Victor II Bottom - What Kind of Wood Is it?

[Garret]

Hello all!

I'm still slowly working on my Victor II. Please see the photos below of the bottom panel. Does anyone know what kind of wood it is? I really need to replace it, as it smells incredibly musty, and really can't be put with the cleaned motor board and cabinet.

[kirtley2012]

looks to me like pine...

[ColoradoPhonograf]

Victor used Poplar wood in the bottoms of the cases.

[De Soto Frank]

I'm a little surprised to see the knot at the one end...

I know it's "only secondary wood" as the cabinet makers refer to it, but Poplar or pine were common... no need to use a knotty-bit ?

At any rate, it looks like four separate boards, jointed and edge-glues together to make the wide plank. Also looks like flat-sawn lumber, as opposed to quarter-sawn.

Poplar is still common, and easily worked... or, if you want to make life easy for yourself, get some furniture-grade hard-wood plywood of the appropriate thickness, stain it, and make your bottom board from that, and store the original in a safe place, to "go with the machine" when you are ready to part with it. ( staple an index card to it with the machine, model, and serial # ).

[VintageTechnologies]

If a musty smell is the only issue, why don't you seal the wood with a few coats of shellac or varnish?

[phonojim]

Wash it with household vinegar then place it in a box or plastic bag, liberally sprinkle it with baking soda and let it sit that way for a while. The inside of the cabinet of my Edison Home B literally stunk when I got it. I removed the mechanism cleaned up the case and set it in the sun for several days (taking it in at night). I regularly turned it to keep the sun shining into it. Then I applied the vinegar and baking soda treatment and it removed the odor very well. Even after you reassemble the machine, you can put some baking soda in a jar lid and set it in the bottom of the cabinet just to be sure.

Jim

[JohnM]

You can also purchase an enzyme carpet deodorizer from a janitorial supply house and spray the bottom with it until the smell is gone.

[FloridaClay]

I would save that board if at all possible.

Clay

[Jerry B.]

I agree with the posts about saving the original bottom. I'd mix a mild solution of bleach and water, spray both sides, let it dry thoroughly, and spray both sides with satin lacquer. Jerry