The veneer on this cabinet has stretched apart, creating the rip you can see in the photo. It's the result of being on a curved surface where the wood underneath has swollen, I guess. The veneer is not pulling away from the cabinet--it is still solidly glued to the wood underneath.

Do any of you have any suggestions for making this less obvious? I can refinish, but I'm not able to re-do the veneer as that is beyond my skill level. A cabinet shop would undoubtedly charge more than the radio is worth (9-S-367).

Thanks!

Tom

I would strip the radio and then apply clear sanding sealer to the tear. Fill it in completely, sand it flat, then use some light stains with a paint brush to match the color of the veneer. After that apply some clear.
I had this problem on the center post of my Zenith 12s265. The veneer had split vertically. I tried lots of things and they all made the tear stand out. I finally tried sanding sealer and then painted the wood grain on with an artists paint brush. It worked nicely.

Chris

Thanks Chris. That's kind of what I was thinking, but wanted confirmation from more experienced restorers.

Tom