The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I finally finished the L-Door. I had never seen a finish as dirty and alligator-ed as this one. Some of the trim and one of the legs were all unattached. The end result is presentable in my opinion, but I would like to have other opinions. I cleaned the finish with Goop (2 to 3 coats/wipes) and then used denatured alcohol and a foam brush to re-amalgamate the original finish. Where it was thin after the denatured alcohol, I used some clear spray shellac and built it up just a bit. Then steel wool and and Howard's Feed 'n Wax. Thanks to the forum members that helped with parts and advice!

Looks beautiful!

Bill

Nice job, Matt! Many people would have gone straight to a "strip and refinish". This is a far more pleasing look to a 100+ year old case. Thanks for going the extra mile.

Regards,
Martin

Wonderful L-Door, Matt! You must be very proud of it.

Fran

What Fran said.

Clay

What a tremendous job you've done. This has inspired me to take a second look at my own L-Door. My outside cabinet still resembles your 'before' pics.

What a great job Matt, congratulations.
It's a pleasure to see a worn finish brought back to life like that. Now you have that, well cared for, survivor look. Something a refinishing job just can't replicate.

Best Regards, Larry

It looks as it should to me. You see the oak floor in the side of the Victrola which indicates a piano finish. Very nice! Jerry

AMAZING TRANSFORMATION!

The machine looks beautiful!

Great job! Beautiful!