The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I was given this record cabinet for free. It was offered to me a while a go, but I turned it down due to it's condition. The missing door is the BIG issue that I need help with. Does anyone have any idea what the door looked like? A photo would be a big help. I have vintage oak from a sacrificed machine to make the door. I will be refinishing the cabinet.

The front door would have matched the shape of the back panel pretty closely, with that swoop at the bottom.

They are heavy, but the bottom board off a free upright piano, in oak of course, will be large enough to cut your door out of. Ha! I've done that already, but my back won't put up with moving them anymore. The lid is usually too thick and sometimes the panel above the keyboard will work as well. Player pianos won't have any panels that are big enough. They also usually have cabinet grade veneer on the back as well. If the lid isn't too thick, it will have oak on both sides too.

How difficult, or practical, would it be to remove the back panel and use it as material to fabricate the front doors? You could replace the back panel with a good furniture grade plywood, stained appropriately.