The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

drh wrote:

Stevefury wrote:...Generally speaking, does anyone know if today's modern cabinet shops are capable of reproducing (or fixing) crazed shellac finishes?
...

Welcome from another newbie! If you have lots of time and elbow grease to spare, you can clean up a crazed finish with a product called Black Wax. It's made by a company called Pacific Engineering, quite sensibly located in, er, Connecticut.

The mfr. explains that it's not the finish that's alligatored, it's the layers and layers of cooking fumes, cigarette smoke, furniture polish, and whatnot that have piled up on top of the original finish over the course of decades. Black Wax is a wax polish that contains rotten stone to cut the accumulated crud off the surface. I redid an Edisonic Schubert with it--a LOT of work and no. 0000 steel wool, and the job ended up running through maybe 4 tins of the stuff, but in the end I had the satisfaction of knowing that I'd preserved the original finish in glowing condition.

Here's a link: http://www.pewaxes.com/blackwax/blackwax.htm

My VV-IX has a crazing inside the lid, alligator effect, I did not want to damage the inside lid decal, so would this work without damaging the lid decal?

Retrograde wrote:Stevefury, I remember you from the OTVMMB. I happen to have saved a copy of your iron record video over 10 years ago (the file saved date is 4/24/2004). IIRC, You had a few other videos in that same style (one of a 2 spring Victrola motor?). Neat stuff.

Wow I am surprised anyone remembered me from the OTVMMB. Fantastic!
Thanks for the compliments.
Sorry for being away so long, will try to be more part of this fine community.

Stevefury wrote:
Generally speaking, does anyone know if today's modern cabinet shops are capable of reproducing (or fixing) crazed shellac finishes?

Your victrola looks good as it is, I would not try to remove the alligatoring. It adds character to it, after all it is 100 years old. Your video is great!

My XI-G's finish is alligatored, too, though not inside the lid. It's not distracting enough to tempt me to do anything except clean it, which I did some time ago with Goop. That didn't seem to make a whole lot of difference, so I may try it again. Problem is, mine lives in an upstairs room, and I'm way past the time that I would even think about schlepping it downstairs and back! And attempting anything like drh suggests would be far too messy in situ, I fear. So it's gonna sit as is/where is for the duration.

Great video!

Victrolacollector wrote:My VV-IX has a crazing inside the lid, alligator effect, I did not want to damage the inside lid decal, so would this work without damaging the lid decal?

If I'm reading the thread right, the alligatoring is smoothed with a very fine abrasive and that the black (wax) helps fill in the voids causing less light refraction and therefore making the finish appear clearer.

While it sounds like it could help the general appearance of a finish, providing one doesn't break through the finish, I would avoid using any kind of abrasive on a decal or transfer. The most I would do on a decal would be a very, very quick light clean off with a non-abrasive cleaner.

Regards,
Martin

Stevefury wrote:Generally speaking, does anyone know if today's modern cabinet shops are capable of reproducing (or fixing) crazed shellac finishes?

First of all, welcome to the Forum. There are some great folks here who are very generous sharing their experience with restoration/repair issues.

And yes, there are "modern cabinet shops are capable of reproducing (or fixing) crazed shellac finishes." But such shops are a mixed lot. Some are good and some are at best mediocre. Ask for references before you send them a job. For this you'd want somebody experienced with working with shellac and who knows how to do "piano finishes," not some yoyo who will strip it, get a stain somewhere in the general vicinity of what it should be, and slather modern lacquer on it.

Then too, if you want to take it on yourself an XI is a good machine to learn on, inasmuch as they are plentiful and not high-value machines. You can find lots of threads here on the forum about finish restoration.

Clay