Lazy Man’s Guide to Radio Refinishing

Posted on by targeteye1

Lazy Man’s Guide to Radio Refinishing

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DISCLAIMER:  In this summary and the program I have prepared for HVRA’s May 30, 2020 meeting, I set forth MY methods for sprucing up radios including wood, plastic and even metal.  THERE ARE MANY OTHER TECHNIQUES THAT YOU CAN USE TO ACCOMPLISH BETTER OR POSSIBLY WORSE RESULTS.  My techniques are designed to avoid stripping, repainting or completely refinishing a radio.  Many older wood radios for example were finished in shellac.  Shellac is the resinous product of a bug found in India and Thailand.  Most modern wood is finished using polyurethane or other man-made products.  The good thing for us about shellac is that it can often be amalgamated or chemically re-melted to improve the look of 80 and 90- year old wood finishes.  Likewise, various plastic radios including Bakelite and polystyrene will regain some luster along with scratch removal using the right polishes and techniques.  I therefore look to find an easy method to improve the appearance of radios in my collection.    This presentation focuses on some of these easy methods.

 

Wood Radios

 

  1. First Steps—Clean the Radio. A lot of grime can be removed with a washing of soap and water. I wash everything including metal chassis.  Be careful on your wood finishes to quickly remove and dry your wash water.  GoJo Natural Orange Hand Cleaner is another good product for attacking grime.   ANOTHER METHOD:  Try Howard’s Orange Oil to clean a dirty wood cabinet, applying with a soft cloth.  You might find that you like how the radio looks just with an Orange Oil treatment!!  FINAL STEP: Use a rag with some mineral spirits to wipe down the cabinet (removes excess grime and soap residues that the Orange Oil might “bring up”).

 

  1. Is This Radio a Candidate for the Lazy Man’s Methods? Or stated another way, know the limitations of these methods.  Some radios must be stripped or sand blasted or repainted.   Water rings are a close call and there are products that can help remove them without stripping the varnish.  Let’s go through some examples of radios and decide what to do with them. 

 

  1. Wood sets and amalgamating the finish. There are two Lazy Man’s methods to work an amalgamation.  A) Howard’s Restor-A-Shine is a terrific product and comes in various shades.  Sometimes, one or two coats of Howard’s will improve a crackled shellac varnish finish.  Apply with a soft cloth first to see how it takes to the surface.  Let dry. Polish with 0000 steel wool dipped in wool lube. Repeat the application of Howards followed by 0000 steel wool with wool lube.  NEVER use anything more than 0000 steel wool without making sure you won’t ruin the finish. After applying Howards and improving the finish with steel wool and wool lube, you can use some of the polishing methods discussed below to improve overall luster and appearance.  If you don’t have much time or inclination to use a lot of effort, try Howard’s first.
  2. B) Use a professional Amalgamator like Mohawk’s or Behlen’s Qualrenu. I usually use these products as they have a bit more “heft” than Howards and give me a bit more flexibility with surfaces needing a lot of TLC.  They will sometimes remove much of the bad shellac that cannot be reformed; I use if I have a piece with too much shellac as well.  Apply with a soft cloth, heavy on the first application, then lighter on second or third coats.  I always do two coats, but rarely more than three.   When finished with the amalgamator, we will use steel wool as described in D below. 
  3. C) What about a bad polyurethane finish? The amalgamators generally will not give good results to these types of finishes.  Sanding is the best alternative.  I use 3M plastic sanding pads, sometimes with wool lube added, to see if I can work the finish without ruining the staining or underlying color scheme of the radio.
  4. D) When you have applied two or three coats of the amalgamator, you can start your steel wool routine using 0000 wool and wool lube. Often you can get a nice sheen and low luster polish just using this technique.  Using steel wool and lube allows you to work on imperfections in the finish as well.   

 

  1. If the radio needs more luster and work on the finish, the next step is to use Deluxing Compound.    This product has a little wax in it along with some compounds that help with minor imperfections in the finish.  I apply it with a soft cloth, let it sit just a little while, and then polish with a good micro-fiber or similar cloth.  Sometimes two or three coats will help but wait a day if possible in-between so that the coats set up a bit.  Another similar product to try is Howard’s Wood Finish Polishing Compound.   This product applies with a cloth followed by polishing with micro-fiber towels.  Sometimes I try both Deluxing Compound and Howard’s Polishing Compound on the bottom of the radio to see which I like best.  I also have used Howard’s Polishing Compound in place of every step described above for quick work on a radio finish, followed by wax polishing discussed below.   

 

  1. Wax it or Leave It. Depending on how the radio finish is looking, I may decide to leave it alone and call it a day. Or, I might decide to apply one or two coats of wax.   Adding wax at this point can bring up a higher shine or sheen or luster, depending on the wax you use and how much elbow grease you put into the process.  There are a lot of waxes out there and I have tried them all.  I am not a big fan of paste waxes and would only use that on a piece of furniture getting heavy use.  I prefer bee’s wax products and Howard’s is my go-to wax.   Buff the wax with micro-fiber or special towels designed for this purpose. 

 

  1. I may use a power buffer with a specially designed wax applicator used for cars particularly for larger radios. I like Griot’s Garage auto detailer buffer (model G8).  Interchangeable pads are available and I also use this auto detailer buffer on plastic and metal radios. 

 

 

 

Plastic, Metal and Bakelite Radios

 

  1. After I have cleaned the cabinet, I have a variety of techniques for restoring the luster to these radios. The easiest method for improving the finish of Bakelite radios is to use Glayzit and/or Novus plastic polishes.  Spray on and polish with micro-fiber cloth.  Two or three coats might be necessary.  The disadvantage of these products is that they generally don’t remove more than a very light scratch or imperfection at best (even using Novus #3).  I use these products only if the radio is in good shape without noticeable imperfections. 

 

  1. Another very good polish which can be used in place of Glayzit or Novus is Oz Cream Plastic Polish. I use Oz on metal and other plastics as well. I usually use it after working a radio with imperfections as a final step after doing the best I can to improve the overall appearance of the radio.  Oz is always a good choice to try and it works very well.  Get this product if you don’t buy any of the other products I describe here.  Another similar product that helps a bit more on light scratches is Micro-gloss liquid abrasive.  This stuff is great on moderately compromised finishes with light scratches or haze.  Two coats applied with a lot of elbow grease.

 

  1. What if the radio needs a lot of work due to scratches, dulling or fading of a finish? Amazingly, some Bakelite radios will return to the original luster with elbow grease.  Try a Clean Magic Eraser if you can’t think of any other way to attack a crummy finish. Or, I might use Hut’s Ultra Gloss if I have scratches or fading.  Always try on a small piece on the bottom of the radio first.  It might take several coats of Hut’s or Oz.  More problematic finishes I treat with automotive detailing compounds designed to remove scratches or haze in car finishes.  I am partial to Griot’s Garage products—Complete Compound helps with severely compromised finishes, followed by Perfecting Cream for enhancing luster and gloss.  Correcting Cream is another product that helps remove paint specs for radio cabinets (why are so many Bakelite radios covered in stray paint specs?)  I might apply these products by hand or with the auto detailer buffer.  The buffer might also be used for the top of the radio to insure it has the best possible finish.

Product List

Available from Klingspors Wood Working      www.woodworkingshop.com/   :

Mohawk’s Amalgator;  Oz Cream Polish;  Hut Ultra Gloss Plastic Polish;  Liberon Ring Remover; Howard’s Bee’s Wax and Orange Oil;  Howard’s Polishing Compounds (unlike other Howard’s products which are available in big hardware stores, the Polishing Compound is usually only found at Klingspor’s); Kramer’s Antique Improver; Mohawk Wool Lube.    

Available from Rocklers     www.rockler.com/rockler   (Store located on the south side of Hwy 59 SW Fwy between Edloe and Buffalo Speedway):

All Behlen’s products including Qualrenu, Shellac, Wool Lube, Brass Refinishing product.

            Available at Griot’s Garage       www.griotsgarage.com   :

All auto detailing plastic and metal finishing compounds.  I recommend the G8 auto detailer which has both 2 inch and 3 inch application pads.    

            Available at Big Box Hardware stores:

Most Howard’s Restor-A-Shine amalgamators; 3M finishing pads (use carefully with more stubborn wood or plastic finish issues); 0000 steel wool; Mr. Clean Magic Eraser