The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

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What would cause all of the nickle plating to wear off of the tone arm and reproducer etc. on this machine? I am not that familiar with this type of condition. I wonder what it would cost to renickle all the parts that needed it to bring it back to tip top shape? or would there be some other solution to this. Not that I am interested in buying it, just curious. This machine looks like it must have been stored out in an Old barn or shed and open to the elements for ages and ages.

If all the nickel is gone, I would suspect that it was intentionally removed or polished off. I am not an expert on plating but I think a steel tone arm is brass plated (or is it copper?) and then nickel plated. I collect old bicycles and I use a mild acid to help remove rust on chrome bike rims. It works great but DON"T use it on anything nickel plated. It will wash off the nickel. It's been many years since I had anything nickel plated but I would suggest having everything including the screws plated so it all looks the same. A good way to get a list of all the parts to be plated is to lay them on a xerox and make a copy. Happy collecting, Jerry

Are you sure the nickel has all gone? I'm not!

I've seen other Victor / HMV machines where the finish appears to be almost oxidized bronze or gold plated in the photos but when you see the machine it's just a combination of tarnish / nicotine build up. I bought a machine that looked gold plated, it was so yellowey gold in colour. I polished the external tarnish off the original fittings and got down to some dazzlingly bright silver preserved nickel plating underneath. It was just a heavy build up of tarnish and cigarette smoke / age that had turned it to the dark yellowy / green bronze colour.

It might be the same here especially considering that the machine looks genuine and straight out of the attic?