rca: Ch=RC-1129A (RC1129 A); 6RF9 (6-RF-9)

First post:

I recently acquired another 6-RF-9 that has been brush painted orange of all colors including the knobs. Does anyone have any recommendations about the best way or product to use in removing the paint from the cabinet and knobs to see what was hidden by this hideous paint-job?

Also does anyone have a lead on an extra dial 'needle' for this radio as the one that came with it is the wrong one. 

Thank you in advance for any tips, tricks, or advice you may have.

Chad

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

hello chad, theres a product in europe called nitromores for removing paint , you smear it onto the surface taking care of eyes face and hands, [rubber gloves ] would be appropriate, leave for 30 minutes and gently remove paint with scraper,

the surface underneath can then be assessed, if its really bad , which i doubt , you'll need to strip the french polish with a specially made piece of a broken rhqac kacksaw blade or some such piece of metal. this is a major job and best left to a proffessional,

otherwise if the surface is reasonable you could fill in scratched areas with danish oil , wait to dry and polish the cabinet with a dampened steelwool pad saturated with beeswax, you'll be surprised at the finish that can be achieved with this method , it wont look like a brand new radio , but like a radio thats been looked after, the knobs caan be treated by removing them and saturating them with the remover , but dont leave it on too long , good luck with it and come back with pics of the process  regards maitiu.

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

Hello Maitiu,

Thank you for your reply; I want this to look as good as it can but still have some level of nostalgia to it. I found a ‘gentle’ paint remover that turned out to work too well which quickly went down through the paint, and lacquer finish and took some of the stain color too. I didn’t leave it on long at all. By the directions it said it may not work as fast as other products, so if there is something that works faster than this I’m glad I got this as I might have lost all my stain color. I cleaned up the remover with mineral spirits, and I sanded down the cleaned and dried finish to try and hide some of the color gradient variances. Which I think worked. All of which I had done prior to getting your response. I’ve applied a coat of polyurethane (high gloss), and I think it is going to come out fine. Hopeful thinking. I’m going to apply a second coat in the AM, and I’ll take pics then and post. I essentially ruined one of the knobs with the paint remover; it did remove the paint, but also messed up the Bakelite knob surface. The knobs are ruined either way, I can’t leave the orange on and I can’t use paint remover, or sandpaper. So it looks like I will have to buy some reproductions.

My next question deals with the labeling on the cabinet above the respective ‘controls:’ ON-VOLUME, TUNE, FM-AM-PHONO, TONE. Does anyone know of another idea or product to use to put these indicators back on the cabinet? I am thinking of something like rub-on transfer paper. Has anyone tried or done this before?

This project is for my father, I want to get it up and running and looking good for an early Christmas present. I found it on eBay, felt sorry for it and knew I had to return it to its original glory. I’m almost there, I’ve already rebuilt the chassis and it is sounding good, just waiting for the cabinet to get done.

Thanks again for any help or info.

Chad

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

My card reader isn't working, so I've been able to put on a few more coats from this morning. I plan on sanding this coat down and finish with one more for a total of 6. 

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

Hi Chad,

just have a look at Antique Radio Supply:   tubesandmore.com   

then:  radio parts

then:  decals

Maybe there is something suitable for You.

Good luck,
KoBi

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

Konrad,

Thanks I have them on the way.

Chad

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

I've done all I can do, coat, sand, coat, sand, coat................done. The dial and fabric could use a little work but I'm not sure what to try, I vacuumed the fabric, cleaned the dial as much as I could. It looks wonderful compared to what it did. 

 If you wish to see more before pictures: Click here

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

Labels came in and got 'em put on. Now I'm just waiting for the poly to fully cure which won't be until the 13th. Thanks again for the help.

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.