ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
I thought it would be useful to have general thread for those, like me, who have learned painfully by trial and lots of errors the "right" and the "wrong" way to restore vintage equipment back to its former glory.
Ill start by reproducing a post I placed on the Beomaster 900 thread [ed - if you want to remove it - i believe this would be a more appropriate place for it]
INVALUABLE BASICS
Just a note to anyone new or new-ish to refurbishing any vintage item from someone who scrapes a living from it
It might seem either obvious or superfluous but the time and heartache you will save by being totally anal over putting each type of screw/component in a separate little plastic cup (of the disposable type) or zip close bag and labeling it (write on a bit of masking tape and stick to bag).
Photograph every stage of the disassembly no matter HOW simple and obvious it looks at the time.
And finally the one that separates the pro's from the armatures - cut card panels and masking tape them in place to protect wood veneers / perspex panels etc and do all your re-finishing of wood / perspex etc when it is separated from the electronics and use a thick wool blanket to rest the item on on your workbench to protect it.
Always use the same side "UP" for the blanket and buy the best quality masking tape you can from an auto refinishing supplies.
Buy good quality small steel, brass and nylon "Wire Brushes" - they are the most useful things after the screwdriver!
Foaming upholstery cleaner is amazing (combined with a nylon brush) at lifting dirt, old oil and cig tar from wood veneer - obviously brands differ so check on a small unimportant area first. Once dry oil immediately as the wood will be "parched".
Jacques
A set of tools for soldering/desoldering
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Wood and veneer care
I start cleaning with Isopropyl alcohol, depending on how dirty (layers of Pledge, wax or lacquered with something) at times I use acetone for the first cleaning, careful acetone may damage plastics and loosen glues.
Then sand the wood with 200/220 grain sand paper or this (these hand pads I find better than sandpaper, they dont run full, and you can use them over and over again) I sand until small scratches and marks disappear and the surfaces has the same color over all, deep damages can be repaired with a mix of wood glue and sanding dust.A drop of water on a deep damage will raise the veneer, add water to the damage leave for a couple of hours or until dry, sand down to surface height
Mix the dust with glue until you have a heavy paste, clean the damage with a cutter and acetone, press the paste into the scratch/hole, level off wit a knife or spatula. This only for smaller deep scratches, if bigger, you will have to cut out the damaged veneer and glue in a new piece of veneer fitting the grain and cut out to fit.
When the repaired areas are dry, sand again with 200/229 grain or hand pad, if you want a finer finish, sand with 400 grain, Clean off dust with a brush and then with Iso alcohol or a rag moistened with water, let dry. Now soak the wood with Boiled linseed oil (also known as Danish Oil), after half an hour, wipe off excess, let dry for 12 hours, sand lightly with hand pad or 400 grain, clean off dust, soak with oil, 1/2 hour, wipe off excess, let dry 12 hours, polish with lint free rag, done. After a couple of years, sand light, clean, soak, wipe off excess, let dry, polish, and it looks like new again.
The Linseed oil stinks, so do this outside or in the garage.
For sanding, use a sanding block or a piece of wood that fits in your hand, wrapped with sanding paper or hand pad. Do NOT use machine, the veneer is very thin on some some items.
Always sand until all darker areas are gone, and an even light brown color is reached, the wood will turn darker and the grain be more accented after oiling.
Daily (weekly) cleaning with rag moistened with soapy water. Use no furniture sprays or cleaners.
Søren Mexico: Wood and veneer care For sanding, use a sanding block or a piece of wood that fits in your hand, wrapped with sanding paper or hand pad. Do NOT use machine, the veneer is very thin on some some items. My personal favorite failing - not using a sanding block (years of sanding car bodywork; I can not get it in my head im sanding flat surfaces) and sanding through at the very edges of the veneer because i have used the paper in my hand. Some veneers are so thin that even 800 or 1200 grit can easily go through at the edge
My personal favorite failing - not using a sanding block (years of sanding car bodywork; I can not get it in my head im sanding flat surfaces) and sanding through at the very edges of the veneer because i have used the paper in my hand. Some veneers are so thin that even 800 or 1200 grit can easily go through at the edge
SANDPAPER AND WET AND DRY PAPER
Cheap sandpaper is cheap for a reason - its crap. It clogs, falls apart in seconds, has poor grit sizing and ultimately results in a 2nd class job. Buy the best abrasive paper you can get and look after it carefully. What do i mean by that?
THE single most annoying (and this happened to me today) thing is when you get to 2500 grit wet'n dry on a lacquered surface that is going to be burnished with T cut and polished to a mirror smooth hi gloss surface only to find that a stray grain of 400 grit has somehow got onto your new 2500 and you now have deep scratches all over the surface - if your lucky you are back to 800 grit. If unlucky its a respray.
Be ultra anal about your abrasive paper at the higher grit numbers - take large paper envelopes to the store and take sheets from the middle of the box and put each grit in a separate envelope - DONT let the staff mix the sheets in a bag what every you do!
Better still - if finances permit buy new boxes; its a lot cheaper in the long run and the storage is easier.