The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Wow, you've come a long way from firewood! Looking good. Here's some info:
A very knowledgeable forum member told me that Victor numbered spring and electric machines separately. Your machine is the 16th made with a spring motor.
I have this model with electric drive. It is #517.
More trivia: the paper ID inside the cabinet on my machine is dated 1918 and I assume most of them are but the wide cabinets were made in 1920. I guess they had to print more labels than they would ever need when the traditionally-dimensioned
"period" models debuted in 1918.

Can you switch the rear doors with the front (I'm out of town and can't measure this). - bill

This is quite the rescue. What was done to restore the finish? Was it all simply cleaning with beeswax, or did you do any stripping, restaining, refinishing, other restorative methods?

On the whole, I'm quite impressed. This machine looks really good. If I were you, I would look into having a professional wood conservator get that lower right door looking good. It might cost a pretty penny, and they can be hard to find, but you would still have much less in the machine than its worth, and it would really help boost the value of your example.

Wow, great to see interest in this project.

A few things to reply about:

I do have a No.2 reproducer in gold for it (I just rebuilt that Exhibition and like the sound tons more since I have yet to redo the gaskets in the No.2).

The lower door is something I'll take care of as well. I've cloned the escutcheon and repaired the lock (it was a bit bent- but nothing a little bit of proper torque and liberal cleaning didn't cure to like-new status). I'll be patching the door and will post more pics.

The needle cup, I've remade out of oak. But I need that elusive micro pull knob to get it perfect. So sometime I'll figure out a solution for it (high-end doll furniture or something maybe).

The tassel is just a sort of tongue-in-cheek 'fancy brag' I thought I'd throw on there for fun. I got a chuckle when someone called me out on it. heh.

As for the restoration, I haven't restained or stripped any of the original finish. LOTS of cleaning and then oil/feeder with some steel wool and automotive grade 5k grit sandpaper for some problem crazed areas.
I've experimented with re-amalgamating the finish, but my results weren't good enough and doing that is basically just re-lacquering which takes all the character and story off the wood, imo. She looks probably as it did in the 30's or so.

Honestly, I was shocked when I played it the first time. It sounded like junk, but remember I rebuilt the reproducer.. There was tons of rattle on the mica. So I figured a quarter turn on the needle adjustment would pull the arm tighter into the gasket. It did. And holy cow! The sound is AMAZING. I'm still stunned at the fidelity accomplished by this thing.

That's its permanent position in my home for the time being... Honestly it doesn't look too out of place if you are actually there, the pics only show about half the living room, so there's period-correct furniture on the other side. I actually sit in a 1923 armchair about 4-5' away and listen to this old gal sing at least a few times a week.

More pics to come when I finish the lower door! Then I'm moving on to my next project: An XVI.
Thanks for all your input and support!

A side benefit of those key tassels, I've found, is that it sure makes that key easier to find when I drop it--not to be sneezed at at my decrepit age.

Again I really admire what you've done bringing this beauty back from the grave.

Clay

I want it!

FloridaClay wrote:A side benefit of those key tassels, I've found, is that it sure makes that key easier to find when I drop it--not to be sneezed at at my decrepit age.

So THAT'S the reason for those tassels!

Thanks!

George P.

phonogfp wrote:

FloridaClay wrote:A side benefit of those key tassels, I've found, is that it sure makes that key easier to find when I drop it--not to be sneezed at at my decrepit age.

So THAT'S the reason for those tassels!

Thanks!

George P.

And all this time I thought it was Mitzi who wore the tassels.... .

Would this be the part you needed, and do you still need one? Saw it at auction today.