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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Apr 5, 2009 15:23:27 GMT -5
This was on ebay and being 15 minutes from my apartment (and a sister who has access to a ton of discs) I figured "what the heck." I paid $150 for it which may have been steep, but it seemed fair. Damage-wise, there are two veneer chips on the top, and tons of veneer peeling. The door for the disc storage side is slightly warped. The shellac is crap at this point, but the underlying stain is in great shape. There were several LARGE white areas that some 0000 steel wool and orange oil removed. Matt, I will be picking your brains on how to clean everything up! I think I am missing a knob of sorts on tone arm control, and the volume control muffler for the bottom. Other that, everything seems to be here. I managed to pull out an envelope I found behind the disc area that has the original instruction manual in the original folder, which was pretty cool. I will ask up front where I can go to learn how to disassemble this beast. In particular, how do I remove the slats in the disc storage side? I saw four screws, removed those and was able to slide off a piece of wood exposing the top of the slats, but I can't remove them without bending them, which I know is not correct. The bottom area, with the numbers, how does this (if at all) come out? Finally, I must note that the unit still plays...and LOUD at that. It does seem to be sticking when it gets towards the end of the disc it is playing. Hopefully a good cleaning of everything will make the difference. You can see the envelope with the instructions here.
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Post by matty on Apr 5, 2009 15:58:49 GMT -5
The bottom piece of wood with the numbers should be nailed in place. I just levered it up on my C19, then the slats slide out.
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Post by maroongem on Apr 5, 2009 16:34:37 GMT -5
Frank,
The bottom strip is usually held by two screws on the Edison consoles I've worked on. Check before you start prying.
Bill
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Apr 5, 2009 16:36:34 GMT -5
Many thanks for both responses. I removed the screws holding the bottom piece, but I don't know how to lift it up without leaving a mark on the wood below....it is giving way on the one side, so I was going to try to gently get a thin screwdriver under it to see if I can carefully lift it up and out.
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Post by maroongem on Apr 5, 2009 16:39:05 GMT -5
It's amazing how many machines with the slats have the instructions (or other neat things) pushed in the back. I would say more than 60% of the later machines I have owned post 1919 have had at least the instructions hidden behind them. My guess is that the owners placed them in an empty slot and they either got pushed back by a record or slid back during a move.
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Post by maroongem on Apr 5, 2009 16:42:41 GMT -5
Frank,
More than likely, the old shellac has stuck between the number strip and the bottom of the cabinet. Try and find a thin shim to break the bond.
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Post by matty on Apr 5, 2009 16:42:47 GMT -5
I used a wide knife rather than a screw driver to lift the strip of wood. The nails are really quite small so it won't take much to lift it out.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Apr 5, 2009 16:42:55 GMT -5
It looks like the screws have already been removed? They have indeed been removed. The top piece of wood covering the slates I was able to remove...I guess I'll try to gently pry up and pull out the lower piece tonight.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Apr 5, 2009 16:47:23 GMT -5
I'm replying while yall are, haha. Okay, a thin knife it is! I think part of me is curious to see what crap is behind the slates...in addition to cleaning and restoring of course What the best way to remove the old shellac? I've read about 0000 steel wool and denatured alcohol. I used some orange oil and 0000 steel wool to remove a good number of the old shellac and get a nice smooth finish on the wood. I really don't want to remove the old finish but rather remove the old shellac, try to steam out a few dents, and then apply some clear shellac over the finish. I was going to try to iron down the veneer to see if this works any, otherwise I'll need to reglue it from scratch. The hard part appears to be the veneer on the storage side, just underneath the top. Regluing it will be tricky, clamp-wise.
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Post by matty on Apr 5, 2009 16:53:30 GMT -5
Just check your slates too while it's apart. The reason I removed mine in the first place was that some of the slates were scratching my records. I'm not sure about your slats, but mine are cardboard with a strip of metal running down the length which is covered with leatherette. Some had got kinked which was making the metal stick out. I ended up gently hammering each one flat before putting them back & have had no problems with them since.
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Post by maroongem on Apr 5, 2009 16:57:00 GMT -5
It looks from the photo that you may even have the packing instructions envelope that was nailed to the crate. Inside was of course the manual for the machine, but there was also a folded up sheet that explained how to uncrate the Phonograph. I found one complete in a C-19 that I bought.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Apr 5, 2009 17:03:19 GMT -5
The envelope just had an instruction manual in it from what I saw. However, I want to remove the slats to clean thoroughly and honestly see what other goodies MAY lurk behind them.
The slats on this model are also card stock with a metal trim. I'll check to make sure they are all flat before reinserting them.
For what it is worth, this degree of refinishing is all new to me, so I apologize in advance for seemingly mundane questions.
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Post by maroongem on Apr 5, 2009 17:17:54 GMT -5
For what it is worth, this degree of refinishing is all new to me, so I apologize in advance for seemingly mundane questions. Frank, There are no mundane or foolish questions. That is one of the reasons of these boards. We come here to help each other with our experiences and of course, tribulations. There are many ways to solve a problem and every one may have a different way of solving it. You will have to find what is best for you.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Apr 5, 2009 17:30:02 GMT -5
That's good to know What's the best way then to remove the shellac and not the stain/finish?
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Post by maroongem on Apr 5, 2009 17:38:13 GMT -5
Frank,
If it IS shellac, you can remove it with denatured alcohol. This machine came out in late '22, and by then many companies were switching over to a tinted,sprayed lacquer. You can try an obscure place and see if the finish comes off with denatured alcohol. If not it is more than likely a lacquer finish. Either way there will be some stain loss when you remove it so you will have to re-stain before you put on a finish coat.
Bill
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