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I have taken a short break from my landscaping duties in the new house and just completed a Twilight Zone cabinet restore. As I have said before, there are many guys that do really nice resto work, and this thread is really to assist someone who is considering taking the step to have a go themselves. The following is my method, that I find works for me, but there are many other successful ways, from quick basic jobs to really high end mint jobs. I logged the times I worked on this job so you get an idea of how many hours go into restoring and re-decaling a cabinet. I just worked on it when I had the time over the last month, an hour here, 30 mins there, etc.
STEP 1 - TIMBER PREPARATION
Completely strip cabinet of all components including earth braid/staples. This cabinet was delivered to me stripped, except for earth braid and 1 x side rail. Instructions were to retain some of the original labels and the interior was to be all black. Remove artwork - this can be done several ways as some cabinets have printed artwork on timber and others have decals. TZ had decals, so I used a heat gun and scraper. Very effective, but they can also be removed with just a sander, effectively and quickly, depending on sander type and paper coarseness.
The left over residue adhesive requires removal and I did this with a small orbital sander with 60 grit. Then another sand with finishing sander using 80 grit, then 120 grit by hand. Once artwork is removed, I can now see the raw timber and it’s true condition. I use builders bog, PVA glue, clamps and timber screws to repair the cab to give it back its structural integrity and repair any damage, especially in the plywood that is so common with these 20-30 year old machines. This process can take a while as it’s just filling and sanding, filling and sanding, etc. This one was very good structurally and didn’t require a new base or it’s corners clamped. It did however need a few screws and glue in two of the corners - make sure you pre-drill a hole and countersink the screw heads well.
I also fill and sand many small brad nail holes (used during manufacture) inside the cab. This is just me and my OCD. I like the smooth look and feel, even inside the cabinet, but for most - unnecessary.
Underneath the cab, I fill any small holes in the edge of the plywood sides. This timber type is common for these small holes. I also use a quality gap filler and caulk the small area where the base meets the sides. Once again, not at all necessary as it’s the underneath of the machine but it’s the neat finish I am after, but many guys don't do it.
My last task before spraying is a final sand of the entire cabinet (inside and out) with 240 grit, then use the blower to get rid of any dust. This cab took me 9 hours just to complete the preparation, ready for priming/painting.
STEP 1 - TIMBER PREPARATION
Completely strip cabinet of all components including earth braid/staples. This cabinet was delivered to me stripped, except for earth braid and 1 x side rail. Instructions were to retain some of the original labels and the interior was to be all black. Remove artwork - this can be done several ways as some cabinets have printed artwork on timber and others have decals. TZ had decals, so I used a heat gun and scraper. Very effective, but they can also be removed with just a sander, effectively and quickly, depending on sander type and paper coarseness.
The left over residue adhesive requires removal and I did this with a small orbital sander with 60 grit. Then another sand with finishing sander using 80 grit, then 120 grit by hand. Once artwork is removed, I can now see the raw timber and it’s true condition. I use builders bog, PVA glue, clamps and timber screws to repair the cab to give it back its structural integrity and repair any damage, especially in the plywood that is so common with these 20-30 year old machines. This process can take a while as it’s just filling and sanding, filling and sanding, etc. This one was very good structurally and didn’t require a new base or it’s corners clamped. It did however need a few screws and glue in two of the corners - make sure you pre-drill a hole and countersink the screw heads well.
I also fill and sand many small brad nail holes (used during manufacture) inside the cab. This is just me and my OCD. I like the smooth look and feel, even inside the cabinet, but for most - unnecessary.
Underneath the cab, I fill any small holes in the edge of the plywood sides. This timber type is common for these small holes. I also use a quality gap filler and caulk the small area where the base meets the sides. Once again, not at all necessary as it’s the underneath of the machine but it’s the neat finish I am after, but many guys don't do it.
My last task before spraying is a final sand of the entire cabinet (inside and out) with 240 grit, then use the blower to get rid of any dust. This cab took me 9 hours just to complete the preparation, ready for priming/painting.
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