The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have a Victrola vv-vxii in a sun bleached cabinet. What is the best way to darken the cabinet without refinishing it?

I use Howard's Restor-a-Finish and follow up with paste wax when the Howard's is dried.

Could you post a photo? I have no idea what you are up against.

Thanks, Jerry

One one the left is what it should look like, the one on the right needs to be darker.

Looks to me that one machine was stained as red mahogany and the other as brown. If it is sun faded, the color to match would be under the lid.
-bill

I can second the Howard's Restor-a-Finish recommendation, but with the caveat that it all depends on how exact you want the match. They claim it literally only brings it back to the original colour.
http://www.howardproducts.com/faqs/?id=49
I used it a couple times and been pleased ... but everyone has different degrees of desires for exactitude.

It's not expensive and a trial in an inconspicuous spot on the back might be enough to see if you want to go further.

I'm not a big fan of Restor-A-Finish. I do use their Feed-N-Wax, but their Restor-A-Finish isn't reversible and I kind of regret using it on my Standard Model B years ago. It's not horrible, it's just too dark for my taste.

One reversible thing that did work for me was to use old fashioned Cordovan Kiwi shoe wax to restore some red into my circa 1925 Starr piano that got too much sun. Additionally, the wax protects the finish. An $8.00 tin and an afternoon will let you know if it's going to work well enough for you. If you end up not liking it, it will come off with mineral spirits.

Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.

Regards,
Martin

oldtvsandtoys wrote:One one the left is what it should look like, the one on the right needs to be darker.

Are you sure they didn't start out in life with different finish/color options? If you open the doors on the lighter one, does the finish better resemble the machine on the left, or is it more consistent with the lighter external finish?

I was wondering that too--now that you mention it the brown one actually does look like brown mahogany, quite popular after the Great War.

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:I was wondering that too--now that you mention it the brown one actually does look like brown mahogany, quite popular after the Great War.

Nope inside doors are the same color