The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Does anyone know if the gold plating on the higher end machine hardware is lacquer or shellack coated. I have a very nice gold plated tonearm that I cleaned up with ammonia but there appears to be a couple small areas that appear to be foggy, almost like there is a coating on it.

Any input would be appreciated.

Blizz

I believe the ammonia removes any protective finish that Victor applied to their gold parts. Your tone arm looks terrific. Sometimes we just have to live with the blemishes. I would caution anyone not to get aggressive the any gold finish.

Jerry B.

Thanks Jerry. Wondering if I should apply a coat of lacquer on it. I know music box hobbyist use a clear lacquer called Nikolas once they complete their polishing but then again they are trying to prevent the brass from tarnishing.

Blizz

I have used Nikolas lacquers and they are a very high quality nitrocellulose lacquer, either clear or amber toned. There's no harm done using it as a coating as it will protect the gold plating just that little bit more.

Of course like all lacquers you will want to be quite careful with temperature and humidity so the new finish does not "bloom."

I'm guessing most Victor collectors have noticed that their gold-plated parts seem never to have been high-gloss originally but instead a sort of matte finish, almost as if brushed with a very fine wire wheel. When I was young and even more foolish than I am now I remember hitting a Victor part (tone arm I think) with Stryp-eze or some other powerful paint remover. The matte finish immediately disappeared and high-gloss gold was left. I understand the Victor plating was actual 24-karat gold so it's likely the chemical had no effect on the plating- a "noble metal" after all. Is it possible Victor put a heavy coat of shellac or lacquer on the newly plated parts and followed that with some kind of very subtle wire brushing (or something) in order to produce the effect we see on well-preserved parts?
And just to digress a little, has anybody had new gold plating done and managed to get that original effect?
-Dave

Which machines had this finish? Victor V and VI? Any of the Victrolas? Only curiosity...