Project: Columbia Grafonola "Favorite"

[Bad_Photographer]

Hello to the group!

So…I know the Columbia line is not a particular favorite of collectors. However, I’ve always wanted a Columbia gramophone tabletop to compliment my Victor VV-VI. This machine popped up in the local Ebay Fleamarket and the asking price was so low, I couldn’t pass it up. I love the looks of the “Favorite” and those who have them swear they are a solidly built machine that produces wonderful tone with the big Columbia Model 6 reproducer. Not surprising it was Columbia’s best selling model. I believe this is a “50” and not the D series.

So begins my Spring restoration project.

First, the GOOD news:

- The tone arm was seized at the pivot. However, the elbow wasn’t cracked at the joint so a couple of minutes with fine steel wool freed it up completely.
- The reproducer itself is in great shape - no damage to the mica diaphragm and the gasket doesn’t need immediate replacement. It produces very pleasing quality (with a caveat, under BAD news below, with regards to the internal horn.) I’ll save replacing the diaphragm and gasket for another day.
- The motor is in wonderful shape and in fact, I think it tells a story. All the gears are in great shape. The winding ratchet was a bit sticky, causing “back spin” on the crank, but that was also easily fixed with a little cleaning. I believe the motor was serviced at least once. It’s noiseless and the 3-spring motor produces a long and very constant speed. Many of the screws are missing from 2 of the spring housings and the lack of grease build up, compared to the shape the 2-spring motor in my Victor VV-VI was in when I originally bought it, tells me it was serviced at least once in perhaps the last 70 or so years, before sadly, this gramophone was left to heat and humidity damage in someone’s attic or keller.
- There is a tiny piece of veneer missing on the back side, just behind the piano hinge of the lid, and easily repaired.
- The cantilever is in great shape, works very well and no warping of any kind.
- The case has seen some abuse but is otherwise in fine shape overall and will refinish very nicely.

The BAD news:

- I have to find a new crank handle and escutcheon. The handle that came with it is an absolute abomination. I said I think the motor tells a story. Perhaps 70 or so years ago, the crank handle missing, someone wanted to get this gramophone working again. They had the motor serviced and had a replacement crank handle made. It’s not pretty and lacks a knob, but it works - see photo below. Odd to find an American Columbia in Europe and I wonder how it got here. The person I bought it from “found it” - he didn’t elaborate and my German wasn’t good enough to understand everything he was telling me. I have several online options to find the crank’s replacement and escutcheon.
- There is damage to the internal horn, especially to the left side, likely from heat and humidity. The veneer on that side of the horn is coming unglued and the entire left side of the horn is collapsing inward, the wood supports were found laying about the bottom of the case. I need to find out if I can take it out in one piece so I can repair it more easily.
- Most of the nickel plating on the motor support/speed control and company and model info “tab” is gone and it’s scratched and pitted. I have a lot of options here. I want to keep this repair as inexpensive as I can.
- Obviously I need new felt - I have several sources for that as well.

I have a few questions, if anyone can answer:

- Can someone tell me if I have the motor mount re-plated, whether it would “fill-in” the incused lettering of the serial number and company info?
- Serial number is 93087. Does anyone have a reference that might confirm that this is indeed a Model 50 (as opposed to a “D”) and year of manufacture? Too bad there isn’t a nice online reference as there is for Victor and Edison machines, but I realize that the history of Columbia’s cylinder and disc machines is rather convoluted.
- I’m not sure I understand the arrangement of the speed control and brake. The lever with the round thumb knob controls two brake pads to the governor, but also controls speed. The pointed lever seems to do very little and I’m not sure how it’s engaging or affecting the operation of that other lever. It does engage it somehow, and it’s not broken or missing a piece - it’s just very odd. I’m able to easily control the speed with the thumb knob that engages the brake when moved to the left and this pointed lever seems to be superfluous.

I’ll post updates from time to time on the progress of this project. Thanks to everyone in advance for any suggestions you have to offer.

Mike

[Oceangoer1]

This sure is going to be a nice little machine once its restored!

My first suggestion to diagnose overall finish condition would be to wipe down the cabinet with GOOP/Gojo Hand Cleaner or Kotton Kleanser. There are lots of threads on this forum about these miracle products.

The machine itself looks rather dirty, and could probably benefit from a good vacuuming after you take out all the functional parts to clean them. When I acquire a machine, thats the first thing I usually do.

Keep the updates coming!

[Phonofreak]

You have an early model 50 from about 1914-15. It has a female crank that was used until around 1915 or 16. The model 50 has the corner columns, and the fluted lid. The model D that came out in 1918. It was the successor to the model 50. Columbia's model 50 was the rival to the Victrola IX and both sold for $50.00. It featured a more simplified, streamlined case. The cranks and escutcheon turn up from time to time on ebay. For the seized arm parts, I would use either Kroil, PB Blaster, or liquid wrench. You want to soak this so the parts move freely. You don't want to force this because these are made of pot metal, and can break. It looks the column has a broken piece that holds the louvers in place. You will have to get a small piece of wood to fit and shape, to hold the louvers. I would leave the bedplate as-is. The incised letters and number were never darkened. The Columbia 50 is a very nice machine. The cabinets are very attractive, when running, they are very good sounding machines. Good luck with your project.
Harvey Kravitz

[Bad_Photographer]

Harvey,

Thanks for the info! I'm not sure what you're seeing in the photo, but there is no broken piece in the column - the louvers are in great shape and work very well - very solid feel, no loosening. I think what you might be seeing is the picture I was trying to take of the left side of the internal horn The bottom of the horn also is damaged - the veneer is coming up, but that's a relatively easy fix.

Since taking the pictures the machine has been throughly cleaned. I wanted to take pics "as is" for my own use. I live in Germany and don't have access to the products Oceangoer mentioned, however I'm going to try denatured alcohol to see if I can re-amalgamate the alligatored finish before I go to the extreme of stripping it completely.

Also - the pivot on the elbow of the tone arm is completely free as I noted. There were no cracks to it or the base, and a few minutes buffing the elbow joint with steel wool freed it up completely. It moves freely and tracks records very well.

Thanks again for all the great info!

Mike

[Bad_Photographer]

By the way, I'd be pleased if it actually dated to 1914, as my Victor VV-VI is an "E" series, flat crank handle, whose serial number dates it to 1914.

[Bad_Photographer]

OK - first real "update." After having cleaned the unit with the German equivalent of Murphy's, I tried some denatured alcohol on the lid just for shoots and giggles - I have to make space in the Keller to actually work on this but I was interested in what I'd find beneath the goo. The top of the lid has been abused but I think I'm still going to avoid actually stripping it. When I'm finished with the whole unit, I'll use Mahagoni Lack und Laser by Clou - wonderful product, to finish it. Most of the wood appears to be in great shape except the top, but I'm not going to sand or fill. It will get a good buffing with fine steel wood, however, before 3 coats of Lack und Laser. I use that product on every wood product I've refinished or made - even countertops - and I swear by it.

Back when I was living in the States, I refinished a lot of furniture with "Homer Formby's" and spent a lot of (wasted) dollars on that product. I learned, like a lot of folks, that his "secret ingredient" that you pay so much money for, is nothing more than denatured (ethyl) alcohol. I don't know what else is in that product - if anything - but denatured alcohol is CHEAP and plentiful and does a wonderful job with little, if any, elbow grease, with steel wool at probably ⅕ the price of Formby's - or less. When I was a kid (I'm 55 now), I used to watch his infomercials on Saturday afternoons. What a bunch of marketing hooey - like claiming that his product wouldn't "strip off the patina." Horsepuckey, but I digress.

Also - just for fun, I polished the tone arm and reproducer. I find it curious it's in as good a shape as it is, considering the wear and pitting on all the other exposed plated metal. It looks great. I honestly do believe, however, that I'm going to be shipping off the motor mount ring to be re-plated at some point.

See ya's!

Mike

[alang]

When I'm finished with the whole unit, I'll use Mahagoni Lack und Laser by Clou - wonderful product, to finish it. Most of the wood appears to be in great shape except the top, but I'm not going to sand or fill. It will get a good buffing with fine steel wood, however, before 3 coats of Lack und Laser. I use that product on every wood product I've refinished or made - even countertops - and I swear by it.

The original finish on this machine would have been Shellac, so I would not use that modern Lack-Lasur from Clou on it. It just isn't period correct. If you already go through the effort of re-amalgamation, why not do that last step and simply finish it off with some shellac diluted with denatured alcohol - and only if the finish has become too think after the re-amalgamation. Of course, it is your property and you can do whatever you want with it. Just a suggestion.

Andreas

[Bad_Photographer]

That's probably not a bad suggestion, Andreas. I'll certainly consider it, thanks!

Edit: Question - what would you suggest for an applicator using the method you described? I've never worked with Shellac before. I used tung-oil varnish on the Victrola and it looks as good as anything I've seen in photographs. It's easy to work with as well and available here. What do you think of it as an alternative?

[Lucius1958]

Tung oil, as with the Lack-Laser, would not be period appropriate: I recommend sticking with shellac.

You'll want to use a good varnish brush to apply it: several thin coats of thinned shellac, allowing a day or so between coats, and fine sanding in between.

Personally, with large flat surface like a lid, I tend to favor the french polish technique: you can build up a finish very gradually to where you want it.

Bill

[Bad_Photographer]

Thanks, Bill. Having never used shellac, it will be a new experience for me. I'm seriously considering it. There is of course, another issue regarding working with shellacs and varnishes in Germany: Dust. Airborne sandstone here is atrocious. I live in a 100 year-old house with no modern filtering of any kind. Dust build up nearly immediate. The nice thing about the Lack und Laser, is fast drying time. If I use shellac for a period finish, I'm going to have to build an enclosure to keep it as dust free as possible. Doable, but more work than I'd anticipated. Still, I'm intrigued.