The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Greetings! I’ve been an avid reader of this wonderful forum for quite a while but this is the first time I’ve ever posted. I’ve been a casual collector & restorer for several years (a handful of Victrolas and an Edison Home) and I suppose for me the biggest thrill is finding a really neglected old phonograph and getting it back into shape… it feels like I’m saving something from the scrapheap and maybe giving one of these fine old machines a new lease on life for another century. (Seriously, we’re running out of room around here and it’s getting to the point where I’m hitting up my friends: “If I find a thrashed Victrola and restore it for you, will you take it into your home and love it?” I’ve had two takers so far…haha!)

Right now I’m working on a Vic III (which we got at a good price as the finish was virtually non-existent – my favorite type of find!) and as part of the deal I also got a record cabinet which is a good fit for the Vic. (See pics.) The cabinet has slots along both interior sides (numbered, 80 in total). The slots are about ⅛” deep, ⅛” high, and are on ⅜” centers. The faces of the interior side walls are 12 ½” apart.

SO… what used to fit into these slots, to hold the records? Thin wood panels that flex to fit into the slots? Or something made of wire which pops into the slots? Or…? Once I have a description (or a photo) I’m hopeful I can cobble something together to return it to its original state.

Thanks much for any information!

Cheers,
Mark

That is supposed to take thin individual shelves which have a felt covering to protect the discs - one disc per slot.

The relief (raised) decoration on the door (fleur de lys?) makes me think your cabinet may have been made by Larkin.

At first I was going to suggest this was a sheet-music cabinet, with so many slots so close together, but seeing what I think is a needle-cup mounted to the inside of the door, and is that a scallop at the center of the bottom board to facilitate grabbing a record or sheet of music, I think it might indeed be a record cabinet... or a dual-purpose cabinet.

The shelves would probably have been thin wood.

I think they were installed by sliding into the open fronts of the slots before the angled trim mouldings with the slot numbers were nailed into place.

I do not think they were intended to be removeable / adjustable in the field.

Each shelf probably had a center scallop to facilitate extraction of whatever was on the shelf.

I just measured some old sheet music that is in my piano bench: most of my 1890-1920 sheet music measures 11" wide x 14 " tall.

1920 and later, 8" x 11 or 12 ".


How deep is your cabinet from back wall to front edge of bottom board ?

(Estott types faster than I do... )

Thanks to both of you!

Yes, that's a needle cup (with 2nd disposal cup tucked underneath) and yes, that's a scallop at the bottom - you're good, Frank!

From the back of the cabinet interior to the front of the slots is 9 ½", and from the back to the inside of the door is 12 ½", so sounds like it's for records (10" or 12") or the more modern (8.5 x 11) sheet music.

Your description of how the shelves were installed at the factory makes sense. Not sure why someone would remove them all, but there you are...

Thanks again - looking forward to getting this thing cleaned up and sitting under the Vic III - will look great there.

Great find and a wonderful project. You might try making dividers out of hardboard (like pegboard but without the holes). I would experiment by making two shelves, covering them with felt and, once in place, see if a record will slide into place. I've done a few cabinets and it's really easy. You don't need to be perfect on the felt job because all you see is the outside edge. Once the edge trim pieces are put back in place it will look perfect. Jerry Blais

Although a guess on my part....I think this is a Salter made cabinet.

gramophone78 wrote:Although a guess on my part....I think this is a Salter made cabinet.

I think so as well:
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... f=2&t=7901

Good idea, Jerry - thanks.

And thanks to Gramophone78 and Estott for the Salter info. Looks like you may be right - I'll have to dig a little deeper. But either way, I now have a clue as to it was originally configured!

Mark

I have a couple of Salter cabinets with a lot of the same characteristics as yours. I have worked on quite a few with missing shelves. Yours is a Salter cabinet and the pieces you need are 7 ½" in depth with a strip of felt on the front and back edges and they fold over the edge about ½". The wood you need is ⅛" thick and can be purchased from a lumber supplier as cabinet grade plywood (which usually has a birch outer veneer). The other piece you may possibly need (can't tell from your photos) is a vertical board that sits close to the back in the center. This vertical board (probably 2" x ¾") is what stops your records from going in too far. When I restored a few of these cabinets I found it necessary too remove the back and also the top just to be able to maneuver everything into place. The top screws down from underneath with generally easy access. These are great cabinets since they don't take up a big footprint. Good luck
D. Edwards

Thanks, D. Edwards! The info and photos make it more clear - much appreciated.