The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello I have recently purchased a Columbia table top with 2 cracks in the lid quite bad but a straight crack with a bit of wood missing creating a dip in the crack but I can fill them and sand the entire top panel with 2000 grit and stain the filler and give it a thin layer of shellac then wax it to make it appear aged/ duller as the rest of the cabinet, or should I just replace the entire lid panel with a new piece of wood and stain that instead?

I want a relatively experienced collector as I'm 15 and aren't 100% sure which route to take I do cabinet work any way from restoration to complete refinish and I will use shellac for both refinishes then wax to match the rest of the original finish.

Thanks, Jake

Sounds like you will be saving the original top except for having to try to patch a crack so it won't show. I have tired that with some success but its a pretty tricky thing to get it to the exact color and then finish so it won't stand out from the original. But if your able to do that I would go with saving the original top. If that fails to satisfy then perhaps you can look at new veneer for the whole top, an there again matching the rest of the case is always the hardest part.

Since there is no picture of what you are dealing with, the answer depends on how wide the crack is and how long. Will it be in the center of the lid or toward an edge, can it be pulled together with a clamp or is a section missing? Also, is the machine worth putting the extra effort into to restore, or is it an inexpensive ordinary machine which won't make a difference in the restoration method? Is the lid made of laminated wood (like plywood with a veneer glued to it) or is it a solid thin board? Also, what type of wood is it... quarter sawn oak or mahogany? Is it a flat lid for a disc machine or a curved lid for a cylinder machine?

All of the above factors enter into which decision you should make in your restoration... If you have a pic or more details, that would help.

Jake,

First, always save anything original to the machine if at all possible. Even if it's not as pretty as a new piece it's still more desirable just because it's authentic.

I didn't notice your mentioning any gluing. Maybe that was an oversight in the description of your plan. Rather than just filling the crack, do be sure to glue and clamp it shut first. Any remaining voids can then possibly be filled. As with any "spot repair", be careful not to extend your work area too far into the surrounding woodwork or finish, such that otherwise o.k. original finishes are disturbed. Again, some remaining blemishes are sometimes better to have than sacrificing other surrounding original features.