The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX9lbEMA5Lg

slippery wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX9lbEMA5Lg

brianu wrote:I'm wondering whether anyone here might have some suggestions - aside from the obvious - to better protect my machines from the cats with whom I reside. the cats can't go, the machines aren't going anywhere, and while I do have many of them kept behind closed doors, I like having some in the living areas of the house, where the cats freely wander... too often though, I've been finding them sitting atop turntables, leaping off of cabinets when I get home, etc.... these are all machines that, like many of us, I've spent hours upon hours restoring and getting just right, only to now be finding small scratches here and there. it's frustrating and maybe just something I'll have to learn to live with... but maybe someone in similar circumstances has figured out a trick or two to minimize this problem???

Call Donald Trump. I hear that he has a lot of experience in this field.

If you have cats you live in their house. Any resistance will be met with retaliation.

rizbone wrote:If you have cats you live in their house. Any resistance will be met with retaliation.

Very true! I have four cats, all of them are pretty gentle on my machines most of the time. Many years ago, though, I was picking up a machine from a couple who ran a moving and storage business and we were talking about this subject, the woman went into a room and came out with a pile of heavy wool blankets that were Army surplus things and told me to take them. They're plain gray, washable and dryer safe. I cover my machines that aren't out in the main rooms with those and have had no issues other than the cats love to sleep on them.

Going off subject a bit, and I know better, but Monday night I was going through some late 50s R&R 78s to change out in my 78 jukebox and left a couple on top of my Wurlitzer to change out yesterday after work. I walked in the door and saw the records (still sleeved) on the floor right in front of the jukebox. You guessed it, broken.

Sean

thank you for all the replies... I've actually heard of the tinfoil and balloon type deterrents before, as well as some of those sound-emitting gadgets, all of which seem to have unpredictably mixed results. and the catnip, that just throws them into all out crazy mode.

trump... hadn't thought of that one, but he no longer responds to my tweets.

at this point, I'm pretty much just accepting that, yes, we live with the cats, not vice versa. bastards. but still, to avoid issues similar to the one in that youtube video, I've just decided to move most of the machines - aside from the few larger ones that they for whatever reason choose to avoid - into rooms behind closed doors, but even with that there's limited space. so another question... would anyone have any suggestions, and perhaps a photo or two, of examples of really well maximized used of space in "phonograph" rooms... not necessarily the large museum/storage type rooms filled to the brim, but rooms that remain useable, even though they're still full of victrolas, etc. ???

brianu wrote:thank you for all the replies... I've actually heard of the tinfoil and balloon type deterrents before, as well as some of those sound-emitting gadgets, all of which seem to have unpredictably mixed results. and the catnip, that just throws them into all out crazy mode.

trump... hadn't thought of that one, but he no longer responds to my tweets.

at this point, I'm pretty much just accepting that, yes, we live with the cats, not vice versa. bastards. but still, to avoid issues similar to the one in that youtube video, I've just decided to move most of the machines - aside from the few larger ones that they for whatever reason choose to avoid - into rooms behind closed doors, but even with that there's limited space. so another question... would anyone have any suggestions, and perhaps a photo or two, of examples of really well maximized used of space in "phonograph" rooms... not necessarily the large museum/storage type rooms filled to the brim, but rooms that remain useable, even though they're still full of victrolas, etc. ???

The only useless rooms are the ones NOT full of "Victrolas, etc".

I have a lot of Victrola's and Edison's. I keep four in my living room at a time and a couple in my bed room and rotate them every 6 months or so. Pain But I get to play them. Tom B

brianu wrote:would anyone have any suggestions, and perhaps a photo or two, of examples of really well maximized used of space in "phonograph" rooms... not necessarily the large museum/storage type rooms filled to the brim, but rooms that remain useable, even though they're still full of victrolas, etc. ???

That's a very interesting question, that deserves a specific new topic IMHO. I'm also interested in seeing pictures of rooms where a collection is displayed, but still the room is "usable" by the rest of the family.