Cleanup and restore of a Columbia Viva-Tonal Grafonola 128a

[Antonia E]

Hey all! I recently had this upright drop into my lap (very local, not a bad price (paid £147), and all original bits it seems) and managed to snaffle it and get it home in the back of the mini. I did a complete dismantle, cleanup, and obligatory making of soothing noises while stroking, and I took pictures as I went along to share what I did so that the learned minds on here can take a look and offer hints and tips on anything I might of done incorrectly, or in general to help me or others on the forum polish up our techniques at erm... well polishing up amongst other things!

When I got hands on the beast it was dusty throughout, many scratches and scuffs (the top of the lid has so much veneer gone I’ve just found some needlework to sit on it until I can sort that bit.

Firstly I removed the two strips holding the grill in place and removed it for cleaning

I gently brushed the loose dust from the cloth with a camel hair artists brush then gently separated it from the frame, and set it to soak in warm water with a couple of drops of simple soap. After a good while a lot had soaked out as the pic shows lol

I after also unscrewing and lifting out the motor, it gave a look at this models internal horn too (which I took out, cleaned, and replaced a little later)

On to cleaning the motor - it was actually running surprisingly smoothly despite having not seen the light of day seemingly for decades - the state of the motor plate gives an example of how long - that’s some premium collected grot on there!!

The motor is nothing special, a two spring Columbia 100 so I won’t cover the stuff that is doubtless covered elsewhere on the forum concerning motor service. Suffice to say I greased what requires greasing etc etc and it cheerfully starts from three crank turns from dead flat.

Back to the grille cloth! Now cleaner, I dried with a gentle hairdryer, and re-glued it to the frame with great care and a lot of pegs to let it dry entirely.

I rebuilt the reproducer, (again a topic covered in depth elsewhere here much better than I could so I won’t go into that,) and then polished the ever-loving-crap out of all the metal parts. I use a metal polish called Wenol Red, purely because at one point in my life I worked in an historic building, and it was what they used on all the very valuable metal things there as I was told it cuts through oxidation but without being too abrasive. I know no more than that but if they used.it on 17th century candlesticks then it can’t have been too damaging.
Final touches were to use Olde English scratch repair, bison wax, wax polish and some elbow grease with a soft cloth on the cabinet and all was done!

Any comments, thoughts, advice etc would be really great to hear - thank you for reading and I hope this is useful - I’ll finish with a shot of my coffee table during work - I’m just a gal doing this in her living room!

[epigramophone]

Nice work. You did well to save the original grille cloth without shrinking or destroying it.

The motor still runs smoothly and quietly because it is a Garrard. As Garrard's biggest customer, Columbia were able to have their own name stamped on the motors. By contrast, HMV used graphited grease which hardens into lumps, causing all sorts of problems for today's collectors. These include bumps, bangs, and ultimately broken springs if remedial action is not taken.

I see that your machine was supplied by Columbia Hall in Newcastle. Here is a little piece of history to add to it's interest.

[alang]

Nice job! It is so rewarding bringing a nearly 100 year old piece back to life with just a bit of basic cleaning and maintenance. Not sure if there is really any veneer missing on top of the lid, or if that's just flaked off lacquer? If that, then you could relatively easily tape off at the corners, dissolve and remove the old lacquer and refinish it. But of course, the needlework looks OK as well

Thanks for sharing your story
Andreas

[Antonia E]

Nice work. You did well to save the original grille cloth without shrinking or destroying it.

The motor still runs smoothly and quietly because it is a Garrard. As Garrard's biggest customer, Columbia were able to have their own name stamped on the motors. By contrast, HMV used graphited grease which hardens into lumps, causing all sorts of problems for today's collectors. These include bumps, bangs, and ultimately broken springs if remedial action is not taken.

I see that your machine was supplied by Columbia Hall in Newcastle. Here is a little piece of history to add to it's interest.

Thank you for that! I'm from the north east, and in fact at one time my parents ran the pub attached to the Theatre Royal on Grey St in Newcastle so it's lovely to have found an instrument from Blackett St

[Antonia E]

Nice job! It is so rewarding bringing a nearly 100 year old piece back to life with just a bit of basic cleaning and maintenance. Not sure if there is really any veneer missing on top of the lid, or if that's just flaked off lacquer? If that, then you could relatively easily tape off at the corners, dissolve and remove the old lacquer and refinish it. But of course, the needlework looks OK as well

Thanks for sharing your story
Andreas

Thank you so much! Sadly there are two large chunks of the veneer gone from the front right side of the lid and the surface under it is the base wood which has gone very dull and dark with previous attempts to cover I think. Also it looks like at some point its taken a knock while open and its cracked the entire top panel out as it's mended all round with very old filler of some kind (if dug at it powders in a pink colour). I don't want to risk damaging the mend as the underside face has the Blackett St transfer on it. Maybe when I get a bit more confidence I might take a crack at it if I know I could do a job worthy of it

[Antonia E]

Oh, I did a bit of digging on the "Columbia Hall" of Blackett St.

I found the following:
"In Kelly's Directory for 1947 there is mention of Central Dance Studio's - (Columbia Ballroom) Miss Evlyn Pattison Principal) at 41 Blackett Street - seems to be linked with the Connuaght Hall also at that address?

According to Tyne & Wear SiteLines @ http://www.twsitelines.info/Siteline.ns ... enDocument - 41 Blackett Street was the site of the former Northern Academy of Fine Arts and they quote:

It was later purchased by Messrs. Davison & Sons, auctioneers. In 1946 it became the Central Dance Studios. Finally demolished circa 1963.

So perhaps Columbia Hall was one of the exhibition rooms in the former Academy?"
(Source: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/threads/ ... t-87373743 )
It also included this sketch of the then building

and sadly google maps now shows the long gone location as being under here looking to one side

so much for the axe of "progress"!

[Curt A]

I like the dealer decal, it ads a lot to the machine. Viva-Tonal reproducers are (in my opinion) among the best sounding, especially when using Viva-Tonal records... You did a nice job.

[Orchorsol]

Super job Antonia, congratulations! It's so satisfying to bring one back from the brink and give it new life and voice. Looking forward to hearing it on your YouTube channel!

[Jerry B.]

Looks so much nicer. You'll get a great deal of enjoyment from the little machine.

Jerry B.

[Antonia E]

Thank you so much Curt, Orchorsol, and Jerry!