[OldRestorer]

Here is the last one. The philco 66 cabinet is not awesome condition but the front is nice minus the wear on the areas around the knobs and some clear flaking. The rest of the cabinet need a redo but what do you guys think?

Full resto?

[morzh]

This is why I di not give it to you the first time - the face looks good and I thought maybe it was fine the way it was, but then I looked at the top....maybe we should keep the face.

[OldRestorer]

Gluing was minimal so I got to stripping the cabinet trim, top, and sides.
I dont know why but this finish is almost impossible to get off. I tried lacquer thinner but that would not work so I had to move to stripper. Then after stripping I had to go back and use lacquer thinner to get the rest off.

[morzh]

Could someone have used PU on it?

[OldRestorer]

WHY ME!!!!

I am not even then working on radios right now and in the middle of lunch today I get told that there is something leaking in the garage all over my radios. I hobble into the garage and find this:
       

Needless to say Mikes cabinet is getting a full restoration. This happened after I carefully stripped the entire cabinet around the face to try to keep it original. The face wasn't great but now it is toast.

The stripper ate right through the base of the can and also ruined my grandfathers Auto transformer that had a perfect finish.:
   

[morzh]

Oh well...at least the Variac can work without paint.

BUT: Make sure the stripper did not eatvaway into the magnet wire insulation of the autotransformer. That can create smoke and trip breakers.

PS. Oh..and I am dumping a cupful of sulfuric acid on the Halson.
Mua-hahahaha....

[Arran]

It's doubtful that the stripper would take the varnish of the windings in the Variac, even if it did manage to get on them. The varnish used on wire is a very different kind from the types used on boats and furniture, it's very difficult to remove even when you want to remove it, I think it may be phenolic based. The good news is that you can still find blue hammertoned paint, although you may have to look for it, I believe that Rustoleum makes one version of it, too bad about the lettering though.
This is one of the reasons why I keep cans of stripper and solvent near or on the floor. It's strange how it would eat through the container, I've had can's of stripper sit around for years and never spring a leak. Was it a plastic or a steel container?
Regards
Arran

[OldRestorer]

It was not eaten through, A seam popped from shoddy craftsmanship.
It is a metal can.

Grrrrrrrr.

[morzh]

What do you mean, "shoddy craftsmanship" !
How dare you!
All these older Variacs were made in USA.

[Ron Ramirez]

I think Kirk was referring to the can of stripper, not the Variac...

[morzh]

Canned stripper, mmmmmmm...so not only there is a stripper there, you do not even have to open the can, it pops out all by itself and starts stripping.
Me likes it!

[codefox1]

Cannibol?

[OldRestorer]

Well I got really bored and sat in my chair and worked a little.
Stripped the face of the cabinet and then did a final thinning.
I called the stripper company and they actually responded asking for pics and for me to send the can back so they could examine it. I love when companies care about their customers.

[morzh]

Dude, you're nuts, go rest, or I will think those anti-inflammatories have effect on your mental health.
This can wait.
PS. And no roof climbing either.

Watch ome TV (yeah yeah, I know, nothing to watch), have a beer....bowse some Playboy or something.

[OldRestorer]

Got to grain filling today