The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Looking for a good suggestion for a case refinishing job, plus decals replaced. This would be for my Edison Business machine.


Thanks

Please say it isn't so
The original finish looks fairly stable and salvageable to me, so I hope you're not considering a full strip & repolish of the cabinet.
It would be a shame to lose the original cabinet finish when the bedplate is in such fine condition.
Compared to Standards & Homes, these are quite rare as far as numbers go, and IMO, stripping & repolishing would probably devalue the machine in the long run. Even if you clean the cabinet & have to apply a couple thin coats of shellac to bring it up to an acceptible standard, it's better than removing the finish & replacing it.
My Standard B was in much the same dry condition- maybe even a little worse, but after a clean, a few touch-ups, 2 coats of shellac and a coat of wax, it now looks like this. It even brought the decal up much better than before.

Id agree with Shane if you were contemplating refinishing the machine in the pics. If you want a real professional restoration, Greg Cline does excellent work it would be an expensive project.

Good suggestion Gramophoneshane. I prefer original myself. The case is pretty flaked off. The Decal is 95% missing too. I would say there is less than 50% of the shellac on the case. The lid is in better shape. Would you still stick with your suggestion?