely to have been varnished pine and original , so glad to see its oak. I would try to emulate the original as much as possible , so maybe a mahogany spirit stain then danish oil . Presumably the reddy finish was to match the front panal .
Failing that if you dont like the red ,then I would try a nutty brown spirit stain
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Old 13th Oct 2009, 9:47 pm   #3
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Default Re: 1920's TRF

Hello,
In the 1920s cabinets vere available in both mahogany and oak so I think that your cabinet would have originally been varnished oak. It may have been a dark oak varnish to darken the oak but not mahogany varnish.
Your ebonite panel is mahogany grained but it does not actually fit the cabinet, (hence the two oak cheek pieces to make it fit) so it was probably fitted to the cabinet at a later date and the cabinet varnished to match.
Personally I would use a light or dark oak varnish (oak when newly felled is usually quite a light colour but darkens with exposure to sunlight).
I have quite a few 1920s homebuilt radios and some have mahogany and some have oak cabinets but none has oak with mahogany varnish although I do have a pine one with mahogany varnish.
Yours, Richard
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Old 14th Oct 2009, 11:05 am   #4
David Simpson
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Default Re: 1920's TRF

Thanks guys for advice, most appreciated. Yesterday I tried to attach the "Before" picture from my original post a couple of weeks ago - along with the post-nitromores pictures, but the forum system blocked it - saying that it had already been posted. Would've been better for comparison sake, but never mind.
The original picture doesent really show just how badly applied the mahogany coloured varnish was. Originally I guess these wirelesses came in some sort of "Flat Pack". The joinery work is reasonably good, but some of the slotted c/s woodscrews were steel, some brass. I'm thinking that a couple of more sessions with wire wool will really bring out the lovely oak graining, especially the lid. Seems a shame to discuise it again, so might just apply a light oak stain on the main cabinet, and a slightly darker oak stain on the cheek panels. Then spray with a laquer. Sourcing enough wee brass woodscrews will be challenging. They'll need to be the same length, but a gnat's whisker thicker than original - to re-secure in the original slightly corroded holes.

Regards, David
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Old 14th Oct 2009, 12:46 pm   #5
Herald1360
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Default Re: 1920's TRF

Can you not plug the oversized screw holes with slivers of wood glued in, then redrill for original sized screws?
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Old 14th Oct 2009, 1:07 pm   #6
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Default Re: 1920's TRF

Hi David, Oak is a beautiful timber but due to the open grain nature it can be difficult to finish. Care is needed when using stain as many stains are intended for use on whitewood and might not turn out as expected so the usual rule applies of trying out the chosen stain on a part that is out of sight. For dark Oak I've successfully used Vandyke Brown water stain but this raises the grain and also Colron Wood Dye Jacobean Dark Oak. The Colron is easy to apply using a cloth taking care to apply it evenly and letting it dry completely before proceeding further; Colron doesn't raise the grain and when aplied looks very dark but lightens up once the finish is applied. A simple finish is to use Wickes gloss or mat varnish which can be thinned and applied in several coats with a very light flatting after the second coat taking care not to go through the varnish or there is risk of removing stain. I've used this method on furniture I've made and recently on plywood panelling in the kitchen which looks good.When your cabinet was originally made Fuming was used a great deal; the item to be coloured would be put in a sealed enclosure with an open container of ammonia. The ammonia reacts with tannin in the Oak and the colour could be varied from light brown to almost black depending on exposure.
For a warmer tone Walnut stain can be used.
Please be careful of using wire wool on bare Oak as it tends to get caught in the open grain and will turn black at a later date should it get damp. Good luck, Col.
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Old 14th Oct 2009, 2:04 pm   #7
David Simpson
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Default Re: 1920's TRF

Thanks Colin & Hearald1360. Might well have to slightly plug the existing holes. Was more worried about the thread pitch & shank length of modern replacement woodscews. Shall try & re-use the original screws where possible, for authenticity purposes.
I already have a tin of Colron Jacobean Dark Oak, plus one of Light Oak. The Wicks Gloss sounds a good option.
Many years ago, aquired(legally, for a scouse git) several 15ft lengths of new 6 x 1" Mahogany ships decking. Beautiful wood when sanded down, but I feel that staining/varnishing Oak to lewk like Mahogany just isn't right. The graining & texture just dont match. Have also aquired some big old beams of Pitch Pine - nowadays as rare as rocking horse manure, and a sod to plane, its so hard.

Regards, David
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Old 14th Oct 2009, 7:32 pm   #8
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Default Re: 1920's TRF

Hi David, If you decide to varnish please note the following little story. Years ago after many hours of hard work planing and scraping a large coffee table top; it was stained and ready for varnish on Christmas eve so it was given a good coat of varnish and left in the workshop overnight. During the night the temperature dropped to sub zero and when I inspected the job on Christmas day the varnish was still wet and stayed wet for three days; on the third day with tears in my eyes I had to strip the lot right down to bare wood and start over. Please don't get caught out as I did and ensure the job is kept warm. It was a very hard lesson for me to learn and I've never repeated it. Col.
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