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Post by jeeprod on Apr 3, 2014 21:10:45 GMT -5
Can anyone give me any advice as to what kind of paint, and what kind of brush, or drawing tool, I need to dress up an otherwise dull
Amberola 50 bedplate? Thank you in advance for any advice
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Post by lucius1958 on Apr 3, 2014 22:28:52 GMT -5
Did the bedplate have any pinstriping originally?
BillS
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Post by jeeprod on Apr 3, 2014 22:52:04 GMT -5
Thanks, BillS for the quick reply. I do not know if it did. This is a recent E-Bay catch. I am just grateful that it works fine. The bedplate is in need of a paint job, which I will try Saturday. I do not see any trace of there ever being any striping on it.
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Post by gibsonj on Apr 4, 2014 8:06:25 GMT -5
I'm reasonably sure that the Amberola 30/50/75 models had no original pin-striping. At least, according to my look at Frow's book.
John
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Post by phonogfp on Apr 4, 2014 20:23:10 GMT -5
The very first Amberola 30s had pinstriping, but not for long. I presume the more expensive 50 and 75 did as well, but again these show up infrequently. If the reproducer on the machine is painted black, it didn't have pinstriping. Even if the reproducer is nickel-plated, it probably didn't.
I had a 30 with pinstriping whose serial number was in the 7000 range.
George P.
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Post by lucius1958 on Apr 4, 2014 22:50:12 GMT -5
So, unless you have an extremely early model, it's most likely that it never had pinstriping.
One can understand the temptation to "dress up" a rather plain machine; but that might be a source of confusion to future collectors, and possibly impair the resale value of the machine.
Is this your first phonograph? If you look around patiently enough, you might be able to find some models with attractive decoration: the outside horn Edisons usually have striping, and the Columbia Graphophones are often quite colorful.
BillS
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Post by jeeprod on Apr 5, 2014 0:14:53 GMT -5
This amberola 50 is really sort of drab. I appreciate the idea of preserving the historical accuracy of old machines, but I think a little bit of gold stripe around the bedplate would look great, and is easily undone. I also have a Gem B, a Standard B, a Home B, a Triumph A with a repo Cygnet horn, an amberola 30 and a Diamond Disc A-150. I had to refinish the cabinet on the Standard because it was toast, but everything else is just wax over original unretouched wood. I started collecting about 15 years ago, and a southern Calif collector/ restorer The Victrolaguy, has emboldened me to start doing my own repairs, and following his U-Tube tutorial, I have successfully rebuilt two C reproducers. I am new to this board, and have enjoyed the posts I have read. I hope to learn much more. A future project will be to locate a junk machine and turn it into a "steampunk" phonograph.
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Post by keith1954 on May 29, 2014 15:57:20 GMT -5
jeeprod,
Pinstriping is very very vary tough to do; it's also practically a lost art. It takes a steady hand plus lots of practice. Decades ago if you were an artist in need of a steady income you might choose to study sign painting. Pin striping would be included in this curriculum. You sound pretty adventurous and creative. Try used bookstores to see if you can find an old textbook that included pinstriping. Pinstriping might be included in bools on sign painting, drawing, department store display and books on carriage body painting.
To specifically answer your question, you'll need a special brush for pinstriping. The bristles are flexible and are long, about an inch. For a narrow stripe the brush is of a smaller diameter, wider stripe takes a larger brush. On to paint. Not all pinstriping is gold. Traditionally, an oil based enamel paint is used. There are also many kinds of gold leaf paints. In the dear dead days, this paint actually had powdered gold in it. Today this cost prohibitive.
WHatever you decide to do, I would strongly urge you to practice practice practice on a piece of japanned iron before you try and paint your Edison phonograph.
Hope this helps,
Keith
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Post by refseries on Jun 11, 2014 8:24:40 GMT -5
Keith is right. You can never have too much practice, and it is very easy to make an otherwise honest phonograph look like a piece of repro junk. If you are keen to do it, there are two other ways. One is to use very fine gold felt pens, which are paint-filled and fairly permanent. Alternatively good art shops sell lining by Letraset or similar, which can be used provided you spray it with their varnish afterwards. It is hard to put it on straight, but looks better than any freehand work unless you are very, very, good!
Keith
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