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I have been using lacquer made by Mohawk.
Some of the fellows on ARF said that they use lacquer made by a company called Deft.
lacquer was what the antique radios were finished with, because it dries fast and gives a good finish.
I suppose you can use any brand of lacquer. I use the spray cans because I don’t have spray equipment,
and I find it works very well.
I strongly recommend you purchase a good mask [ $40.00 to $60.00]. lacquer is not good for your lungs.
For a console radio it will take about three cans, but the secret is Do not put on heavy coats as it will run.
After I put on the first coat and it is dry I use 1500 or 200 grit sandpaper and very lightly go
over the cabinet just to remove any small rough spots.
While we are talking about the finish I should mention that I also use Mohawk toned lacquer for the darker areas which are usually around the top and bottom of the cabinet.
Here are some photos of radios that I have done so you have an idea of what to expect.
This is an RCA model C8 16 . I am showing photos of the cabinet stripped, and masked off, before the toned lacquer was applied.
The toned lacquer, and the finished radio.
Dan in CalgaryHi Sterling;
I buy my toner lacquer from Richelieu here in Calgary and it cost about $11.00 a can. I have not bought any for about a year as I don’t do cabinets in the winter. I suppose it is more than spray paint, but it is a specialized product.
If you want the cabinet to look like it has not been refinished, use toned lacquer and finish it with lacquer.
Here are a coupler of photos of ones that I have done.
Here are two links to you tube videos of cabinets I have done
I am not putting these on to show off but if done right the cabinets come out very good, and you will be very proud of the results.
Dan Walker in Calgary
Hi Sterling: I completely strip the old finish off the cabinet. I am attaching a link from the Antique Radio forum which I use as a guideline.
I don’t us a grain filler on most of my radios, just the ones that are higher end. I strip the cabinet making sure ALL the old finish is gone.
I then wipe it down with gas line antifreeze[ methyl hydrate]. I stain the whole cabinet with dark walnut or extra dark walnut stain.I leave it at least overnight ,then wipe it down, to get any of the stain that didn’t soak in.
Then using the mixture of shellac [as stated in the link] I brush it on. It dries in two minutes.
Next I mask off the areas I want to use the toner on and these are usually the bottom and around the top. Although each radio will
be a little different. It may have pillars in front of the grill cloth , and if you want them dark, then you have to mask of that area.
You MUST I repeat MUST have the can of lacquer shaken up very well. shaking it by hand just won’t mix it enough.
I use plastic ties and attach the can to a orbital sander at both ends of the can. Then run the sander for about two minutes.
That seems to work well. The nice thing about the toned lacquer is if you don’t like the color or it was too dark, you can use lacquer thinner
to remove it.
After the masking is remover you are ready for the final coats.
Your final coats can be high gloss or satin. i usually use high gloss for the first coal and if I like the sheen then i can use high gloss, and if i don’t like it I can use satin for the final coats.. I usually put at least three coats on, because each coat [using a can ] is thin.
Don’t put on heave coats as it will run.
Here is a photo of one ready for the toner.
https://www.antiqueradios.com/features/lacquer.htmlIf you have any more questions you can email me, and we can talk on the phone also.
good luck
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