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I can 235th the recommendation for KK. The dark color on the cabinets is just years of dirt embedded in years of built up oil and wax.

I would still use the #0000 steel wool on the outside of the cabinet, but just lightly. It will help loosen any stubborn build up. My experience is that I get better results and a smoother with steel wool.

Be sure and have copious amounts of paper towels available and spread peper/plastic on the floor as you will get a fair amount of goopy runoff. If you look at the pictures of a previous restoration I did, you will see this runoff on the paper below the cabinet: http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 46&start=0

If you are nervous, start with the back.

Brad wrote:I can 235th the recommendation for KK. The dark color on the cabinets is just years of dirt embedded in years of built up oil and wax.

I would still use the #0000 steel wool on the outside of the cabinet, but just lightly. It will help loosen any stubborn build up. My experience is that I get better results and a smoother with steel wool.

Be sure and have copious amounts of paper towels available and spread peper/plastic on the floor as you will get a fair amount of goopy runoff. If you look at the pictures of a previous restoration I did, you will see this runoff on the paper below the cabinet: http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 46&start=0

If you are nervous, start with the back.

This is ironic, I was searching for your restoration thread for 15 minutes last night. And now here it is.

The first machine that I cleaned up years ago was a VV-XVII in a dark English Brown (EB) mahogany. It was an auction find and it was also very dirty. I am a Kotton Klenser (KK) guy. May be subjective, but I can never get GoJo to clean as well. I also use 0000 steel wool, but I start these projects by laying on a thick coat of KK, let it set (but not dry), and then scrub with a soft natural bristle brush, let it set a bit longer, and then wipe it clean with lint-free paper towels. I then go over the machine again with a lighter coat of KK and the 0000 steel wool. I also let it dry a few days before finishing. I stay with the KK products and use their Lemon Oil Beeswax Polish. I gently warm (water bath) the product before application.

The most important thing is for you to look inside the lid of your 17 to determine which mahogany finish you have! Not all 17's were red mahogany. I will admit that the grain on my EB 17 does not pop like a red 17, but it is quite beautiful in it's own right. Very elegant with the gold hardware.

Best of luck with your project! Post pictures.

DrGregC wrote:The first machine that I cleaned up years ago was a VV-XVII in a dark English Brown (EB) mahogany. It was an auction find and it was also very dirty. I am a Kotton Klenser (KK) guy. May be subjective, but I can never get GoJo to clean as well. I also use 0000 steel wool, but I start these projects by laying on a thick coat of KK, let it set (but not dry), and then scrub with a soft natural bristle brush, let it set a bit longer, and then wipe it clean with lint-free paper towels. I then go over the machine again with a lighter coat of KK and the 0000 steel wool. I also let it dry a few days before finishing. I stay with the KK products and use their Lemon Oil Beeswax Polish. I gently warm (water bath) the product before application.

The most important thing is for you to look inside the lid of your 17 to determine which mahogany finish you have! Not all 17's were red mahogany. I will admit that the grain on my EB 17 does not pop like a red 17, but it is quite beautiful in it's own right. Very elegant with the gold hardware.

Best of luck with your project! Post pictures.

Someone correct me if I am mistaken, but I thought all 16's 17's 18's and 20's came in red
mahogany only as far as the mahogany option. Can you post a pic of your machine if possible
DrGregC?

antique1973 wrote: Someone correct me if I am mistaken, but I thought all 16's 17's 18's and 20's came in red
mahogany only as far as the mahogany option.

No.

Refer to the entry "finishes offered" in "Look for the Dog."

Ah ok, thanks AZ!

antique1973 wrote:Ah ok, thanks AZ!

I have that book and looked in there and mine is that dark English brown color
well black on the outside lol but that's what it's supposed to be

Here's a couple of pictures of my dark english brown mahogany VV-XVII. Both mahogany colors were available as per Bob Baumbach in Look For The Dog (2005).

DrGregC wrote:Here's a couple of pictures of my dark english brown mahogany VV-XVII. Both mahogany colors were available as per Bob Baumbach in Look For The Dog (2005).

Very nice machine, thanks for sharing the pics!

I have another KK vs GoJo question...

I am another KK devotee, and if it is made of wood and dirty, I have had terrific results with it.

I am going to be working on a project for a friend who is very sensitive to odors, however, and I do notice that the KK has a pretty strong odor (especially when cleaning up old finishes).

Can anyone tell me if using the GoJo results in the same odor?