Columbia Grafonola Tabletop Barn Find and info on its restoration

[Herderz]

I been a little busy of late but have started on restoring cabinet. I removed the veneer from the lid top, it was to far gone on the corners and it was easier to replace the whole top than try to patch the bad spots. I got a piece of tiger oak veneer locally that has great striping to it and I cut the piece to give a mirror image for the top.

I used golden oak wood filler to replace the missing corners and got the contours sanded down. I decided to use hide glue for the veneer mainly because I have done this type work on several clock cases in the past. It is much easier than you think, do not need vacuum bags or heavy clamping. Hide glue pulls the veneer up tight as it dries, unlike modern methods. I got my double boiler up to temperature, about 140 degrees and the glue thinned down.

I brushed the glue first on the veneer then the lid and set the veneer. You have to work quick with hide glue because it starts to set very fast. I just used a wooden roller and rolled the veneer from the inside out to the edges. I turned the lid upside down and added a little weight just to be sure. After a day I carefully trimmed the edges to match the lid with a sharp utility knife and sanded the edge with 400 grit to my liking. Then used golden oak stain on the lid.

I have now gotten about 8 coats of shellac on the lid and it is starting to look the way I want it to.

Here are some before, during and after pics of the corners.

Wood filler.

I faked the wood grain using dark walnut stain and a quill pen to hide the wood filler as much as possible.

And lastly the shellac

Other corner.

[Herderz]

I stripped the horn body and repaired the 2 corners as well. I glued the veneer back down on the corners and used the filler for missing wood. also faked grain over the filler. Stained and 8 coats of shellac.

Motor board restore.

[dzavracky]

WOW great job! I am looking forward to seeing the end result.

David

[JerryVan]

Nice! Are you spraying the shellac, or brushing it?

[Herderz]

The base was pretty simple. Just strip, sand, stain and shellac.

Now for the missing rear column, I removed the remaining column to use as a guide for the new one I would make. I used a piece of round oak I had on hand.

I rough turned the piece on the lathe to match my other column.

Then finished sanding and shaping to the same measurements using a set of calipers to match on the lathe. Cut to length. Now for the 45 degree cut to the inside. this was the most challenging because it is off center to the turn. I did not have the means to do this cut by saw or power tool. I carefully cut it by hand with wood chisels. It took me about 4 hours to complete as I took it very slowly with many mating looks to the case to make sure I did not over cut the angle to get a perfect fit.

after staining it is hard to tell which one is original.

I glued and clamped the corners back to the body.

Here is where I am at after 8 coats of shellac.

[Herderz]

Thanks Jerry, I am brushing it on and using #0000 steel wool between coats.

[Herderz]

I am getting ready to start to make the front louvers as I finish up on the final coats of shellac to the main cabinet. The louvers think can reproduce with out much trouble. I am going to use ¼" oak and tiger veneer both sides. I have been able to research enough pictures to be able to make them. They look to have a cove back cut to allow no binding for the initial opening of the louvers. What I cannot find at this point is the linkage that the control knob lever uses to move both louvers at the same time. This is what is missing on my machine. Probably went with the louvers as they are easily broken and thrown away. If anybody could help me with this I would be very happy. Just a couple of pics of this linkage if someone has this model so I could see if I could make them or if someone has a set I could get. I want to make this machine as correct as possible.

[Inigo]

Wow! So you applied shellac with a brush. How much time do you let pass before passing the 0000 wool? And after the wool, do you brush the dust off, or let it stay and dissolve with the next shellac?
I only have tried shellac with the little pad, and it was very difficult to build it up!

[Herderz]

Thanks Inigo, Yeah shellac is very thin and being a art major in my younger days I know how to move a brush. Shellac dries very quick and you could give it many coats in a day, but I have been giving it just a coat a day and sometimes let it go for days. I wool it just before putting a new coat on. I always use a tack cloth on each piece to remove any wool fibers and dust just before a new coat. I used wool for the first 4 coats then used 400 grit to try to level the surface for more grain filling, 4 more coats with wool between coats then 400 grit again. Shellac seems to be very thin and would take a long time to use as a grain filler.

[Herderz]

Also this is my first shellac finish so I am learning as I go.