Columbia BK/BKT bedplate striping

Zenger · Post by **Zenger** » Fri Jun 17, 2022 7:41 pm

Greetings. I am in the process of restoring a Columbia BKT, and its bedplate is missing close to 100% of the striping/decals. Since they're all gone, and since this is a machine I really want to keep, I bought a set of bedplate decals and will apply them myself; before I do, though, I'd like to see some good, clear photos of what a BK or BKT bedplate with complete (or close to complete) original striping looks like, so I can use them to guide me through the process. If you have such a machine and would consider posting pictures (or if you just have pictures of one), I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

ChuckA · Post by **ChuckA** » Fri Jun 17, 2022 8:26 pm

Zenger wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 7:41 pm Greetings. I am in the process of restoring a Columbia BKT, and its bedplate is missing close to 100% of the striping/decals. Since they're all gone, and since this is a machine I really want to keep, I bought a set of bedplate decals and will apply them myself; before I do, though, I'd like to see some good, clear photos of what a BK or BKT bedplate with complete (or close to complete) original striping looks like, so I can use them to guide me through the process. If you have such a machine and would consider posting pictures (or if you just have pictures of one), I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Here you go:

Chuck

Post by **fran604g** » Sat Jun 18, 2022 6:47 am

ChuckA wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 8:26 pm
Zenger wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 7:41 pm Greetings. I am in the process of restoring a Columbia BKT, and its bedplate is missing close to 100% of the striping/decals. Since they're all gone, and since this is a machine I really want to keep, I bought a set of bedplate decals and will apply them myself; before I do, though, I'd like to see some good, clear photos of what a BK or BKT bedplate with complete (or close to complete) original striping looks like, so I can use them to guide me through the process. If you have such a machine and would consider posting pictures (or if you just have pictures of one), I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
Here you go:
bkt.jpg

Chuck

The pinstriping on mine (SN 76,269) is quite different than Chuck's, being ornamented with simple straight lines and the ubiquitous Graphophone decal (as can be faintly seen after I carefully cleaned the bedplate). I had the bedplate refinished, and the pinstriping and decal expertly reapplied by our own phonogfp.

Cheers,
Fran

ChuckA · Post by **ChuckA** » Sat Jun 18, 2022 9:58 am

fran604g wrote: Sat Jun 18, 2022 6:47 am
The pinstriping on mine (SN 76,269) is quite different than Chuck's, being ornamented with simple straight lines and the ubiquitous Graphophone decal (as can be faintly seen after I carefully cleaned the bedplate). I had the bedplate refinished, and the pinstriping and decal expertly reapplied by our own phonogfp.
Cheers,
Fran

I never say always with Columbia, but what I have seen is that BK(T) models with high serial numbers (70,000 to 80,000+) have the straight line trim with no
corner "grass" decorations.

Chuck

Post by **fran604g** » Sat Jun 18, 2022 10:23 am

Thanks for that tid-bit Chuck. That's good to know, and yeah, as we collectors become more knowledgeable, we realize that there was nearly no such thing as "always".

Zenger · Post by **Zenger** » Sun Jun 19, 2022 1:46 pm

Thanks, Chuck and Fran. I misspoke when I wrote that the bedplate was missing close to 100% of its striping and decals -- in fact, it IS missing 100% of both. Oddly, the striping on the carriage is still there, more or less, but the bedplate is so black it makes me wonder if this one left the factory without any. (Of course, I doubt Columbia would have sent one out without their name decal on the bedplate, too, but who knows?) I've included a picture of the serial number plate, too -- I think that first digit is an "8", but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Do you think this one would have had the later style of striping? (I actually like that kind better, to be honest.) Does anyone actually sell transfers in that design?