Wood Cabinets
Video 16
Airstream Wood Cabinet Refinishing
According to Kevin Tetz the 1970 Airstream Overland Yacht Trailer he is working on is the last to have solid wooden cabinets. Kevin is a restoration and bodywork specialist, who is also the host of Classic Rides. The subsequent trailers that Airstream manufactured had laminated cabinets because this was the trend in the industry.
Kevin shows us that the cabinets are actually veneer on top of plywood. So it cannot be sanded down the way solid wood can be sanded. He thinks that the original cabinets have been finished with lacquer or Danish oil. So before he refinishes the cabinets, he needs to test the finishes to see what he will be working with.
He takes a section of the cabinet door, and using nail polish remover and a Q-tip, he applies the solution on an inconspicuous area. Make sure you get a nail polish remover with acetone, as this is they key ingredient to find out what kind of finish was used. Kevin points out that the finish is "moving" or that the surface is getting gummy as he is applying the solution. That tells us that the finish is a lacquer or shellac finish.
Now he is ready to work on the rest of the cabinets. He suggests removing the cabinetry from the trailer so that painting will be easier and fumes can be avoided. The first thing to do is to clean the surface, taking away all the dust and debris that has been in it for the past thirty years. He uses a good furniture refinisher and cleaner to do this. He uses a fine grain sheet of wall and uses small circular movements.
Now he is ready to refinish the cabinet. He uses a shellac finish to bring out the beauty of the wood. He also uses a natural bristle paintbrush to apply the shellac. To ensure that any debris that comes out will not come out in the finish, he flips the bristles of the brush. He applies the lacquer in the direction of the grain of the wood, giving it a nice even coat. He extends the drying time to more than an hour because of the rainy weather outside.
He shows us the difference of one and four coats. He says that the four-coated panel really brings out the richness and grain of the wood. And because shellac finishes are prone to water spots, he says it is a good idea to apply furniture wax to areas that are near water.
He then works on the plastic cabinet latches, which were already very faded in color. He decides to just spray paint them, after scuffing and cleaning them. He then applies a lacquer thinner and silver spray paint. It gives the cabinets a nice finished look. Now the trailer is starting to feel more like home.
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