The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Thanks for the additional photos ! I was curious about the storage slat orientation.

Looks like you're making progress !

So, at this point, it looks like your machine has only had the motor & board, and taper-tube changed.

It's too bad they had to bore a new hole in the side of the cabinet.

You might be able to plug both holes, and cut a tasteful veneer patch, then bore a new hole and apply the proper crank escutcheon.


So, basically, looks like you're trying to re-create a 1914 X, suffix H...


Keep us posted !

De Soto Frank

I was actually thinking about that myself. The only way to not see any hole repairs would be, as you said, to cut a new veneer panel and cut a new hole. Thanks for the help!

Read-up a bit on veneer patching...

Short of re-veneering the entire side of the cabinet, there's no way to to make a completely inconspicuous repair... (and it'd be very difficult, if not impossible, to match that old-growth mahogany veneer today, at least to do a whole side...)

That said, something like a diamond-shaped patch centered over the damaged area, stained,and blended-in, then finished, would be a tasteful repair, in the fashion of what would have been done back in the era in which the machine was made.

Victor Talking Machine always prided itself on the quality of their cabinets once they started making them in-house, and it's hard to find better-built furniture from that era.

Since the front legs/pilasters have been re-configured, this machine will always be somewhat handicapped in terms of collector value, but on the flip-side of that argument, it gives you the opportunity to experiment and learn w/o risking harm to a pricey collectible.

Looks like the same exact early double spring motor that's in my 1916 vv-ix. Just re-greased it not to long ago, great running little motor.

Perhaps you can let that side repair wait to see if you find the correct motor ?


( I guess either way, you'll have an extra hole that will need to be covered... )


That said - see how well this motor runs when it's cleaned-up... they're usually a fine running motor.

I had a similar ½ inch round hole in the side of a big Victor I purchased years ago. I was not crank related but looked like someone just drilled a half-inch round hole in the side opposite the crank side.

I cut off a piece of a dowel of the correct hole size, glued it into the hole allowing enough depth to glue a round piece of veneer on top of the dowel. I then used a burn in kit with a mah lacquer stick, worked it down until it was absolutely flush with the surface, touched up the area with burn in seal, and hand rubbed it out with deluxing compoud.

If you want a piece of the original veneer drop me a message with your address and I'll send you an envelope sized piece from a junker machine.