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I started stripping the cabinet, and it looks like it was a model B, with just the Edison signature? Can anyone see something I'm not seeing? Also, should the finish be real shinny or a dull finish? I have never seen one that was not refinished to give me a guide. There was hardly any finish left on the case. If you click on the image 2 times, you can see it very large. I can see some kind of outline, but not sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
front rear

From what I can see in the upper photograph, there appears to be a "ghost" of the "Edison" signature.

I do not see any "ghost" from a "Banner" decal.


As for "how shiny?", as far as I know, all the red mahogany finishes from this era were a glass-smooth "piano finish". ( A look at the underside of most any red mahogany Victrola lid will be a pretty good example. )

That would mean the cabinet gets "filled" with a grain filler, polished smooth (repeat as needed), then the finish applied, dried and polished.

This is a labor-intensive process that is skipped by most amateurs / dealers when they re-finish mahogany furniture.

Visit any antique mall, and you'll no doubt find dozens of examples of red mahogany Colonial Revival furniture that have been stripped and refinished, and are now "orange", and with a very "open" texture to the finish.

Hopefully one of the finish experts here at TMF can give you more detailed info about mahogany finishes on Edison cylinder players specifically.

Good luck !

What a good idea Frank. I never thought of looking at one of my Victors. I have finished many mahogany machines over the years, and it truly is labor intensive to do them right. I have ordered my finishing supplies from Stew mac. They are a lutheir supplier and sell some really good stuff. Thanks Frank.

I have put the stain and 6 coats of lacquer on this cabinet. I can see little white spots in the finish. Could it be because I didn't put any grain filler on it? I have to make a decision now before the real work begins, sanding and buffing.

Hi Amberola.

It's looking pretty good. My guess is the white spots are just the reflected highlights of the open grain. They will go away when the grain is filled by about 6 or more coats of finish with sanding. If the spots are like white flecks of paint, then something else is going on. If you're unsure, use a magnifier to get a good look at them.

I made the same mistake about not filling the grain of a mahogany C-19 and it took at least 12 coats of shellac before I got the finish to flatten-out. Keep up the good work!

Martin

The grain filler will save a lot of over-coating and sanding to get the finish to level out. You'll want to let it set for a month or six weeks before you decide to finish it up and give it it's last rub down and polish so the finish doesn't finish curing after you think you are done and have it pull into the grain and ruin your work. It looks really nice though, that's a good color on it.

They also used rubbing varnish for top coats on that stuff when it was new and the varnish tends to flow into the grain and help fill it where the grain filler may not have completely done it's job. Varnish is much slower though than lacquer is.

"Amberola" - I have never seen one that was not refinished to give me a guide. There was hardly any finish left on the case. If you click on the image 2 times, you can see it very large. I can see some kind of outline, but not sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ronnie, here is a photograph of the finish of an original mahogany Triumph I used to own.

I hope it helps, Bob S.

I think your best bet at this point is to do the extra coats of lacquer to fill up the grain. You can do 4 coats a day over 3 days. I'd check your lacquer label to be sure, but recoat time should be about an hour or two. After every 4th coat let cure for a few days, then sand. Letting it cure real well before the final sand and polishing is a very good idea.

Good luck!

Martin

martinola wrote:I think your best bet at this point is to do the extra coats of lacquer to fill up the grain. You can do 4 coats a day over 3 days. I'd check your lacquer label to be sure, but recoat time should be about an hour or two. After every 4th coat let cure for a few days, then sand. Letting it cure real well before the final sand and polishing is a very good idea.

Good luck!

Martin

Thanks for the picture Bob. The color will be about right after it's sanded and buffed. I have the buffing compounds, so I have all the materials to proceed or re-do it and grain fill it. I haven't worked on it in a couple of days trying to decide what to do. You are right about letting it cure. I planned on letting it cure for 14 days before I started any sanding. I just don't like the spots. I know grain filler would have made the difference. I just hate that stripper and doing it. Thanks for the ideas Martin. But I don't think lacquer will fill it. It is in the wood. Mahogany is really porous wood, and I think I should have used the grain filler.

I snapped a couple of pictures so you can see better what I am seeing. I have it real bright so it makes it look red but its not. If you click on it 2 times it will get huge.