Organ Restoration Project: How do I get this finish?

[mpnmatthews]

Hey friends!

I am restoring a 1950 Hammond C-2 organ along with a JR-20 tone cabinet.

For context, I’ve included pictures of the organ and tone cabinet showing the way they look now.

I have decided on a complete refinish of the woodwork. The original finish was a tinted lacquer, so I will be stripping and sanding down to the veneer. Tips on making this process easier are appreciated.

But the real challenge for me will be in the replacement finish. I want my organ to look like this:

A beautiful satin black finish.

Can you guys, with all your experience and expertise, give me some tips on how to achieve this look?

I appreciate all of the knowledge represented here. You’ve never let me down!

Mike

 

[mpnmatthews]

I forgot to mention that I’m documenting the progress of this restoration on my Instagram.

www.instagram.com/norringtonmusic

I’d love for you to visit and be a part of this process!

Mike

 

[Phil S]

If you want a satin black instrument, I would not strip off all of the current finish.
Make any required repairs, thoroughly clean the surfaces to remove any wax or oils, sand lightly with 220 and then spray two or three coats of black satin lacquer. Black satin lacquer is available from most any cabinet maker supply house. I would use a pre-cat lacquer for durability

Hope this helps

 

[mpnmatthews]

If you want a satin black instrument, I would not strip off all of the current finish.
Make any required repairs, thoroughly clean the surfaces to remove any wax or oils, sand lightly with 220 and then spray two or three coats of black satin lacquer. Black satin lacquer is available from most any cabinet maker supply house. I would use a pre-cat lacquer for durability

Hope this helps

Hey Phil!

Thanks for the response. I guess I didn’t expect it to be that simple.

I’m lucky in that I have a bench to practice on... even though the bench isn’t original to the organ, it’s finished with the same techniques and lacquer so it should prove to be an easy drawing board.

Mike


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[Jim M.]

Mike,
Phil is spot on, I would only add after you've completed the cleaning process, do a test shoot on an easy part first, before jumping to the major ones and remember most successful paint jobs start with thorough preparation, the act of painting is the easy part.