OaK VTLA Project

[Zeppy]

Well, seems after many years this project is about wrapped up, so I'll start with the before picutres. These are the pictures from the ebay auction. Barn fresh VTLA out of Maine. What little shellac was left on it was so dry, you could practically wipe it of with your hand. This baby cost me the opening bid of $200, plus another $100 shipping (and yes, that is a VV-X motor in it).

[Zeppy]

And now the after. The pictures are a little off due to the basement lighting. The final product isn't quite as dark and the part above the horn doors matches much better (not sure why it reacted the way it did to the flash). The machine need to be totally re-finished, since there was none to speak of. Just a little stripper to get what little shellac remained, filled the grain, stain, and I mixed my own shellac. Despite many attempts at getting the exact match, it is slightly off. The original finish is a little paler. Not sure how much that has to do with just mixing shellac and staining, and how much was the weathering for the elements...but I can live with it. The motor board was fabricated by my dad. The motor was from another ebay purchase, and is correct for the machine. The key came with the machine, and I have two instruction manuals. One correct one for the machine (the victor victrola one), and one that was for the model that came out later the same year when the kept the trim, but switched to VV-XVI on the tag. The reproducer box also came with the machine. Still need to do some plating, and final touches, but I figure I'm at 97% done.

[Jerry B.]

I think it's great that people take on major projects to bring back an historic machines. It looks very nice. Was the carving under the lid missing or possibly just removed for the first photos? It does not show evidence of an additional crank hole. Did the incorrect motor use the same crank hole? Thanks, Jerry Blais

[Zeppy]

I think it's great that people take on major projects to bring back an historic machines. It looks very nice. Was the carving under the lid missing or possibly just removed for the first photos? It does not show evidence of an additional crank hole. Did the incorrect motor use the same crank hole? Thanks, Jerry Blais

Most of the carving was included. You can see a few patches if you look closely. And fortunately the VV-X motor lined up the same way, so there was no exta hole. Still need a little bit of work to make me happy, but after probably 4 years of on again off again work (and doing law school and adding a baby to the family in the interim), I'm relatively happy with the results. This was my biggest project to date.

[Zeppy]

And a few more (motorboard by dad)

[AZ*]

Excellent restoration. It shows what's possible when skill and care are applied to bring a basket case back from the grave. Other people might have cannibalized it as a parts machine.

Glad to see you have the proper key. I finally got one for my mahogany VTLA at the Union show in June.

[Brad]

Great job Zeppy, one which you should be proud. I am envious. I would print out the before ebay pictures in a collage, frame them and hang it by the machine for visitors to see.

Congratulations.

[Kirkwood]

WOW. Wonderful job there, Zeppy. It's safe to say that you brought this Victrola back from the near-dead. You did a most amazing job on the veneer work on the front doors. Did you have the missing scraps or did you replace sections? I still think of veneer patching and splicing as an art that eludes me, with quarter-sawn oak being especially tricky to match and blend. Very impressive that you have TWO instruction booklets, AND the key. Thanks so much for including the great before and after pics. This is inspiration for those of us with multiple "project machines". Seeing it done right like this is motivating indeed.

[Zeppy]

Thanks for all the kind words. I really wanted to do as good a job as I could. I've done some smaller machines in the past. A few table tops, a VV-50, and the like. And all those were mahagony, which as far as I'm concerned is much more forgiving, and easier to match.

As for the veneer patches, oddly enough, I found one of the pieces in the space between the back wall of the record storage, and the outside wall of the machine (for those of you who haven't seen one of these, there's a door in the back of the machine from where the horn was installed, and you can get see the space behind the record storage...which is also where I found the larger half of the second hand license label). That was the big piece along the left edge of the right record storage door. The others were patches. I think mostly I got lucky with most of my patches. The big one in the middle of the right door was fortunately where there was no real stripping pattern to the grain, and by some miracle, the stain took well. The patches in the carved pattern are not quite as good...just wouldn't take the stain well...but not too shabby.

Funny story on the instruction book...The seller originally had the instruction book, and a promo flier for Victor needles (with a picture of the tin on the turn table, which according to the instruction book, would have been included with the machine). But the seller decided to sell them in a separate auction. Of course I bid on them, wanting as much of the original material that came with the machine (pretty shocking that considering the condition of the cabinet, the intructions survived, and stayed with it). The paper went for more than I paid machine! The two books were just a matter of getting lucky on ebay. Got the VV-XVI first, figuring it was at least the same machine pictured, and the odds of me getting another shot at one would be slim, and expensive (I think I paid $60 for that one). But as luck would have it, I did get a second chance, and paid even less (saw a third on ebay a while ago that went for around $30...was planning on bidding but flaked...hopefully it went to a good home to be matched to a good machine).

[schweg]

Fantastic! and tell Dad he did a great job too. It's really satisfying to see how you saved this one. Enjoy it!

Steve