Shaken, not stirred (rescue of Operaphone)
Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:48 pm
Over the past years, many fellow forum members have bemoaned the loss of phonographs to non- collectors, who preferred some form of shabby chic, or even the conversion to a liquor cabinet. Earlier this year I came across a unique gramophone cabinet which had suffered this fate, having its guts removed and replaced by mirrors, velvet, and all the glass ware required for a liquor cabinet. I could not pass on the challenge of returning this beautiful musical instrument to its former glory. I successfully bid against a couple others who thought it would make a great addition as a liquor cabinet in their “man caves”.
Once I got my prize home, I reached out to several collectors through this forum and determined that it originated from England, and I was able to locate photos of 9 other machines. It is apparent that the builder of the Operaphone used motors and upper works from whatever manufacture they could, mostly concentrating on Thorens.
The following is a chronology of the restoration steps that I followed:
- Removed all evidence of the liquor cabinet (including having to smash the glass glued to the inside of the lid).
- Dismantled the cabinet and stripped all remaining finish and stain.
- Built the internal horn and cut the top decking and motor board from ¼ inch mahogany board.
- Refinished the cabinet with light brown mahogany wiping stain (darkening the stain with a little walnut colouring to match the new wood to the old).
- Hand carved replacement trim pieces and painted the trims gold.
- Applied the wiping stain on the dried gold trim to dull the glint and give it an aged look.
- Finished with a couple layers of satin lacquer, sanding after each spray, and then finishing with a layer of semi-gloss lacquer.
- I was fortunate to be able to keep the finish under the front speaker lid where the "Operaphone” decal was located, and I used this area as a guide for the remainder of the cabinet finish.
- Installed a Thorens motor and upperworks, and finished the turntable and record shelves with velvet matching a small sample (fortunately left behind by the liquor cabinet maker).
Once I got my prize home, I reached out to several collectors through this forum and determined that it originated from England, and I was able to locate photos of 9 other machines. It is apparent that the builder of the Operaphone used motors and upper works from whatever manufacture they could, mostly concentrating on Thorens.
The following is a chronology of the restoration steps that I followed:
- Removed all evidence of the liquor cabinet (including having to smash the glass glued to the inside of the lid).
- Dismantled the cabinet and stripped all remaining finish and stain.
- Built the internal horn and cut the top decking and motor board from ¼ inch mahogany board.
- Refinished the cabinet with light brown mahogany wiping stain (darkening the stain with a little walnut colouring to match the new wood to the old).
- Hand carved replacement trim pieces and painted the trims gold.
- Applied the wiping stain on the dried gold trim to dull the glint and give it an aged look.
- Finished with a couple layers of satin lacquer, sanding after each spray, and then finishing with a layer of semi-gloss lacquer.
- I was fortunate to be able to keep the finish under the front speaker lid where the "Operaphone” decal was located, and I used this area as a guide for the remainder of the cabinet finish.
- Installed a Thorens motor and upperworks, and finished the turntable and record shelves with velvet matching a small sample (fortunately left behind by the liquor cabinet maker).
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. Can you upload a video of it playing? 
