The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I should know these things but I don't. Springtime is picnic time and the little Victrola IV is going back on duty for what it's best suited for, at least if I get the parts right, it will anyway.

It's been sitting on top of the bookshelf collecting dirt with the turntable felt missing, a nice coat of heavy rust on the platter, and the reproducer not working. Motor runs but is rumbly and will probably get a tuneup first. I'd been doing the last few tasks in restoring it, parts got sent to the wrong address, life took over from there & the Victrola looks like spare parts at this point.

The biggest cosmetic issue is the missing felt. Do I go with dark green or light green? The felt that was on it was a mangy light green but whether that was from UV light fading or from the original install I do not know. This is a 1917 model but not the third iteration, open-face horn one, but the very common "second iteration" style of 1912-1917 with 5 grill slats.

I’m not sure what would have been originally on the turn table but in my opinion it’s always what the case looks like…lighter color case- lighter felt, darker case..darker felt. That’s just what I’ve done to restorations in the past.

Flying Dutchman wrote: Mon Apr 24, 2023 7:48 pm I’m not sure what would have been originally on the turn table but in my opinion it’s always what the case looks like…lighter color case- lighter felt, darker case..darker felt. That’s just what I’ve done to restorations in the past.

This is what I would do as well.

James.

This one has a nice lighter-colored case in amber shellac; I ended up refinishing it as I'd had to hide a repair (whittled a whole new corner for it from a piece of a side-panel off a 1912 Oxford BZH Hornless) and that didn't blend as well with the weathered finish on the VV-IV.
David also called & he said he thinks light felt is a good one.

Light colored green felt incoming -- and the spare parts for the Exhibition reproducer, because the reproducer is actively rotting. It will probably be getting a fresh mainspring eventually to replace the rather worn one but in the meantime it still runs even if it clunks a bit. It should look sharp. It should be running nicely in time for any outings.

Thanks FlyingDutchman & James. Great rule of thumb there; I didn't think to coordinate it with the actual case color. See I have a red mahogany Victrola XIV with light felt, and a quartered oak Victor Talking Machine type 3 with dark felt--these have both been kept covered, the Victrola in its own lid and the Vic 3 in an accessory/optional Victor carrying case from 1909 (it is like the Rip van Winkle of Victor 3's and one of the coolest things I'll probably ever own.) I didn't know if lidless machines had dark, or if this VV-IV had just faded badly.

Charles

Please post photos when completed! Would love to see it when brought back to life!!

OK, parts are actually ordered & hopefully I'll be looking at getting it going soon.

Reproducer parts (gasket, diaphragm, & back) total of $20.25 and the felt is $9.99. Not a bad deal! They should arrive before too terribly long unless there's an accident with the shipping.

Just installed fresh felt--scraping the platter with a razor blade for awhile, until it was smooth, & then cleaning it up with a wirebrush on a drill press worked pretty well as it was rather rusty. I took a photo but it came out blurred--so instead of taking more photos I went to it & started freshening up the machine.

Reproducer is "rebuilt" too, but I forgot to order a thumbscrew & managed to shear off the pin on the back of the new flange when installing--it snagged in the notch in the gooseneck tube & sheared off like candy--that was not good; Mr Parlier is making these things now with the absolute best rubber I've ever seen on an Exhibition back flange. But as I need to order another bearing for an Edison phonograph & get the thumbscrew I need, plus change the ball-bearings in the race at the back of the taper tube (why is there always one missing?) I think I'll have fresh parts before terribly long. Most unfortunate though to break off a perfectly good piece of brass in there & not be able to change it.

Looks nice anyhow--and the light green looks very nice with the light quartersawn oak. I've had this Victrola since 2020 I think and it's never really gotten much use. This tiny little guy is every bit as much a genuine Victrola (high quality, nice workmanship) as the massive VV-XIV that I usually listen to (which is currently getting an oil change as it was last overhauled in 2016.) I'm definitely keeping it around; it is a fun one to have.

I think it looks fantastic! It certainly is amazing how outside natural light can change the look of a finish.

Glad you like it. I agree on the natural light--these things were never built under fluorescent tubes or LED's. Refinished it during ye great plague of 2020 and never got around to making sure it would actually play a record. The felt was in rough shape so I pulled it off but then it started rusting badly which---well I was disappointed in myself on this whole project.

Now it's actually looking like a nice Victrola; sounds like one, too, if I use the reproducer off my upright. Since it is tiny & cheap I think I'm hanging onto it & just enjoying it.

Absolutely! Everyone needs a daily driver.