Staining a victrola 8?

[winduphere]

I picked up this victrola 8 exactly as shown. The motor board is a different color then the rest. Is it possible to restain it to match the rest of the machine? Should I hunt for a new motor board? What color stain is recommended if going that route?
Thank you!

[JerryVan]

You certainly could try looking for another motor board, but most VIII's I've seen are the same blond color as your board. The color of the rest of your cabinet is really very nice. As to "what color of stain", the short answer is, the same color as your cabinet, but that doesn't really help you. Matching colors is a bit of trial & error. You may end up buying a few shades of stain that you find are close, then mixing them together in various ratios to get the exact color you want. Test the mixture on a sample of wood similar to your board until you get it right. Also, keep track of your mixing ratios so that when you finally get it, you'll be able to replicate the sample mix in a larger quantity. I recommend using an aniline dye stain. You can get highly concentrated dye in a wide variety of colors under the name Trans-Tint. You can add the concentrate to denatured alcohol to make your stain, or add it directly to your finish to tint it, (hence the name Trans Tint).

[OrthoFan]

If you haven't seen it, this page shows a variety of oak finishes used for Victor products -- http://www.victor-victrola.com/oak.htm

From what I can tell, "antique oak" comes the closest, but you may find something better, per Jerry's suggestion. I used antique oak finish when I restored portions of my Vic. V, and topped them with a couple of coats of clear (thinned) shellac.

OrthoFan

[Jerry B.]

Does your machine have an original decal under the lid? Is the color under the lid about the same as the outside allowing for some difference from sunlight, etc? If the answer is "yes" to both questions you need to match the motor board color to the rest of the machine. I would remove the motor board from the machine and remove the motor and all hardware from the board. If there is any finish on the board like shellac it should be removed with stripper or denatured alcohol. When the wood is bare you could experiment with stains to get it towards the desired color. I would experiment with the underside of the motor board until you find something you like.

I started a thread in the "Tips & Tricks" section of our Forum and it was titled something like "Good Color For An Edison." You might take a look at it for starters.

Jerry Blais