The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Well I finally completed this project today. I bought these parts from Skihawx back in June and have slowly been working on it since then. The box is made out of plywood that I veneered with this really figured walnut I have been saving for a special project. I had JUST enough to do the entire case! The whole idea behind this project was to have a setup that would contain all my jazz 78's and also have a phonograph to play them on. The bookcase was built before I designed the phonograph cabinet; and I also rewired the motor with new cloth covered wire. The output from the tone arm is just a mono RCA cable that runs over to my amp. Skihawx also had the original on/off mechanism and I was able to figure out how to properly get that together this morning. So it totally fits the bill because I didn't want to have any knobs or switches, just a wooden box with the platter and tone arm.

Definitely wanted to thank Carlton and Chuck Azzalina for all their help throughout this project.

Cheers!

David Zavracky

Very nice!! What do you use for an amp?

That’s definitely one “classy” setup there.

Also the record storage case is top rate too.

Puts my Kallax clones from Target to shame. Even my real IKEA Kallax ones too!

Jerry - I am just using the surround sound amp the rest of my sound system is using. I thought it would be nice to have a remote control for volume

Cheers,

David

Damfino59 wrote: Sat Aug 30, 2025 4:23 pm That’s definitely one “classy” setup there.

Also the record storage case is top rate too.

Puts my Kallax clones from Target to shame. Even my real IKEA Kallax ones too!

Thanks!! I had fun building it but I am tired of projects. I need to take a break

Cheers,

David

Very nice... Came out looking good.

Nicely done veneer and cabinet work. It looks like crotch-grain veneer. If it is, where did you find it? You mention an on-off switch, is it linked to the tone arm?

The walnut is actually from a tree that used to be standing on our property. I had a sizeable 4" thick piece of it I cut into all the pieces of veneer a long time ago. I put some pics of it below. I actually ended up bookmatching each of the pieces shown which is the venner that ended up on the box. I cut the walnut up so I could use some of the best parts to build a jewelry box for my girlfriend (at the time), but now we are not dating and I didn't get the box back.

And yes there is a little mechanism under the tonearm that clicks a light switch on and off. It was something I probably should've considered more closely before making the cabinet as it's not sitting in the "correct" position. But I was able to set it up in a position that works so I don't really mind that the tone arm has to sit on the platter on the left side of the spindle when it's not being used.


EDIT:

found some more pics. I also had this cool offcut I bookmatched and just hung up on the wall; and I am still saving this other bookmatched piece that looks like a face for something... idk what yet

Cheers,

David

Gorgeous veneer. How and how thick did you cut it?

Nice work. From the perspective of your picture the arm looks too short and has no overhang, Maybe the arm geometry for a straight arm is different than one with an angled head.