The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

In another thread, I posted pictures of an Edison Standard Model B that I just got. It has an oak case. It looks as if wood has weathered a bit such that the surface is not alligatored so much as rather crusty from the shellac drying out and flaking off (not sure about that). Wax won't help. Actually, the surface is not too bad so I may just leave it alone. But, my question is, Can I gently remove the existing shellac (I've done this on furniture many times with using no more than a brush and no abrasives) without damaging the decal? The decal is complete. I know there are replacement decals, but I would rather leave the case alone with even a fragment of a decal rather than replace it. So the question is, What can be done to the case without damaging the decal? If nothing, so be it.

Rubbing with the grain with 0000 steel wool saturated in denatured alcohol can sometimes work wonders for the kind of dry finish condition you seem to be describing. Do a small area at the time, wiping promptly with a paper towel. (If you try to do too much at once the gunk you loosen can harden before you get it off because the alcohol evaporates rapidly.) It blends the shellac and makes it flow together again. Just rub less vigorously and with more care over decal areas. Doing that transformed my Triumph's case from the proverbial pig's ear into a silk purse.

Do some test areas until you get the hang of how much rubbing gives the best result. You want to clean off the dirt and get the shellac to reflow, but not take it all off.

Clay

Not every phonograph is a museum piece, get a new decal. Regards, Johnny

This is what I did with my Edison Fireside:

1) I washed the finish down with mineral spirits to make sure the surface was as close to completely clean as I could get it. 2) I sanded the finish using 200 grit wet or dry, and then 400 grit wet or dry. I used mineral spirits as the lubricant, and I used a sanding block so that I would get a flat surface. At this point, I had sanded down to the level of the decal, and it looked as if I had sanded into it because it appeared silver and not gold. For some reason, I didn't panic, which was a good thing, but I didn't sand any further. 3) Once I had a flat surface on the original finish I bought some aerosol shellac and applied several light coats, allowing each coat to dry, and lightly sanding between coats with the 400 grit paper. 4) I french polished the new surface I had created on top of the original finish, and the decal returned to its gold color (go figure). It looked beautiful, and it still had the original finish, I had just added a new surface to it.

To protect the decal, you can use liquid frisket. It is what airbrush artists use to mask areas they don't want to paint. Basically, you brush over the decal with the masking frisket and when you are done, you peel off the frisket which forms a type of rubber covering over the area you want protected... I have also heard that you can use rubber cement in the same way, although I have not tried it.

I used the frisket to protect an original decal on my Fairy Phonograph Lamp. Rather than paint around the decal, this allowed me to paint over it and when it was dry the masking film was removed, leaving a perfect decal in place.

You can find this online or at most hobby shops.

It would be fun to see photos of machines used with liquid frisket and other means of working around decals. It might inspire others to save decals. Jerry

Here are pics of the Fairy Phonograph decal as originally seen under the lid and then as a restored image preserved with liquid frisket and repainted...

Impressive! Thanks, Jerry

I believe I understand the techniques described here--all have merits. One technique is re-amalgamation. Another is to lightly sand the surface to thin the existing shellac and then give another coat. The second coat combines with the first to form a single, translucent coat. The third technique masks the decal. And while I'd like to preserve the decal, if I muck it up, the fourth option is to use a new decal, which I understand are nowadays quite good.

In any case I now understand the decal is UNDER a coat of shellac.

I do know another technique that uses a chemical compound that has nearly the same refractive index as shellac. One brushes this on, and like the second technique fills in all the pores and microfissures that scatter the light to make an effective single coat. Museum curators like this technique because it is reversible. The coat can be removed without touching the original surface.

But as Johnny mentioned, my Standard B is not a museum piece. Still when I get around to the case, I will try and save the original decal. And one option--the first option--is to leave it alone. Thanks everyone.

Sorry I'm late to the party. My vote is for re-amalgamation with more shellac to fill in. Here's a link to what I did with my model C Standard:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 8339&hilit

Good luck!

- Martin