Look what I just bought off Craigslist for $40!

[beat_truck]

In addition to my Tru Phonic, I just bought a VV 4-3. I think $40 was a pretty good bargain. It sounds excellent, and the motor runs strong. The guy selling said the speed was too fast at first and would slow down to almost a stop. Before I took it, I put in a new needle, wound it up, and adjusted the speed and it played two records perfectly (including the one he was trying to play on it before and said it sounded like crap). He said that if it had sounded that way before I showed up that it wouldn't have been for sale. Most of the finish is stripped off, as it looks like some dummy painted it at one time because the legs still have some beige paint on them. Also the veneer is coming off of the doors some. I'm not sure what to do with that. Here are some pics.

[antique1973]

Good score! Some stain and you should be ready to go.

[syncopeter]

For that price I would have it all day! Even the crappiest portable is more expensive over here. It should be a nice project to get it up to scratch again and it does look to be mostly all there.

[bbphonoguy]

Congratulations. This is the best looking of Victor's lower priced orthophonics, and it has a nice sound too!

[EdiBrunsVic]

I would like to add my congratulations for the great deal you got. I also have one of these Victrolas and really enjoy it.

[coyote]

Great deal! I realize you're concerned with the exterior, but some Flitz will work wonders on the reproducer and tonearm.

[beat_truck]

These pics are just after I carried it in the house. The tone arm and such should clean up nice. I just rubbed them with a clean rag and they already look much better. I am really amazed by the sound of this machine especially for not having any work done to it. I am just a little afraid to tackle the woodwork involved, as I have little experience in that area. Funny thing is I almost never look at craigslist, because either the stuff is sold, overpriced, junk, or I never get a response from the seller. Actually, this is the first thing I have actually bought from craigslist.

Josh

[OrthoFan]

...I am just a little afraid to tackle the woodwork involved, as I have little experience in that area. ....

Josh

Pristine Consolettes (4-3s) normally sell for just a few hundred dollars, so it probably wouldn't pay to have a professional re-do it. For something like this, though, refinishing it should not be too difficult, if you want to try.

Probably after a good sanding, all you'd have to do is apply a couple of liberal coats of some brown mahogany stain (or medium walnut) following the directions on the can, and just a couple of coats of some lacquer, then buff smooth and apply a paste wax coat.

Another option that's really easy, though not very authentic, is to buy a can of pre-stained Watco Danish Oil, such as the Dark Walnut color, and apply about five or six coats according to the directions. (The more coats you apply, the shinier and darker the finish becomes.)After each coat dries, you simply buff it with very fine sandpaper or steel wool--according to the instructions, and then wipe it clean, and apply another coat. I did that once to an off-brand cabinet model and it came out very nice looking.

[bbphonoguy]

When you do sand, don't overdo it. This is a mass produced item, with machine sawn veneer, and one can sand through the veneer before even realizing what's happened. If you're inexperienced with woodwork then one important thing is to take your time. The machine won't be going anywhere while your working on it, and once it's done you'll be looking at the product of your handiwork for a long time to come. If you have doubts on how to proceed past a certain point, then stop and ask for help. I'm sure we all would love to see the photos of what a great job you've done!

[OrthoFan]

Excellent tip, above, about not over-sanding. Also, I should have noted in my comments above to make sure that, if you do any sanding, to sand in the direction of the wood grain; never across it. I made that unfortunate mistake when I worked on my first Victrola, and ended up replacing some of the veneer!

One thing I noticed about your Consolette is that you have the earlier style tonearm support which should give you no problems, unlike the later production pot metal support.

Here's an image containing some tips about how to make the tonearm assembly as air-tight as possible:



(If the sound box fits snugly on the end of the tonearm, the Teflon tape shouldn't be necessary.)

HTH,
OF