The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

It just looks terrific!

I agree it is an amazing transformation. My C 19 was in very rough shape, missing some corners and the whole lid assembly was falling off the back, the doors and top lid were hopelessly stained by some kind of goop they managed to get on it somewhere along the line. But it didn't have near the rough areas yours has. Mine was a 25.00 auction purchase, without a reproducer, but I had that which helped.

A stunning transformation. Congratulations!

George P.

Wow, congratulations on a fantastic job well done.

I have 2 x C19s and would love to have them finished to the high level you've achieved, considering
both have a high level of crazing.

I am guessing it involved a huge amount to elbow grease to attain that beautiful finish.

Also were there any tricks regarding the rebuild of the decorative corner post, as I have one
at the front of one machine with very similar damage.

Regards
Ade

I've never seen anyone who can bring back a machine like you did!! Stunning and I wish I had that skill! Marc.

Many thanks to all as always. I almost want someone to say the color is all wrong or something, just to spice things up.

On one hand, sometimes I think it’s stupid to spend a month or two (or more) fixing up a dump that is worth—what—$400 on a good day? But so far I only have done these intense jobs on machines I have kept for myself. I’m not entirely insane.

Speaking of insane, for the first two days I actually tried to save the existing finish. I think subconsciously I really didn’t want to do all the work I knew it needed. After goop and reamalgamating revealed a horribly faded lid and front, I faced reality. I really, really wanted a mahogany C-250. I wanted one just like the one Helen Clark is standing next to in one of those publicity photos for tone tests that I noticed in one of the books. Just beautiful, subtle, showing off the perfect design that is the Chippendale cabinet. This is what I got. Make lemonade.

The chips on the corner posts bugged me, but during my C-200 adventure I used a wood filler called (I think) “Miracle Wood” that I found at TrueValue or Ace Hardware or somewhere like that. It comes in a little can with graphics similar to what you’d find on a box for The Clapper or a Chia Pet and has all the hallmarks of a product endorsed by Billy Mays (God rest his soul). Well, believe it or not, this stuff can be used to build up corners, dries like ceramic and doesn’t chip off easily. Doesn’t take stain well but I touched up some areas with paint. I’m POSITIVE there are better products out there, but since this stuff worked on the C-200, and it’s been sitting here 9 months without signs of breakdown, I used this again to build up the posts for the C-250. I used a shocking amount on the lower front posts. I just made sure to gently round the edges I created. I thought that putting a sharp edge down there was asking too much and would look too fresh. It’s oil-based stuff, and if you get it on your fingers (how else can I shape it, really?) it stays there for two days.


The grille took almost as much time as everything else. It was floppy like a sponge. SO MUCH gluing. Then patching. There were moments when I thought, “I bet there’s a good mahogany grille on eBay for $100 right now...” But I was cheap, thank God, and so I carried on, nobly,

Huge thanks to Mike Sorter for scouting his garage for many essential missing parts that made my life much easier. At the time, I remember looking at it and being more than a little disappointed. Seems silly now.

Earlier I was listening to some new diamond discs. These machines are hypnotic. Very happy to finally own a 250 model, particularly the one I consider fairest of them all.

Thank you for posting that extra information about the restoration process.

Again, Fantastic!

OK, just to keep you happy, I'll say it: "The color is all wrong or something, just to spice things up."



Beautiful, beautiful rescue job. Oh, and I like the "no background" photos. Well done!

Now, having sunk $$$ and hours and hours into a machine that might bring $400, you need to latch onto a set of conversion gears and long-play reproducer to add LP capability, so you can sink $$$$$$$$$ into pursuing music from $5 discs embodied in faint, fragile, inferior sounding dubs, which often will turn out to be unplayable and which, if they are in decent condition, you will be able to play to the end only by cranking the thing up vigorously for 5 minutes beforehand. But, hey, they're sometimes 12" records and play for 10 to 20 minutes per side, so you must have them!

At least, that's what I did when I got done restoring my (initially not nearly as beat up) C-250...

I put a lot of time and effort into restoring my oak A250 and I don't regret a moment of it. I purchased some great Edison records that play perfectly. I bought Larryh's True Tone diaphragm and it really brought those old 80rpm records to life. Contact Larry here.
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/member ... ofile&u=83

drh: LOL--That is exactly what I will probably end up doing one day, even with you confirming what I already suspected about the LPs. Glad to see someone else who thinks just as crazy as myself. This strange hobby...