Copper Plating on Victor Data Plate?

[Zeppy]

I have a dataplate for a Vic 6 that is down to just brass, and was trying to decide whether I should do anything about it. There was a discussion about the proper plating for the early data plates that were silvered, but I was wondering if anyone had any clue about the proper process to plate the dataplates for machines that had gold parts.

I'm guessing that the plating is some form of copper plate? I have a small collection of data plates form various machines that have met their maker, and I've noticed that the plating is only on the one side (backs are just brass).

Any suggestions on how to put a proper plating on this guy, or should I just accept it as brass?

I'm also a little wary about just plating it, and having it looking like a shiny new penny....So if anyone has some words of wisom...

[JerryVan]

I assume when you say "just brass", you mean the lettering and not the entire surface.

I say, leave it alone. It's old and, to some extent, it should show it. We are sometimes way too anxious to make "changes" to any new acquisition of an old item. The plate you now have is 100% original. If you do anything more than clean it, you will have less original finish than you did before, plus a non-original finish that will stick out like a sore thumb. My $0.02 anyway...

[Zeppy]

Actually, by just brass, I mean not only is there no copper plating, the black paint is also all gone...and it was polished to a nice shiny brass, so even any patina on the brass is gone (why or why do people do these things).

So I pretty much have blank slate.

I've been tossing around multiple options...either figure out the copper plating and do the black paint thing, or paint the thing black and buff out the high points and wait for the brass to develop a patina (although I've heard there are some trick to hurry the patina along).

Either way, it's going to require some mucking about.

[Lucius1958]

Is there any indication that the brass was ever plated at all?

As far as I have seen, the plates on the VI and the higher end Victrolas were meant to match the gold plating on the hardware: might it be possible that the brass was simply lacquered after painting?

Bill

[Zeppy]

The bottom picture is a Victor 6 data plate of the same vintage as mine. The color is the reddish tint you see with all the high end models with gold hardware. It's clearly not gold plated, and it doesn't look like tarnished or lacquered brass to me. The top picture is a few dataplates I have lying around. The one with the old style script was from a VTLA, the other face up is a very early VV-XI (tabletop with gold hardware vintage), and the one face down on the left is a later VV-XVI and the face down on the right is my Vic 6. If you look at the XVI that's face down, you see obviously it's brass, but if you look along the bottom, there's it looks like the bottom has what to my eye appears to be copper. On the Vic 6 if you look in the gouges, there also appears to what ot my eyes is copper in there too.

This is why I'm assuming they were copper plated. If anyone knows better, please feel free to chime in.

[De Soto Frank]

Looking at the serial plate on my unrestored VV-XVI, suffix C restamped over B, mahognay with gold hardware, the plate was not gold plated. It appears to be simply brass with japan-black infill, or possibly chemically-blackened lower areas.

I think the reddish-look of the raised areas is simply the brass slowly oxidizing and developing patina over the years. Since it has done so quite evenly, I would bet that the raised areas were coated with lacquer. Lacquered brasses will still oxidize and darken over time, but at a much slower rste than does bare brass... take a look at an unrestored brass band instrument from the 1930's- '50's. and you will see what I mean.

The other "finish" quality would be whether the raised areas of the plate were polished bright & mirror finish, or left a sort of satin/matte. My vote would be satin-matte.

[JerryVan]

Actually, by just brass, I mean not only is there no copper plating, the black paint is also all gone...and it was polished to a nice shiny brass, so even any patina on the brass is gone (why or why do people do these things).

Well, that changes things then.

I would explore having the plaque copper plated, then copper oxide coated. Polish off the oxide on the raised letters/features and you should have a fairly good result. Then coat with clear lacquer. Any plating shop should be able to copper plate it. Copper oxide may require a different source but the copper guy should be able to direct you where.

[Jerry B.]

I bought a front mount Vic MS and the ID plates were shiny brass. I shot them with two coats of black spray, let the paint age for a few days, and buffed off the high spots. Maybe this isn't the authentic way to restore the plates but it did make them presentable and I did nothing to damage the plates. Jerry

[Orthophonic]

I think that these plates were of brass; the copper color is apparently due to the color of the shellac or varnish or lacquer used to coat them. The silver colored ones were simply made of aluminum; the gold ones were, of course were gold plated.

[De Soto Frank]

I think that these plates were of brass; the copper color is apparently due to the color of the shellac or varnish or lacquer used to coat them. The silver colored ones were simply made of aluminum; the gold ones were, of course were gold plated.

Another good point, especially if the machine was finished using "orange" shellac...