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I finally found time this weekend and started tearing down my Columbia Grafonola "Favorite" to begin the cabinet restoration.I have been able to take just about everything off so I can refinish the pieces separately except the doors. I don't know how to get them off? Has anyone had experience removing the doors on this machine.

I have attached pictures of the front and a close up of the door column. It appears to be roatating on a bushing that is between the bottom of the base cabinet and the door column. There is a screw from the bottom of the cabinet that appears to go through the bottom and into the bushing or column. I back that screw out but it only comes so far, maybe ¼ inch and does not seem to have any effect. It keeps turning freely but does not come completly out. Should this screw come all the way out? I tried to pull it out with needle nose pliers but it did not budge at all.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

The Grafonola looks fine the way it is. The finish is a little dirty, that's all. The original finish should be preserved, not refinished. Try GO-JO and it does a great job cleaning the finish. There are various discussions of this topic on this forum,
Harvey Kravitz

Harvey,

If the whole machine looked as the front does, I would leave it as is and just clean it up. Unfortunately there is a good bit of damage to the top and one side. Evidently some type of liquid leaked/spilled onto it and has completly removed a large area of the finish and coloration of the wood. In addition, some of the veneer has chipped off around one edge. Not significant enough in itself to warrant a refinish but all together, the "blemish's" are unsightly in my opinion. My thought is I would rather have a nicely refinished machine rather than an original that looks like it does.

I know that some of the purists say that whenever possible, a machine should be kept in original condition, and that is what makes them more "Valuable" to collectors if I were to try to sell.I agree with this notion and try to keep things original when it makes sense. BUT, I buy things for my own personal enjoyment too and I don't buy and then sell machines, and I'm not particularly interested in it's value to someone else. In this case a new finish with a small veneer repair on this machine will be more attractive to ME (and my wife )and I am sure we will enjoy having it more with a new finish than leaving it in the existing original condition.

So, does anyone know how to remove the doors?

Bill

OK, so it seems nobody has any first hand experience removing the doors from this machine. Perhaps someone might suggest a resource or refer me to someone else who might have experience with this.

All suggestions are appreciated as I'm stumped at the moment.

Bill

Maybe the bottom of the case (or the bottom moldings) comes apart revealing the bottom hinge pins?

I had to replace a door on one of those once. I believe I had to seperate the bottom case a little to swing out the hindge pin. I don't remember if there are screws underneath.

Bob, There is a screw from the bottom. I have loosened it but it does not come all the way out easily. It just spins freely. Do I need to apply a little more force to pull it all the way out? How did you separate the base from the rest of the cabinet?

I believe the hinge pin you refer to is at the top? I recieived incorrect advice from another resource and I dug a hole in the top approximately where a hinge pin would be and that is what it revealed. So I think the top hinges on this pin. I followed this advice because we speculated that there was what appeared to be a round impression approximately above where the pin is and it appeared that it could have been a filled hole and the top of a screw might be present. It turned out that the round impression was from a felt pad on the lid. The hole I made is small and I can easily fix it when I redo the cabinet. I don't want to go tearing more things apart without having a little more confidence that it's the correct solution.

Thanks for the input it is appreciated.

Bill

Bill, It was a while ago when I did it for someone. I don't have the machine to check. I do remember loosening the bottom to spread it apart so I could get the door off. I think there is a pin on top and bottom of the doors. If there are 2 screws on the bottom, towards the front, loosen both and try to spread it apart. It might have some adhesive holding it too. You might have to gently tap it with a rubber mallet.Then you will have enough room to swing the doors out. Let me know how you make out. Bob