Need advice on cygnet horn. To repaint or not?

[colmike1]

I, personally, would mask off the original labels and repaint the horn.

[VanEpsFan1914]

Good points on all sides.

A few months ago I sold Martin my old Edison Model E Standard that I had restored to the best of my abilities: and, a few weeks later, when I asked how his maintenance plans were with it, got a PM detailing everything that was wrong with it. Decal placement, topcoatings over lacquer, finishing materials and process, serious stuff. (The explanations helped with rebuilding a Fireside I bought on the Forum, and with fixing up a Home that a friend inherited!)

And the Forum had thought it was a very nice-looking old machine, and it was highly decorative, but it was not 100% historically right, unbeknownst to myself. I like historical accuracy but I don't see any good machines often around here. I had to buy a Vic III in its original box before I saw what an original finish should look like, and what the proper shade for nickel plating, pinstriping, and platter felt was. I got a nice little gramophone, but it still was a lot more expensive than education and observing preserved originals.

If any young chap out there can tear down a machine and fix it back to factory specs, it's Martin. It's not me. I'm down here tinkering away with old rust-buckets for the most part. He gets rust buckets too and does a fine job on them.

Either way the old horn will look nice whenever he gets done. I think it's missing it's phonograph, though!

[martinola]

I'm inclined to agree with Mike. The decals are in good shape and however nice the new ones are (and they are all over the map from bad to pretty good), it would be a shame to not try to save them. Were it me, I'd try to do a Nigrosene partial refinish. You probably already know this, but It's pretty much a very black/blue dye that one adds to shellac. You brush it on and build up the finish. Then you sand just as you would an auto body project. I'd start with just the problem areas. After those are done you cover the entire outside with a few coats of amber shellac (this will even out the color and let the old and new "blend" better. I find it's easier to touch up shellac. It's a lot more "fiddly" but I think in the end it'll end up looking better. Just my 2 cents on the sidelines...

Martin