Fake woodgrain, need restoration tips

[ohohyodafarted]

Thanks everyone,

Took a good look at the damage today. I have decided to try and disguise the damage with some stain of the correct color, and then fill in the gouges with an artists brush and some clear lacquer to fill the grooves. After filling up the gouges with lacquer to even out the surface, I will apply several coats of lacquer to the entire surface and then lightly wet sand to flaten out the surface where the gouges are.

If the above method works I will post photos of the results. I anticipate this project will happen next winter when I am house bound.

Using a sheet of veneer would probably be the nicest looking but would not be original and I would like to keep to the original look if possible. (even if it is cheepo cheepo fake and printed. Too bad RCA didn't use nicer cabinets on these color sets. After all there were the pinacle of the entire RCA tv line. You would think they would have wanted wonderful furniture cabinets like DuMont and Zenith used in their B&W console sets. I guess they were trying to keep costs on the color sets down so people would be more likely to buy one)

My ctc4 has a real mahogony veneer cabinet. That set will look "knock your socks off gorgeous, after I have striped and refinished it. It currently has been painted with a fake Maple wood grain finish....YUCK!

[Whirled One]

Originally Posted by ohohyodafarted

Too bad RCA didn't use nicer cabinets on these color sets. After all there were the pinacle of the entire RCA tv line. You would think they would have wanted wonderful furniture cabinets like DuMont and Zenith used in their B&W console sets. I guess they were trying to keep costs on the color sets down so people would be more likely to buy one)

Well, as they say, you pays your money and you takes your choice. The CTC-5 series was RCA's first attempt at a "full line" of color sets, with models available in a fairly wide range of cabinet styles and prices. So, just as with their B&W models, RCA offered sets in simple cabinets with printed finishes all the way up to high-end Deluxe-line models in big solid hardwood cabinets with doors. Not all CTC-5's have a cabinet with a printed finish..! But, hey, you paid a substantial preminum for that fancy cabinet, and not everyone is going to choose that. I seem to remember reading somewhere that even with its rather basic cabinet, the $495 "Aldrich" CTC-5 Special almost ended up a loss-leader for RCA.