Paul,
The least damaging, caustic, and vaporous way to
remove the old finish is to use a heat gun. I'm talking
out a real heat gun that generates way more heat than
a hair dryer.
If you heat up the varnish enough, it begins lifting and
curling up. Then use an exacto knife with their flat, hor-
izontal scaping blade on. You must be careful not to
dig into the walnut veneer, as these blades are sharp.
Perhaps it may be advisable to dull the blade a little first
on some 400 grit sandpaper.
For refinishing, I used two coats of Metalflake Company's
Candy Apple Aztec gold (to simulate the yellowish patina of
the varnish), followed by coats of clear Imron. I would put
a heavy application of Imron on, wetsand, the another app
of Imron until I had a filled the woodgrain. It took a while,
but the results are worth it. The last coat was scuffed with
scotch-brite to get the proper matte finish. Any paint store
should be able to match the brown color on the back.
I can send you a pic of the finished product off the list if
you'd like.
JOE IV
TR 250
WALLINGFORD, CT. USA
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