Ultimate BWU

Hi Peter, I can't confirm the exact finish on this model, but I believe the first (main) photo for this model on vintageradio.co.nz is probably original finish and original grill cloth. I would expect it to be a black nitrocellulose lacquer, and the body to be done in clear NC lacquer. It was probably piano finished when new, but I have no definitive proof of that. Sometimes old advertising photos pop up (like the black and white shot of the model 19 Columbus here: www.vintageradio.co.nz/model/columbus/19) which shows some evidence of the type of finish - satin in that models case I suspect... but I don't have anything like that for the BWU.

Any major variances in the finish of different unrestored ones are likely to be nothing more than 80 years of UV degradation, polish, and wear & tear - although the model ran for at least an entire year and would have sold in a reasonable quantity - every single cabinet was different both in tones and grain patterns, so there would have been variation across the production cycle.

So, I expect black lacquer for the trim, as shown, and gloss or satin clear over the entire cabinet. I tend to find straight clear can look a little bit blah though, and so my first coat will often get a touch of brown mixed in just to darken it up a bit. A good tip I was told a while back for satin finish is to use gloss on all undercoats and just satin on top - as the flatteners can build up and make the overall finish cloudy with multiple satin coats.

So, in conclusion - sorry I can't answer your questions

Cheers, Steve