A different kind of detailing....

[VintageRestore]

Hey All,

I'm an old part time detailer - used to do it 20++ years ago.

Mike - you have been a guiding resource of mine for more years than I can count, and I want to take a minute to say a sincere thank you. None of what I've learned would have been possible without you. I remember when Blackfire first came out and was on the old forums. Then got distracted by life but I'm back! Sort of....

I'm too busy to do my own car now with a real job and I also run a hifi audio channel and page that gets over a million views per month. Here's where the detailing comes in:

I'm huge into tube amps and such and recently started buying tube testers from the 1930's through the early 1960's.

They all need to be refurbished by brining the old metal case back to life, carefully cleaning the metal (or aluminum) face plates, and if the case is wood - cleaning and decontaminated 90 years of smells from the vinyl or cloth exterior.

This has brought me full circle back to here with detailing products, gear and technique.

I still have my Flex 3401 and the small Kompact 3 from back in the day and also recently bought a G13. I tried the G8 first but quickly exchanged it for the G13.

I'm going to be posting my thoughts of recently comparing the Griots creams and pads vs, Menzerna product and pads and now most recently Scholl's.

Here are some before and after pics of some recent work on 70 year old pieces. On only one did I use the Griots cream before quickly ditching it for the Menzerna as it just didn't work well. I would say in most cases what I deal with would be considered heavy to extreme paint issues. Pics of the Scholl's will be coming soon:

 

[Fech]

Nice! Looks very cool!

 

[Mike Phillips]

That's some impressive work and results. And super intricate type of detailing. You need a lot of patience and the hands of a surgeon to do this type of work.

Thanks for sharing.


Mike

 

[VintageRestore]

Nice! Looks very cool!

Thank you!

That's some impressive work and results. And super intricate type of detailing. You need a lot of patience and the hands of a surgeon to do this type of work.

Thanks for sharing.


Mike

Thanks Mike.

Lots of trial and error for sure.

The real challenge is to clean it up but not TOO much - still need to keep some of the character and often times the marking stamps and lettering on the outside of the cases can add to their value. So need to clean it up but not destroy the markings.

It would be easier if I could go in with an aggressive wool pad on a rotary and obliterate it, but that can't be done. It's a balance trying to get it nice 'just right'.

I don't work on the insides -the electrical stuff is way above my intelligence. But there is literally no one else I know of in the country that specializes on the outsides - as I do.

I'm thinking of starting it as a small side for-fun business. I'm in Texas so centrally located. People could ship me their testers, I cosmetically restore them and ship them back.

Plus I then get to play with all sorts of detailing product and gear.

Who knows. We'll see.