Refinishing Vitanola type 14

[4466gino]

Hi again.
So, thanks to this forum, I've determined that it works just fine but I need to buy older records that are shellac.
But I hate the way it looks. I've cleaned it, first with dawn and a sponge, second round just water, third round Fornbys wood cleaner. It looks somewhat better but not really. I've stained and refinished things before, so I understand that process, but I'm not sure what color to stain it. Right now it's just really brown, and dull, the sides have a little more cherry, and the grain is not visible anywhere. It almost looks like it was stained in the wrong direction against the grain. Any help with color and tips would be appreciated.
And how do I get the decorative grate out? It moves some, so may need to be reattached, and whatever is behind it is fraying badly, it also needs to be replaced, but not sure with what.

[JerryVan]

The cabinet is currently finished in red mahogany. Before you strip it, do a search to re-amalgamate shellac finishes. You would basically be melting and reflowing the original shellac finish. When done well, it can be re-create the original finish very nicely.

To remove the grille, you would typically slide it upwards in its frame. This should raise the bottom edge of the grille out of a groove in the bottom edge of the frame. Once that's been done, swing out the bottom end of the grille just enough to clear the frame, and then pull the grille down, which should remove it.

The grille cloth should be something very light, so as not to muffle the sound. Don't use modern grille cloth as it will look terrible on an antique phonograph. This would be very appropriate... https://www.ebay.com/itm/176888249210?_ ... R-zP06GsZQ

OR...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294029784211?i ... R6rt4KKsZQ

[4466gino]

First of all, thanks. I did search reamalgamated finish, and that seems easier than anything else I would do. So I'm in. But I saw a couple of methods-- one said to use a cloth or cotton to apply, one used a paint brush, and one used steel wool. The steel wool treatment was able to get rings off the piece, I have a ring and some goobs that look like a spill. So I don't know if that's the correct path. I know I can sand that out but then I'm removing finish, possibly too much.
And as you can see, the top is rough, but looking again that doesn't seem worn as much as stained, so possibly that stuff would come out also?
And I'm still not sure which direction to go in, the grain really isn't visible.
Really appreciate all the help

[4466gino]

One more thing, the veneer on the back isn't all there, I've never done veneer repair before, obviously it sits with the back to the wall so I'm not overly worried about fixing it but of course it would be better to do that I'm sure

[JerryVan]

First, I am NO expert at reamalgamation. I would definitely stay away from steel wool, however. Little bits of it will break away and get imbedded in the finish. I've been told that the most important thing about the process is to get the existing finish as clean as humanly possible before beginning. If you don't, you'll just mix in all the dirt with the reflowed finish. If those blotches on the top are paint, reflowing the finish will just mix in the paint and look terrible. I don't believe the streaks on the sides should be an issue. If you want to give it a try, then definitely experiment on the rear panel first. Once you apply alcohol to the shellac, it will almost instantly begin to melt. Once it does, it will be sticky. This means any rubbing on the finish after the initial application of alcohol will cause the shellac to clump up or even be removed entirely, making a mess.

Hopefully, others with much more experience can chip in here.

I wouldn't worry about the missing veneer on the back. Just glue down anything that's loose or raised up.

[martinola]

One thing to consider when trying to reamalgamate a finish is the finish type itself. It won't work on lacquer or on the old style varnish that had rosin. That said most of the pre 1925 varnish finishes had a sealer layer of shellac before the varnish top coats were added. I've reamalgamated an Edison C-19 and a Victrola VTLA by carefully sanding the outer surface with 400 wet/dry sandpaper using mineral oil for a lubricant. Use a sanding block for the flat areas, and be really careful at the corners, edges and contours. Wipe it all down with mineral spirits to get, dirt, oil and wax off. It'll look terrible. When it's dry and clean, use denatured alcohol to reflow it. Don't panic if there are some lumpy bits. Using a medium dilution of white shellac, build up a new protective layer. You'll be touching up bits with color along the way. You'll need to let the finish cure between coats (maybe 1-2 weeks) before attempting to sand. After that you'll need to add coats to level things up for final sand and polish. Be patient, it will take time. I love how they end up looking. Good luck!

Martin

[4466gino]

So I cleaned it 3times-- first with dawn, then just water, then with mineral spirits. I sanded some goobs down, and then did the denatured alcohol. Really easy. It wasn't as dramatic as what I saw online for color change, but it is definitely red mahogany, more red in some lights, the color of bourbon really, which I like. Yeah, the craze it alligatoring it whatever is still there, but I really don't care, it's a much better color and shiny. Still drying in these pics. Can I buff it when it's dry? Some weird spots here and there, but such a serious improvement.