I put the second coat of lacquer on the cabinet today. The second coat was a mix of clear shellac, amber shellac, and denatured alcohol. The idea is to start to give the cabinet a nice vintage look, without it getting too orange.
I had been wondering what sort of difference the amber shellac would make. It turns out that it has a very pleasing effect -- you can see the contrast between a "raw" and "cooked" cabinet in this picture. It should look pretty good when it's done!
I think I'll do one more amber-mix coat. And then top it all off with a final coat of clear.
The lacquer is so cool! Is there any way to get that variable tone -- lighter, darker, orangy, slightly splotchy -- unevenness in a genuine vintage Champ? Is it possible to "distress" it in authentic-looking ways? Maybe you could spill a bit of dark ale or weak coffee or tea on it before it dries... Or expose it to some localized heat while a coat of lacquer is drying... In any case, that class tweed looks terrific!
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