WoodNoob Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 Hi all, I am in the process of butchering restoring and modifying an music cabinet from 1959 and I want to know what kind of finish they might have used then - or better yet, what kind of finish now will come closest to replicating it. (See attached photo) Please see the attached photo for an example. The finish has a smooth overcoat look and feel to it, so it isn't something that just penetrates like an oil. But you probably already knew that! The cabinet was in a pretty bad way, and I'm using it as a learning experience, so I'm not really worried about a perfect match at all. Especially given that it was made out of (now deteriorating) plywood, and I'm using hardwood to modify it to fit a modern turntable! I'm kind of making a feature out of the modifications, but I'd still like a similar finish. Cheers peeps! Edit: Here's a close up of a corner of it - with some wear that might help identify it. (Note I'm not looking to restore the original finish, just finish some new pieces in the same style.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rozaieski Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 90% sure it's lacquer. Pretty much everything from that time period was topcoated with lacquer. Try wiping it with a bit of lacquer thinner. If it gets sticky, it's lacquer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Looks like tinted lacquer to me, too. Try what Bob suggests with the thinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodNoob Posted January 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Terrific! Thanks guys that's very helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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