The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello! I want to start working on restoring a very rusty/pitted phonograph that I bought years ago off of ebay. I have been looking through the forums and reading some suggestions on working with pitted parts. I have a picture here of two of the parts to show an example of what I'm working with. I've seen people mention using sanders to sand the pitting and then polishing tools to polish the metal. I don't own any tools like this and would like to purchase something on the small side. I live in an apartment so I'm not looking to buy anything large. I was wondering if something like this might work -

https://www.amazon.com/Multifunctional- ... 1003487913


I also was wondering about after I am able to remove the rust is there anything I should be sealing it with or is it all set once the rust is gone? Thank you for your help and suggestions!

Nice pieces. Evaporust would be a good start. It's easy on the metal, reusable, and not very toxic.

One of my favorite tools is a wire wheel in a corded drill. If you push the brushes against the rotation of the wheel, you can remove a lot of material quickly. Moderation and care is the key here. This step will make sanding much easier.

I have also started learning how to polish. A buffing wheel in a drill might be better for you. Small wheels wear out very quickly, and by time you are done polishing a bigger part like that, the small wheel marks will be very visible and hard to blend.

You do have some deep pitting there, which I don't think you'll be able to completely eliminate. Masking off the smoother pieces and spaying some clear coat over the pitting will help preserve it.

Do you have a place outside you can work?

A wire wheel would do just fine. It's not absolutely essential to remove every trace of rust down to bare metal. Just clean it up with the wire brush, removing the loose stuff. A light coat of oil when you're all done should be all that's needed to keep it from rusting again.

Try not to breathe the rusty dust that comes off.

The Evaporust option, mentioned above, would be a good choice also.

Thanks for the tips Steve! Is there any kind of clear coat that you would recommend? I do have a porch that I can work on if I'm working with any kind of chemical that would be problematic in an enclosed space.


JerryVan - what kind of oil do you recommend? I do wear a mask when I do any kind of sanding etc. so I will make sure to use that here!

Clear satin lacquer would work as a topcoat... like Deft satin spray lacquer. It is also great as a topcoat for cabinets.
https://www.amazon.com/Deft-03712501713 ... ooghydr-20

If you plan to use this, don''t oil the pieces first or it won't stick...

If you want a tool that actually works for removing rust and also buffing, then a bench grinder fitted on one side with a wire wheel and on the other with a buffing wheel, is what you need. A small tool like a Dremel (or clone) will work for some small parts, but if you want something that will work for large and small parts, then a bench grinder is the answer. You don't have to mount the grinder to a workbench, a grinder stand is actually preferable to allow access to the wheels from various angles with no interference. You can also just sit it on the floor and use it that way... A bench grinder has enough power to remove rust fast without having to go over it again and again... Also, a small belt sander is very helpful to smooth out pits caused by rust.
https://www.toolots.com/1-3hp-6-bench-g ... m9EALw_wcB
This is the one I use:
https://www.harborfreight.com/power-too ... 94327.html
I also have two belt sanders, a large one and this small one that I use all of the time:
https://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30 ... elt+sander

Just any regular lubricating oil is fine*. Put some on a rag, then wipe down the parts. It doesn't need a lot, just a light coating. If you choose to use a clear coat of any sort, you'll have to be careful to keep it out of holes and shaft ends that are bearing surfaces, or you'll get them all gummed up. If you wipe down with oil however, no such caution is needed!

(Best to either do this trash collection day, or throw the rag outside when you're done. Oily rags = fire hazard.)

*Except 3-in-1 oil, which is junk.

I bought some of the metal brushes for my drill as recommended and they worked great. I have these two pieces soaking in the rust remover now.
Another question - is it necessary to remove all the pitting? These are heavily pitted and I would like to get them as smooth as I can but I don't know if it is possible here to remove all of it? But I've never done this before so you all would know more than I do. What do you think?

Definitely not necessary to remove the pitting. The cast iron pieces had a slightly rough surface anyway. The steel pieces will not benefit in the least from removal of the pitting. All of these parts will not only be hidden inside the cabinet, but most will also be hidden within the motor itself. It's simply not worth it.

Great! Thanks Jerry!