Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

jboger · Post by **jboger** » Fri Jan 03, 2020 11:40 pm

I have had this question for a while. Below I've posted a photo of a Victor tonearm. The color is uniform but far from shiny nickel. Is the nickel plating still intact or is it gone? I have found quite a few tonearms in similar condition.

If the plating is still intact, how does one "clean" the surface?

AZ* · Post by AZ* » Sat Jan 04, 2020 1:06 am

I had a dirty Victor III tone arm about 15 years ago that cleaned up nicely with gentle metal polish. I think I used Turtle Wax Chrome polish. Like you I wasn't sure at first if it was just dirty gunk or failed nickel plating. I know more now than I did then, and would probably use a better, safer metal polish like MAAS.

Go gently, and try in an inconspicuous spot first.

Curt A · Post by **Curt A** » Sat Jan 04, 2020 1:10 am

Use #0000 steel wool and GOOP or GoJo hand cleaner or WD-40...

VanEpsFan1914 · Post by **VanEpsFan1914** » Sat Jan 04, 2020 7:29 am

Blue Magic polish, Simichrome, or Flitz...and lots of patience! It will shine again soon enough.

Post by **JerryVan** » Sat Jan 04, 2020 5:06 pm

I have found that when very thin or delicate plating is involved, it's best to use Simichrome polish. I would not use any grade of steel wool on a plated surface.

Post by **phonosandradios** » Sat Jan 04, 2020 5:43 pm

JerryVan wrote:I have found that when very thin or delicate plating is involved, it's best to use Simichrome polish.

Thanks for that tip as i've never heard of that kind of polish before. I have some plating that needs a clean and I see that this type of polish is available to buy here in the UK so i am going to buy some and try it.

Post by **wjw** » Sun Jan 05, 2020 1:26 am

I believe Victor applied shellac to the nickel plate. Soaking parts in ammonia overnight should dissolve the shellac and save a lot of work.
_bill

jboger · Post by **jboger** » Sun Jan 05, 2020 4:00 pm

Ethanol is the solvent to use for shellac. This may explain something that has puzzled. Nickel is a fairly non-reactive metal. I have not understood the discoloration. If a protective coating of shellac has been applied, that may explain my observation. I'm used to calling ethnaol just that, ethanol. It may have another, more common name like wood alcohol that people are more familiar with.

Post by **audiophile102** » Sun Jan 05, 2020 5:08 pm

I found this Simichrome vs Fitz review.

(Double-click the video above or click this link to go to the video on YouTube.)

mattrx · Post by **mattrx** » Sun Jan 05, 2020 8:12 pm

jboger wrote:Ethanol is the solvent to use for shellac. This may explain something that has puzzled. Nickel is a fairly non-reactive metal. I have not understood the discoloration. If a protective coating of shellac has been applied, that may explain my observation. I'm used to calling ethnaol just that, ethanol. It may have another, more common name like wood alcohol that people are more familiar with.

If I'm not mistaken, wood alcohol is methanol and much harder to find than ethanol (a.k.a. denatured alcohol).

MAAS polish works well for me, and ammonia will remove any shellac and grease in less than a minute when used with a soft bristle toothbrush. I usually start with ammonia, then polish with the MAAS and I'm usually not disappointed.

Good Luck!

Matt

Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Re: Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Re: Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Re: Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Re: Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Re: Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Re: Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Re: Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Re: Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?

Re: Victor tone arm: dirty or loss of plating?