Console Dream Come True

I've got mixed feelings here. It sanded down nice, and the new finish will be gorgeous, but I really liked the authentic original look....
I was torn, too. It was just a few degrees too beat up to put in my living room - which is my plan. Hopefully, it will end up looking like it did back in '59 when it was sitting on the showroom floor at Campbell's Music in DC (where I figure it must have been purchased).
 
I don't have any experience using oil but I figure it would darken the wood and highlight the grain. While I'm sure that would look very nice with the mahogany veneer, I'm trying to match the factory finish that I've left in the sections that would be very difficult to sand.

I also have the matching "stereo companion" that I probably won't refinish since it is in acceptable condition. Plus, its veneer is so thin that I would be afraid of sanding right through it. My biggest concern is matching the stain color to the existing finish. I'd like to do a better job than I did on the Motorola. I wasn't too far off but it wasn't a perfect match either.

That is a very good reason to not oil it. You are correct, it will darken the veneer and it wont be a match for the rest of it.

Now trying to match your old finish, is much easier than you think.
If you can get a part that will come off of the whole cabinet that you did'nt sand, bring it to a furniture maker that mixes his own furniture stain. He will be able to do an exact match for you. It will be slightly more expansive than a store bought stain, but not prohibitive. It's worth while anyway.
Good luck.
 
I was torn, too. It was just a few degrees too beat up to put in my living room - which is my plan. Hopefully, it will end up looking like it did back in '59 when it was sitting on the showroom floor at Campbell's Music in DC (where I figure it must have been purchased).

You get it looking like new, that will be super. :thmbsp:
 
I wouldn't be as concerned about matching the original color, but of course I would end up sanding everything.

Stain can be really nice, and is the way to go if you want to put some sort of protective coat on afterward (which Fisher did with regularity). The problem I have with stains is that many used by Fisher in their 60's cabinets were more like paint coats, totally masking the wood grain.

Oil is better (at least in my estimation) if you want to avoid a topcoat. Properly applied, oils work great to maintain the wood. I keep different shades of Danish Oil, Tung Oil and Teak Oil around and use them on everything.

I'm preparing all my outdoor furniture this week, including Brazilian Cherry Adirondacks and a Teak bench. That they can survive for a season outdoors is an indication of just how protective oils can be.
 
I've started using the Maloof finishes. There's an oil I've used as a first finish and an oil/poly rub to finish it out. Darkens the stain very little. Looks fabulous. The grain will pop very well.
I've been criticized in the past for using Minwax light walnut stain and multiple coats of Minwax spray poly, but it works great, keeps the grain popped, and survives everything but a scratch or gouge with aplomb. Having kids in the house it's a great finish.
But for my showcase pieces, the Maloof stuff, in my mind is better than Tung Oil (works great but stinks for a long time) or the Watco Danish oil I've tried.

This is exclusively on Fisher receiver or integrated amp cases. I've never done a console piece.
 
Since this is veneer I'm dealing with I figured it would be safer to seal it after staining. I'd also be concerned about the oil penetrating through the veneer and affecting the glue. I've generally been impressed with the finishes on the Fisher cabinets I have seen.

Of course, I don't think Fisher actually produced their own cabinets. I know that at least some of their higher-end cabinets were produced by the Widdicomb Furniture Co. of Grand Rapids, Michigan. I believe my Premiere was one of those. Its finish is excellent. The grain really stands out. I believe the wood is cherry. I'm looking at it now with a few bars of early morning sun draped across it.

The Contemporary cabinets were probably Widdicomb, too. They are constructed exactly like the Premiere. Though I think the Contemporary cabinets used varnish instead of lacquer like on the Premiere. The lacquer seems to age better than the varnish and is much more transparent and has more depth. Lacquer is probably beyond my capability. I've used polyurithane before but it seems even cloudier than varnish. I'm leaning toward varnish especially since that would be the most authentic. If it can hold its gloss for half a century and still look like this - I think it'll work for me.

Top of the 560 "Stereo Companion" in foreground.
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The recent flurry of Fisher console activity has inspired me to clear away the old TV stand, my Fisher 400 and a set of Klipsch KG-3 speakers to make way for the Contemporary II. I lugged it up from the basement piece by piece and reassembled it in the living room yesterday eventing. I still have to replace the nasty old acoustic insulation I removed and put the back panel on. Surprisingly, it sounds OK as it is; though I'm sure it will sound better once I get it restuffed and buttoned up.

I haven't hooked up the model 560 'Stereo Companion' since it's amp still needs to be recapped. I also want to run the RCA and power connection down through the floor and across the basement ceiling to avoid wires running along the wall in front of the window.

My original plan was to have the Contemporary II on the right and the 560 on the left (see my avatar) but the room looked unbalanced and the TV, though it fit, looked top heavy on the 560. It still looks wrong even on the bigger unit. Someday, if that old Toshiba CRT TV ever dies, I'll get one of those flat ones that can fold away out of sight behind the console when not in use.

I listened to the radio for a while today to make sure I had reconnected everything correctly. That 15" speaker really imparts some serious authority to mono FM! I wonder how much of the "thunder" I will lose when I replace the insulation and put the back panel on.

The braided rug really has to go. I'd like to find a nice old Persian rug with faded colors to replace it. My wife would rather have some sort of semi-shag in a boring neutral color like cream or tan. Unfortunately, it is definitely my turn to make some home decor concessions. With two consoles now in the living room, I'll need to be deferring to her for quite some time to come. But I'm very pleased with how it looks and I'm confident she will be, too. (She IS out of town but she knows what I've been up to - in fact, she suggested I tackle this project while she was visiting back home.)

What do you all think?

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Just get an old DUMONT Portable with an OVAL aperature, and your all set, Carter. I love the FAN! PERFECT!!

Danish Modern Sofa/Couch. The overstuffed, microfiber one overpowers the right side.

Those Sepia pics are GREAT!

Larry
 
Thats so cool Red.
When I went to the last post to have a peak. Larry's post came up and your last photo. For a moment or two I thought I was looking at a 1950's circa photo. It wasn't till I focused in on the flat screen that I came back to reality.
Most excellent!
martin
 
Your oval screen DuMont suggestion is brilliant!! Modern TVs are just so devoid of style. The aspect ratio of a modern wide-screen TV would fit nicely into an oval without much loss in viewing area.

I agree with you about the couch, too. We have a much more appropriate looking couch - actually, it's a futon - downstairs in the room with the Commander's console. It's Mission style with flat wood arms and very comfortable for a futon. About every six months for the last several years I have suggested that we swap couches. But my wife fears that if we have too much wood furniture in one room it might tilt toward "Country" - a decor she greatly fears.
 
15W LIGHTBULB!! Get a can of Brown Krylon Paint for Plastic, and paint the TV Case. Or going the other way (TACKY) Wood grain contact Paper :D.

Larry
 
Hiya,

I like the re purposing a old oval set idea better. Although you would be murdering that old set in the process. Unless you could store all the old electronics some place and not mung up the cab too bad.

That converter at the top. You could throw that into a period looking wood box with a smoked glass front.

Frannie
 
What year is this?
Wotta cool look.
I have to say I take a fancy to mid-century modern myself. It's great for a house where the rooms aren't too big.
 
Recent developments make this an appropriate time to revisit this old thread. Thanks to a friend from AK's Fisher console subculture, I now have my '59 Contemporary II up and running - sounding better than ever. It has been so nice to be able to listen to Rob Bamberger's nostalgic New Year's broadcasts on WAMU-FM as well as my new favorite AM oldies station WKCW 1420 out of Warrenton, Va. This Fisher R-30-S is the best radio I've ever had at receiving AM on its ferrite rod antenna despite aluminum siding.

It has been a bit of a rocky road getting to this point, though. The original chassis did not survive the trip back. I had a sinking feeling when I saw the condition of the box sitting on my front stoop. Fishing the inner box out from the styrofoam peanuts I could hear the unmistakable sound of broken glass. I nearly cried when I saw the extent of damage inside. It was brutal.

The guy who restored it felt so bad that he immediately began searching for a replacement even though it clearly wasn't his fault. I figured it would take months - if not years - to find another suitable R-30-S. He found one in just a few days! Such is the dedication of the Fisher console people here at AK.

I should have the 30-A from the 560 Stereo Companion (as well as my Sister-in-law's 610-ST/30-A combo from her '60 Custom Electra III) back next week. It's always nice to be able to return these chassis to their rightful places in their cabinets. Speaking of which, I should also mention that yet another AK Fisher console guy volunteered his expertise in repairing my friend Sandi's '66 Custom Electra E-491. She had a painting fall down behind it which sheered off one of the big cardboard power supply caps on the 49-A amp. It is now completely recapped and back in daily use.

I didn't mention any names since these guys aren't in the console restoration business and don't have tons of spare time to take on new projects. However, their efforts to uphold Fisher's 'Quality Tradition' - to quote the catalogs - cannot go unrecognized. Avery would certainly approve. Thanks guys!

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