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Success Stories If you have successfully repaired or restored a piece of equipment, why not write up what you did and post details here. Particularly if it was interesting, unusual or challenging. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE! |
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4th Nov 2021, 11:59 am | #1 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 979
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Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Recently finished my Philips 634A cabinet, a previous “restorer” had removed all the varnish, black painted edging and those distinctive bands. It was also sanded down with very coarse sandpaper scratching the veneer badly and a high gloss varnish applied to it. I had to basically start again!
My technique for refurbishing cabinets has evolved from trial and error over years, it’s quite time consuming but I like the finish I get and it’s proved to be incredibly durable. I use a clear satin polyurethane varnish. The first job was to remove all the previous varnish and get the cabinet back to bare wood, luckily it didn’t have much varnish on it so an easy job. Trickier was removing the unsightly and deep scratches mainly on the front panel. I used fairly fine grade sandpaper (240) and gradually worked away at these areas until they disappeared. Obviously careful not to go though the veneer luckily all went well and I managed to remove 90% of the scratches; this was good enough because when the first coat of varnish went on they weren’t noticeable at all. Before I added my first coat of varnish I had to recreate the bands that run along the sides and top of the case. It would be understandable for someone not familiar with this set in thinking the bands are of different wood veneers. They are in fact just stained, It’s important at this stage that the wood is entirely free from anything that would hinder the wood from taking the stain evenly. A good trick is to wipe the cabinet over with white spirit; this not only gives an indication to how it might look when varnished but show up any areas were old varnish might have been missed in the form of light patches. I got the proportions of the band widths by looking at pictures on line of sets that had survived in their original finish. I then simply used masking tape to get the edge and stop the stain getting onto the middle band which just remains the natural base colour of the wood. With the stain fully dry I gave the entire case two coats of varnish, it’s not critical at this stage in the finish; this is really basically filling in the wood grain. I now moved my attention the black painted edges, these areas needed a little “keying” before in order for the paint to adhere well. I used a water based “Blackboard paint” this is remarkably black with very good covering power, don’t get any on your fingers, it takes ages to clean off! I used masking tape again to get that sharp edge between the black and wood, I found this quite critical, just a little off and it shows up a lot, so I had to revisit areas a number of times until I was happy. When done and dry another coat of varnish, this seals over those black painted areas nicely, now moving on to achieve flat surface. No matter how carful using a brush is there will always be brush marks. You can thin the varnish down with white spirit but then you end up having problems with it running. My technique in removing these irregularities is to sand down between coats (240 grade) I leave it a day at least for the varnish to fully set before I do it again. In total I usually end up putting 4 coats on. When all the varnishing is finished I get a 400 grade paper and completely sand down this last coat, this will make the cabinet look very dull. But by using a cutting compound in the form of “Autosol chrome polish” it will polish up really nicely. Yes, this is car product but I’ve discovered it to be excellent for getting back a very nice finish, not too glossy to look brash and new and not too dull to look lifeless.
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Clive |
4th Nov 2021, 1:07 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,935
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Super job. Wish I had the courage to try cabinet restoration.
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4th Nov 2021, 3:16 pm | #3 |
Hexode
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 311
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
What a super job you have done !
I do love your 'Art-Deco' lamp next to it, they really complement each other.
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If you live, the chassis was dead; if you're dead, the chassis was live !!!! |
4th Nov 2021, 4:26 pm | #4 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK.
Posts: 875
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Very very nice! Well done !!
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Red to red, black to black. Throw the switch and stand well back! |
4th Nov 2021, 5:33 pm | #5 |
Tetrode
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
Posts: 69
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
That really does look good and as you say not too shiney looking nor too dull. Just right
I think you might of given me the confidence to tackle the lid of my Grundig Arundel radiogram. The finish just on the top has been destroyed whilst the rest of the cabinet is in wonderful condition. I've been putting off doing anything with it but your technique looks like something I could do and stand a chance of getting it to look right with the rest of the cabinet. |
9th Nov 2021, 11:10 pm | #6 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,748
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Clive, what a superb job! I've got one of those sets, chassis restored, cabinet stripped and ready for re-finishing... and I've had it for years, waiting to start the job. Your excellent efforts should galvanise me into some action. Great description of the techniques you used too.
I was toying with the idea of French polishing my set. They were originally coated in sprayed-on toner which is probably beyond my skills to replicate, but I'm confident with French polish.
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Phil Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts |
10th Nov 2021, 10:01 am | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK.
Posts: 3,767
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Superb job Clive well done , so you can still buy sprit based varnish I would like to know where to get it as the water based stuff is ok for some applications ,but it doesn't seem to rub down very well .Mick.
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10th Nov 2021, 10:05 am | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,835
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
That's a grand job you've done there, and one befitting of THE quintessential vintage wireless.
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A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever.. |
10th Nov 2021, 1:04 pm | #9 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Evesham, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 1,423
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Great job, identical finish to my own original, super radio these and very well made, best of luck finding an sd4 though!.
Greg.
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Picture, sound?, DOOR. |
10th Nov 2021, 1:38 pm | #10 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,835
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Quote:
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A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever.. |
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10th Nov 2021, 1:41 pm | #11 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 2,820
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Very nice!!
I’ve only ever done one wooden cabinet, it was a PYE P75 (and it still is!), someone had lathered it in the most disgusting brown paint, so that got stripped and sanded, went a bit too far and went through the veneer in a couple of places, but then I used some spray cans of car lacquer with wet sanding between coats, it came up nicely, and still looks good today! Well, for a first attempt it’s not bad!! If I ever try again I’ll be more careful with the sandpaper… Regards Lloyd |
10th Nov 2021, 3:22 pm | #12 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 979
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Quote:
The varnish I use can be found on a well known auction site.
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Clive |
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10th Nov 2021, 3:41 pm | #13 | ||
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,835
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Quote:
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A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever.. |
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11th Nov 2021, 12:41 pm | #14 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 979
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Quote:
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Clive |
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11th Nov 2021, 1:09 pm | #15 | ||
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,835
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
Quote:
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A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever.. |
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20th Nov 2021, 11:49 am | #16 |
Hexode
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Hertfordshire, UK.
Posts: 308
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Re: Philips 634a cabinet restoration
The before and after photos demonstrate how essential the banding on the top and sides of the cabinet and the black paint to the front edge is to the look of this receiver. Without that detailing the cabinet does not look anything like as impressive. There used to be some cheapo reproductions clearly based on this model circulating a few years ago which never seemed right (not the Dynatron replica), and comparing photos of this restoration it is apparent why they looked wrong.
Great cabinet restoration. |