The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

It's been a couple of years since I visited this thread. If you are new to the Forum visit the beginning of this topic. The effort and determination to repair this Victrola XVIII is nothing less than amazing. Jerry Blais

Matt,
This restoration is great... congratulations. If you ever decide to remake that back panel, I have an idea how to do it. You will need some mahogany panels/parts from a junk machine of any kind... Edison, Victor, etc. Measure the width of the "frame" on an original cabinet back door and rip four pieces to the correct max width. Cut them on 45 degree angles and construct it like a picture frame. Make a pattern of the scroll work from an original and trace it on the frame, then cut it out with a jig saw and finish rounding it out with a router. On the back of the frame, rout out an area to accept the center panel and install it from the back... I think this will work for you. Hope this makes sense...

Thanks Jerry, for reviving this old thread. Of the handful of restorations I've done, this one is my favorite. Hopefully, someday when I have more room, Dave will sell me back the machine!

Curt, I'll keep your instructions and if I get the machine back, I will attempt it. The only real disappointment I had with the whole thing was not getting a correct back panel. Junker XVIII's are just not very common! Especially if people like us keep putting them back together.

Matt

Such a beautiful machine. What a shame that it was just too far gone to be saved. You tried hard though, Matt, don't be too rough on yourself.

j/k

Seriously though -- what an intense labor of love, with incredible results. Really inspirational. Machines with far fewer problems than yours started with are written off all the time. Congratulations on showing that it doesn't have to go that way, with photos to prove it!