The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

"As for the hole in the side, I would like to try and plug it. My woodworking skills are very limited, but we will see how it goes."

My choice to repair the hole would be to use a wooden dowel (preferably oak) cut to size and glued into the hole, then stained and finished to match the original finish. This would not require messing with the surrounding finish... just a thought.

Just when I thought that I had noticed all the weirdness, I found another hole. This small hole is behind the needle cups. It is near the tonearm, so it would support the theory of some kind of amplifier being wired in at one time. So now I have another hole to fill...

Thanks for the suggestion of using a wooden dowel. I am already working on that. This is actually a pretty nice machine aside from the holes, and I can't complain, as the motor is working, the cabinet is oak and mostly nice (sans the holes), and I ended up paying around $60 for it. It just needs a few minor parts, a reproducer and a motor cleaning. So that's one of my best deals ever, I think....

I've also pictured a dowel in place, which is just loose in there and not the finished product. Just color matching at this point, but I think I can blend a little to match the grain of the wood.