The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi All,

I'm working on restoring my Vic VI. So far, I used kotton klenser to get the old grime off the cabinet. I then proceeded to use Howard Feed-N-Wax to bring back the richness of the wood. I'm not really pleased with the result of the Feed-N-Wax treatment. I was hoping to bring back the shine in the cabinet. At best, using this product resulted in a matte finish.

Most of the original finish was worn off the machine when I got it. I'm considering applying new finish to the cabinet. To the best of my knowledge, the machine was made in 1906. Would they have originally used shellac or lacquer on the cabinet? Also, would it be safe to apply a new finish to wood that has been treated with Feed-N-Wax?

Or do I just leave the machine alone? This is a valuable machine. I don't want to mess it up.

Thanks,
Kevin

Personally, I'd leave it alone. You could use a good quality furniture polish and see if that helps. The only one I trust is Guardsman. I use it on all of my Victorian furniture, too.

http://www.guardsman.com/en/furniture_c ... olish.html

I've also had good results with Scott's Liquid Gold, but I don't use it as often because it takes a while for the oils to soak into the wood.

http://www.scottsliquidgold.com/scotts-liquid-gold/

If the original finish is gone, I'd re-clean with Gojo or KK to remove the wax first. These were shellac finishes (others correct me if I'm wrong). The trick with Feed 'N' Wax is to let it soak in for a day or so and then buff it out with a soft cotton cloth. I found it to be dull if you only leave it on for their suggested time of 20 minutes. After I buff it out, I usually do it again after another day or so and I've had great results with the stuff ever since.

As for refinishing, I'll leave that to those who have worked with shellac more than I have, it's a pretty involved process. With a machine like a VI, you might be best off taking it to a professional refinisher with specific instructions. That's what I plan on doing with my Triumph eventually.

Hope this helps a little, at least!

Sean

I am not sure "French Polish" (with shellac) was the way Victor Talking Machine Company finishing its cabinets back in the early 1900s. However, it is very user-friendly and safe without the need of high-tech equipments. The drawback is that the surface will be shining like mirror! Here is the link to the tutorial which I learned the art several years ago: http://www.milburnguitars.com/fpbannerframes.html. BTW, denatured alcohol is poisonous! I use either Everclear (Grain alcohol, which is very expensive and you may not be able to buy legally in your state) or 91% Isopropyl alcohol, which is cheaper and easily found in drug stores.

Thanks everyone. Sounds like another application of Feed-N-Wax is the safest way to go.

Have you considered using Briwax? It works extremely well on antiques leaving a rich lustrous wax finish. It's available in a variety of colors, so it also can be used to revitalize the cabinet's finish to an appropriate mahogany color.

Have any others on this forum used Briwax products on their antique phonographs?

schallplatte wrote:Have you considered using Briwax? It works extremely well on antiques leaving a rich lustrous wax finish. It's available in a variety of colors, so it also can be used to revitalize the cabinet's finish to an appropriate mahogany color.

Have any others on this forum used Briwax products on their antique phonographs?

Here's a link for more information on Briwax.

http://www.briwax.com/briwaxpp.htm

I've used Briwax and I agree it works well, I used it on my 8-35 after the Howard's Feed 'N' Wax, in fact. A little more elbow grease involved, but it does a nice job!
Sean

OrthoSean wrote:I've used Briwax and I agree it works well, I used it on my 8-35 after the Howard's Feed 'N' Wax, in fact. A little more elbow grease involved, but it does a nice job!
Sean

Looks like the company makes a number of products. Which product would you recommend?

All I've used is their basic non-tinted paste wax, as I said before, it requires some extra work and a little practice to get a good even shine from it (less than others I've tried though). The results were a nice even shine on the rather dull top of my 8-35. Haven't used it on anything else yet, but I just picked up an 8-4 that will probably get a good coat with Briwax when I'm finished cleaning it all up.

Sean