Recently Finished Project- VV-8-8 Ortho Schoolhouse Victrola

[estott]

HMV re-entrant models cabinets aren't much plainer than Victor cabinets, but they don't have the record storage on the sides of the horn so they tend to be narrower. Oak was also more popular in the UK, in the US tastes at that time were more for walnut or similar.

[brianu]

thanks for all the responses. it certainly took long enough to get this back together, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. and despite the cost, that feeling of satisfaction is definitely there, and not just from the restoration, but also - and maybe even more - from undoing what was done by whoever gutted the thing in the first place to use, as it probably was used, as a bar (the tonearm hole had been plugged and there were marks around the motor board opening that suggested some sort of surface had been installed previously).

I did go back and forth on a couple of things though. a couple of sources - including that victor victrola web site/data base - indicated that this machine used nickel-plated hardware, a couple of other books didn't say either way, but the couple of examples I'd seen both had the antique bronze. and the turntable covering, I definitely was uncertain about - originally I believed it was like that of the 8-9, that dark, leatherette type fabric... but after tracking down the photos again of one of the 8-8's I'd seen before, I decided to go with the same that it had, the lighter brownish felt. so I'm pretty sure all is correct... EXCEPT for the VV-50 style needle dispenser. the only one I could find was nickel-plated, and the 8-8 is the only other model that I think incorporated that device... so I still haven't been able to confirm whether the ones for the 8-8 were treated differently and finished in the antique bronze, or if they just used nickel despite the contrast... any information on that would really be greatly appreciated.

attached are a few more photos that show the horn, the tray and the back, including wheels and handle.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

I think this is peachy ! Just the thing to wheel out on the patio for summer parties...or the grade nine folk dancing unit in gym class. I want to hear it go: are you going to make a Youtube video?

Jim

[brianu]

I've actually never done any video before, let alone posted anything on youtube. for those people who do this regularly, what do you use? is this easy to do, particularly the uploading of what I'd imagine to be such large files?

an interesting side note regarding this 8-8 that I forgot to mention - the majority of the work on it (aside from a couple of things done by somers and vollema) was done at my last apartment at the converted victor lofts building in camden (the old building number 17 of the rca-victor/victor talking machine company complex).

[Kirkwood]

Thanks so much for posting the great, clear photos of this unusual Orthophonic. This was truly a remarkable effort, and a machine well worth the time and the trouble to rescue. Somehow, it's surprising that the shelf lifts up to disclose the open back of the horn, I'd have expected an interior blind panel of some sort. It's a wonderful aspect though, being able to see and appreciate the design of this horn. The plate at the bottom of the back----can I assume that's a kickplate of some sort, or does it have another function?

[brianu]

Thanks so much for posting the great, clear photos of this unusual Orthophonic. This was truly a remarkable effort, and a machine well worth the time and the trouble to rescue. Somehow, it's surprising that the shelf lifts up to disclose the open back of the horn, I'd have expected an interior blind panel of some sort. It's a wonderful aspect though, being able to see and appreciate the design of this horn. The plate at the bottom of the back----can I assume that's a kickplate of some sort, or does it have another function?

thanks. I made a couple of mistakes along the way, but backtracked and corrected things - except the grill cloth, which I - and I'm not sure whether this is correct - attached using spray glue and then some staples at certain points around the edges (but rather than just gluing around the main edges, I also sprayed and attached the cloth along the central pieces too)... if it's wrong, it can be fixed, but this was the first time I ever used replacement grill cloth - and the stuff is really a great match, compared to some original cloth I had... it's really too bad that the seller of the material is apparently closing shop.

yes, regarding the plate at the bottom. the machine is so heavy that, without some support at the bottom, it would be much more difficult to lean it back onto, or forward off of, its wheels (at least without marring the wood at the bottom with your shoe).

and there was no sign of any sort of blind panel or board behind the tray - I actually like that you can see the back of the horn (although because of that, I spent a fair amount of time cleaning the whole thing off before getting it in - which, suprisingly, was no small feat, given the weight of it and the amount of maneuvering involved). I'm figuring they didn't otherwise bother covering that opening because the machine really was only viewed by listeners from the front... unlike the later versions of the external horn schoolhouse VV-XXV's... which I've heard were redesigned (from the fixed-lidded first version) with the removeable lid so the horn could be turned all the way around to face the back of the machine, which would actually be facing the classroom, while the teacher could work with the records at the front of the machine without having his/her back to the class (for obvious reasons).