Well, it deserved more than an Asda cardboard box to sit in.
My friend Julian supplied a bit of plywood to make a suitable top from, and another friend, Barry, cut the required shape out (copied from another record player fitted with the same deck, and soon to be featured on these very pages). Barry also made some MDF sides for it.
Now, I could paint it ... but I've got another couple of turntable plinths made by Carl Ellis I'd like to veneer, so this would make the ideal test piece.
Some mahogany veneer was procured from the very wonderful people at www.thewoodveneerhub.co.uk who were most helpful and rookie tolerant (even sent me some free samples)
I tried some different samples out on a small wooden box, and after some initial success, got on with the job in hand...
Trimming of the edges terrified me. What if it split? I'd have to remove it and start again! I'd read on the internet that a veneer saw was the way to go, and it needed to be razor sharp. I didn't want to go to the expense. I initially just cut the veneer to the rough size before gluing with a pair of sharp kitchen scissors! I trimmed the first part with a sharp scalpel. It went well enough ... get to within a couple of mm of the edge and sand it back with some 120 sandpaper to the edge. Don't rush any of the process. The scalpel cuts with the grain with ease. Cutting across the grain isn't so easy, and requires multiple gentle strokes.
With a couple of off-cuts, I experimented with finishes...
Whilst varnish looks good on the photo, The oil has a better sheen to it after a couple of coats. I used Liberon Finishing oil. It seems well thought of
So, now for the big piece that will cover the top.... this was difficult to get to lie flat, and, in hindsight I wish I'd done it first. Clamping it down proved problematic!! That's two dirty great power supplies, and a wooden box full of sealed-lead acid batteries holding it down whilst the glue sets!
After everything is trimmed up, and given a brief run down with some fine sandpaper, the first coat of finishing oil is applied, and left for 24 hours...
It's then given another rub down with fine wire wool, and another coat added....
This is repeated until I've built up 5 coats of finishing oil. It's important to follow the instructions on the bottle to the letter.
Once this is finished, the wood is lightly polished up with a fluffy cloth... and I must say I'm chuffed with the results!
