Help with finish on machine?

[flashpanblue]

Hello,
I have an Edison Home that has a very thin and dull ( flat) finish. I would like to apply a top coat to the whole case to protect the original finish and give it a little more shine. In a previous post I wood grained a cygnet horn elbow using a water based Polyurethane in a satin finish. Would this be acceptable?? What are some of the products you guys use on your machines?
thanks
Pete

[Dave D]

I would try waxing it first. A good coat of paste wax will bring up the shine. Your finish does not look bad in the photo. If you really want to overcoat it, I suggest shellac. The old finish is shellac and new shellac will bond prefectly to it. You can get shellac in spray cans and a light coat (after cleaning) may give you the result you want.
Just my .02 worth.

I used to do a lot of furniture stripping. I used Kwick Klean back then and one of the newsleters they sent out talked about a future boom in refinishing due to the new (1990's) water born finishes not holding up well. Maybe they have improved, but I like shellac.
Dave D

[Andersun]

Pete,

I wouldn't apply any permanent finish on that machine. Buff with wet cotton rag with some rotten stone and let dry. Then buff with clean cotton rag and use a shoe polish brush to remove from cracks. Wax it and it should almost shine like new.

Of course, always pick an area to test first to see results before you do the area around the Edison banner transfer....

Steve

[Starkton]

Maybe they have improved, but I like shellac.

Me too! It is more labour intensive and difficult to apply, especially with high-gloss surfaces, but shellac is the only genuine coating for pre-1925 phonograph cases.

The coating of your Edison Home is aged and a little dirty. Try soft cloth, slightly moistened with warm, mild soap solution.