Would This Be a An Acceptable Victrola Conversion?

[JerryVan]

I don't mind 2 minute Triumphs converted to 4 minute macines so much, unless the cabinet has been drilled for cygnet crane mount. THAT I hate to see. Otherwise, it's just bolt-on stuff that can be reversed.... as long as the 2 minute stuff is still in existance someplace. That being said, I have a 2 min Triumph that I would never convert.

[OrthoFan]

Another alternative for a home-build model would be to use one of the "reproduction" Victrola cabinets sold within the past few years, like this one:

Capture.JPG (36.94 KiB) Viewed 1220 times

I see these come up for sale, from time to time, on eBay and Craigslist.

You could probably fit a decent size horn in one of these.

OrthoFan

[tesch1932]

I'd go for it. I think it would be awesome.

[VanEpsFan1914]

Here's a great one.

A broken off-brand that would be impossible to repair would be a fine chance to make something like this--and the extra height would be a nice relief from the short Consolette. Victrola X cabinets also turn up in pretty great numbers. I've seen empty Victrola cabinets show up for $15 or $25 before.

Besides, our own Forum member Chunny (chunnybh) runs this site. http://www.gramophonemuseum.com/expert-conversion.html


Beats tearing up an old Orthophonic.


Charles

[Ethan]

A broken off-brand that would be impossible to repair would be a fine chance to make something like this--and the extra height would be a nice relief from the short Consolette.

Now there’s an idea. Any suggestions for brands to look for? There’s a “non working” upright near me, but it’s not in “basket case” condition and the soundbox claims to be a Brunswick (although there are no obvious markings on the cabinet), and I know that Brunswick isn’t exactly an off-brand. There's also a non-working VV-IX with no soundbox and a less-than-perfect finish (possibly re-finished; it looks oddly textured), no soundbox, and the wrong door knobs, but again, it isn't an off-brand and it looks as though it could be easily restored.

Also, it occurs to me that I’ve asked for opinions on converting an existing cabinet, but not on my idea for making one myself; perhaps it’s not as bad as it seems. I think that I (technically, my father and I) could make an EMG-style base unit from ½” by 4” by 24” oak planks, edge-glued to form large boards that could be cut down to the right size; the corners of the cabinet would have to be held together by a combination of glue and screws (possibly with wood caps over them)—I’m fairly certain that mitered corners or dove-tailed joints would be beyond our ability. I don’t think that it would be hard to make; my main objections are that the edge-glued sheets might not be sturdy enough, and it seems a shame to stick a (hopefully) high-quality phonograph into an obviously knocked-together cabinet—but perhaps it wouldn’t look that bad or be too fragile; what does anyone think?

- Ethan

[VanEpsFan1914]

A broken off-brand that would be impossible to repair would be a fine chance to make something like this--and the extra height would be a nice relief from the short Consolette.

Now there’s an idea. Any suggestions for brands to look for? There’s a “non working” upright near me, but it’s not in “basket case” condition and the soundbox claims to be a Brunswick (although there are no obvious markings on the cabinet), and I know that Brunswick isn’t exactly an off-brand. There's also a non-working VV-IX with no soundbox and a less-than-perfect finish (possibly re-finished; it looks oddly textured), no soundbox, and the wrong door knobs, but again, it isn't an off-brand and it looks as though it could be easily restored.

Also, it occurs to me that I’ve asked for opinions on converting an existing cabinet, but not on my idea for making one myself; perhaps it’s not as bad as it seems. I think that I (technically, my father and I) could make an EMG-style base unit from ½” by 4” by 24” oak planks, edge-glued to form large boards that could be cut down to the right size; the corners of the cabinet would have to be held together by a combination of glue and screws (possibly with wood caps over them)—I’m fairly certain that mitered corners or dove-tailed joints would be beyond our ability. I don’t think that it would be hard to make; my main objections are that the edge-glued sheets might not be sturdy enough, and it seems a shame to stick a (hopefully) high-quality phonograph into an obviously knocked-together cabinet—but perhaps it wouldn’t look that bad or be too fragile; what does anyone think?

- Ethan

A Brunswick would be fun in stock condition; if you can find a junked motor from one, it would be the best hand-cranked choice for your project--two, three, and four-spring versions exist. They're superior to Victors; they are quiet--and strong if you change the mainsprings. Textured Victrola--maybe alligatoring. Easy to fix.

The homemade case gives you full design freedom. You'll not want edge-glued only; maybe do it, and then put a corner brace on the inside secured with nails or screws. Brace it. Solid oak is OK but birch plywood will be less vulnerable to cracks.

Mitered corners may indeed be too hard--but you are doing an EMG-style machine, with 1930s heritage. Let your Art Deco design shine. Give it some stripes of contrasting veneer or black painted vinyl strips, buried in a finish, and call it good. No one will ever see the joints then. Build that horn, let it look as cool as it possibly can.

Here is a picture of a very strong little cabinet joined very simply--this is not from some rare Graphophone prototype; it's a Singer sewing machine.

[Curt A]

If you have the woodworking tools to make one, it sounds like a good idea. A cabinet is not hard to make and if you are wondering how to do it, just look at any cabinet or piece of wood furniture in your home and study its construction, inside and out. Once you have an idea of the size you want to make, just copy the basic construction of a similar cabinet and create a new one. To join corners, you can use wood blocks fastened inside the cabinet frame and attached to each side of the cabinet - these were used a lot in period fabrication.

You will need some basic woodworking tools: mainly a table saw or miter saw or a bandsaw... actually a good circular saw could work, but to join pieces of wood together requires accurate cuts like a table saw would do... To get accurate cuts with a circular saw would require a metal straight edge clamped to the wood you intend to cut as a guide, in order to get a good straight cut. A biscuit joiner would be handy, but not totally necessary and good wood glue for a permanent bond - like Gorilla non-foaming wood glue, it's my new favorite. You also need some long wood clamps.

Just some basic ideas... Good luck.

[Ethan]

It didn’t look like alligatoring on the VV-IX; it was more ripply, and there was one spot on the lid corner where it looked as though the finish may have run before setting, although it was rather hard to see clearly. At any rate, I’ve been trying to picture the horn with a dome-lidded cabinet, and somehow, it just doesn’t quite seem to fit—I think perhaps EMG-type horns needs something a little less ornate.

I do think the birch plywood and the type of joint shown on the sewing machine might help considerably with both appearance and strength, although I’m not sure about the veneer—all I’m seeing is paper-backed; would that be suitable, or would it be better to leave out the veneer and apply the finish directly to the plywood? For finishing it, would there be any reason not to use the same methods that have been used successfully by forum members to refinish cabinets?

I think my father has most of the tools needed, so with a bit of patience, I’m beginning to think that perhaps we could make a cabinet that actually looks like a cabinet, instead of a packing crate.

Thank you for all of your suggestions so far!

- Ethan

[VanEpsFan1914]

Depends on the look you want-- Veneer won't come finished. You'll have to finish it like any other wood. Since this is a new build any finish would be acceptable: shellac, Deft nitrocellulose lacquer, Danish oil finish, linseed oil, polyurethane, whatever. (Polyurethane doesn't generally come out nicely but it can be done well.)

Reason I say no to solid oak is the same reason all the Victrola cabinets were veneered--the large sheets of wood crack easily. Eldridge R. Johnson's favorite phonograph is displayed in the Johnson Victrola Museum: a 1903 Victor front mount Model M. And yes, there's a huge crack in the top.

Since this is a new build it gives you a lot more freedom to do what you want. Paper-backed veneer, peel & stick? Maybe. Or Veneer Factory Outlet (a neat website btw) could sell you some thin veneer--or some thick stuff for that old-time feel. Whatever you want you can do on a new-build machine.

You could even put legs on this. Some furniture making suppliers sell little Queen Anne cabriole legs. Another way to do this: get an old piano bench, not a really great antique one but a reasonably newer one. The legs of that will make good donor legs.

[Skihawx]

If I were doing something like this I would be concerned about aesthetics too. That modern Victrola look alike doesn't have it, none at all. A few months ago I had two Victor VE 9-18s with nice cabinets but only enough parts to make one good one. I cut the upper part of the cabinet off and lowered the top down to the area with the lower door. I gave it to my son for his house. It turned out to be a nice piece of furniture.