CLEANING QUESTION

[bostonmike1]

HELLO -----MY EYESIGHT IS POOR SO I MUST WRITE IN CAPS. SORRY IN ADVANCE. OLD AGE SUCKS!!
WHILE CLEANING A RECLAIMATION MACHINE THIS EVENING USING NON-PUMICE GO-JO, AS I RUBBED THE OLD GREASE OFF OF THE SERIAL PLATE ( WHICH CAME OFF WITH SURPRISING EASE) THE ENTIRE PLATE ENDED UP BEING BRASS IN COLOR. I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ORIGINAL MACHINE IN PERSON, BUT THE PICTURES I HAVE SEEN SEEM TO HAVE A BLACK BACKGROUND WHILE ONLY THE RAISED LETTERING ARE BRASS IN COLOR. DID I CLEAN TOO MUCH?
THE SERIAL NUMBER IS H44108. HOW CAN I TELL ITS TRUE AGE? THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE ME.
MICHAEL

[phonogfp]

[font size="4"]The serial number of your machine indicates it's an Edison Home Phonograph model, and left the factory in October 1901.

The data plate was indeed originally painted with a black background and the raised letters/numbers were nickeled. The nickeling easily wears down to the brass beneath with a little rubbing, and the same goes for the black paint. Don't worry too much about it - - there are thousands of Edison Phonographs out there with data plates that look the same way!

George P.[/font]

[refseries]

If you want to bring the plate back to something close to original Eric Reiss has a good step-by-step guide in his book 'The Compleat Talking Machine', copies of which can be found at sales, second hand book sites, or Amazon. Having said that, like George P, I leave mine as they are!

Cheers

Keith