progress on vv-viii

[tofinal-4]

Since acquiring and joining I will update you on my progress. I bought this Victrola and record cabinet at an online auction. It was so dark you couldn't see the quartered oak So I stripped it, stained it with golden oak then rubbed four coats of tung oil sanding with 600 sandpaper and finally polished it with briwax and 0000 steel wool. As for the mechanics I took your advice and called Ron Sitko I needed a crank for this which he supplied and the motor had a broken spring and I was hesitant about taking the spring barrels out so Ron put me in touch with 2 men in my section of Florida, Mike and Dominic both were willing to help so I brought it to mike because he was only 1 hour away Dom was 2. I rebuilt the Exhibition reproducer.
Thanks to every one for there help it made this very enjoyable I took some pictures of it so far I can't wait to get the motor back and start enjoying it.

(If I can figure out how to put the pictures on I will)

[AmberolaAndy]

Nice! On mine I cleaned up the cabinet with some Goop and Lemon Oil and that covered up the circular mark caused by the crank. Hopefully early next month I’ll send the motor to George Velloma. I’ll probably call Ron Sitko for a crank to replace the broken original.

[VanEpsFan1914]

If you met Mike Patella in Florida, he is an absolute treasure in the phonograph hobby.

For posting pictures, you go to the bottom of the page as you are making a new post and click on "Add file" and then put your picture up from your thumb drive, memory card, or digital camera.

Tung oil isn't the most accurate finish for a Victrola, but neither is 100 years of accumulated soot and filth and animal droppings. However, it's very durable, so your Victrola should keep its new shine for a long time. I'd love to see how it came out. Hopefully you're getting a lot of fun out of listening to the music! Victrolas are just about perfect for a "daily driver" phonograph.

[AmberolaAndy]

If you met Mike Patella in Florida, he is an absolute treasure in the phonograph hobby.

For posting pictures, you go to the bottom of the page as you are making a new post and click on "Add file" and then put your picture up from your thumb drive, memory card, or digital camera.

Tung oil isn't the most accurate finish for a Victrola, but neither is 100 years of accumulated soot and filth and animal droppings. However, it's very durable, so your Victrola should keep its new shine for a long time. I'd love to see how it came out. Hopefully you're getting a lot of fun out of listening to the music! Victrolas are just about perfect for a "daily driver" phonograph.

Anybody who has another member here living in their state is lucky. I’m the only person from Nebraska here. I’ve seen other folks from Iowa, Colorado, South Dakota, Missouri and Kansas but no fellow Bugeaters here!

[tofinal-4]

If you met Mike Patella in Florida, he is an absolute treasure in the phonograph hobby.

For posting pictures, you go to the bottom of the page as you are making a new post and click on "Add file" and then put your picture up from your thumb drive, memory card, or digital camera.

Tung oil isn't the most accurate finish for a Victrola, but neither is 100 years of accumulated soot and filth and animal droppings. However, it's very durable, so your Victrola should keep its new shine for a long time. I'd love to see how it came out. Hopefully you're getting a lot of fun out of listening to the music! Victrolas are just about perfect for a "daily driver" phonograph.

What would be the best way to finish the Victrola, for my future reference. Thanks for your advice. I picked up the motor from Mike and I told him you said he was an absolute treasure, he was really pleased I could only remember your name as Van something righ away he knew you as Jerry from auctions in the past.

[VanEpsFan1914]

Hello tofinal-4,

Wrong member--You're thinking of JerryVan! He's also a great collector & just a straight-up kind of guy. I saw Mr Patella when I drove down there & bought an Edison Standard horn from him, the hard-to-find blue one with flowers that was used only on the Edison Standard E and Fireside Model B in 1911 and maybe 1912. Honestly, as fun as it was to have found a good horn, it was even better to meet good people in the hobby.

As far as a refinish the nicest I ever found about refinishing a Victrola would be this one right here, as it talks about how to do the job almost the way it was done in the Victor factory.

http://www.victor-victrola.com/RESTORAT ... ain%29.htm

Full disclosure--I haven't done this yet. I've done other restorations but with conventional off-the-shelf stains and a period style shellac finish (I use thinned pre-mix as I can't afford the nice shellac.) What I'm waiting on, is time & a place to do it, and about $400 in parts & chemicals; I have an upright Victrola that is probably going to get the full strip & refinish treatment.

If you want to see some fine restorations search the board & find Jonsheff's restorations. He does mostly high-end Victrolas but he also did, I think, a VV-IX once. They come out looking like new, inside & out.

[tofinal-4]

Hello tofinal-4,

Wrong member--You're thinking of JerryVan! He's also a great collector & just a straight-up kind of guy. I saw Mr Patella when I drove down there & bought an Edison Standard horn from him, the hard-to-find blue one with flowers that was used only on the Edison Standard E and Fireside Model B in 1911 and maybe 1912. Honestly, as fun as it was to have found a good horn, it was even better to meet good people in the hobby.

As far as a refinish the nicest I ever found about refinishing a Victrola would be this one right here, as it talks about how to do the job almost the way it was done in the Victor factory.

http://www.victor-victrola.com/RESTORAT ... ain%29.htm

Full disclosure--I haven't done this yet. I've done other restorations but with conventional off-the-shelf stains and a period style shellac finish (I use thinned pre-mix as I can't afford the nice shellac.) What I'm waiting on, is time & a place to do it, and about $400 in parts & chemicals; I have an upright Victrola that is probably going to get the full strip & refinish treatment.

If you want to see some fine restorations search the board & find Jonsheff's restorations. He does mostly high-end Victrolas but he also did, I think, a VV-IX once. They come out looking like new, inside & out.