The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I was wondering what kind of finish to use for the vv-vi I might be getting one soon but it looks like to me that someone sanded it halfway and left it. I wanted to know if I did get this machine what's the best way to get the orignal finish back. I don't know why anybody would do such a thing to a machine and just leave it makes no sense lol. thanks everyone Morgan Thompson.

Morgan,
If you look in our "Tips & Tech" section history "finishes" you will find many great threads to answer your question.... . By the way......a finish is only "original" once... .

The Fada radio on the ledge could be the better deal.

James.

All the oak vv-VI's I've seen were grain-filled and the finish was shellac rubbed out to a gloss.

I was thinking maybe dark mahogany stain would work the best to try to match the what the orignal looked like? That's just my theory maybe with shellac and that might make it look better.

If the previous owner has not also wrecked that, you can look at the inside of the front doors to see what the original finish was. Because that area has some protection, it is often in good condition.

As for this particular one, you might want to wait unless you can get it really cheaply. VV-VIs are pretty common and it shouldn't be hard to find a better example at a decent price.

Clay

The commercial stains that they sell off the shelf today didn't exist in the 1910s and 1920s when these machines were made, so the end result of using one would not look natural to the piece. I would use a 2-pound cut shellac with mahogany tint added to it, then rub it out until it was nice and even. Looking at the pic, it looks like the grain needs to be filled also, which would be done before a finish is applied.

That's a lot of work for a VV-VI.

Of everything in the pic, the butterscotch catalin Fada radio in the background is the prize! The VV-IX underneath the VV-VI doesn't look too bad, either.

Here's what I want to do with it if I do get it make it more natural.

morgantheavenger wrote:Here's what I want to do with it if I do get it make it more natural.

Sounds like a good project Morgan. So long as you understand that you can find these models is very good condition for around $100. There is always one or more for sale on CL... . These sold very well here in Canada.

Morgan,

I've had good results in matching color to existing original by using historically appropriate materials and techniques. In the case of your machine the wood was was almost certainly stained by using aniline dye, the grain filled with a dark filler and then coats of shellac on top. It looks like the color of your machine is red mahogany.

Since you are already pulling the machine back from the edge, you will want to freshen-up the existing finish with reamalgamation and coats of shellac on top. This will allow you to better match the color and overall finish quality. I try to make all of my finish transitions (from old to new) at corners or straight lines (like beaded trim). This allows the eye to "glide over" any slight mis-match in color.

As others have said there are a few threads here that will help you here. One was on a remarkable VV-XVII (or was it VV-XVIII?) and another was my C-19 restoration diary, to name two off of the top of my head. Anyway, good luck with your machine. It will be great practice for bigger challenges later on.

Regards,
Martin