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Below is the latest addition to our family.
LOML 'rescued' an Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph (model C-19) from an antique (old stuff) store in a small town just across the line in Florida. From the information available, it was produced after May, 1916 and before 1927 when Edison made the last of them. It's actually in fairly good shape mechanically. Fifteen Edison 'Re-Creations' (records) came with it and it plays just fine. It's amazing how good one of these things sounds without any of the electronics we're accustomed to these days. We did a little cleanup internally, then I oiled and greased the necessary points. I actually found an owner's manual for it online! OK, enough of the good stuff.
The exterior finish of the cabinet looks decent from a distance, but has a wrinkled appearance up close. It's a tight wrinkled look, whereas the undamaged areas look almost like a French polished finish. I have not done any testing of the surface to determine what topcoat was used. My best guess is shellac, since that was common back then. Before I start doing anything with the finish, I'd like to get your educated opinions on the best approach to deal with this issue. The back of the cabinet has the same appearance, so I can experiment on it first.
Here's an overall look at the machine.
This is a closeup of the top edge of the turntable section, showing some of the wrinkled appearance and some smooth area.
Thanks is advance for your help!
LOML 'rescued' an Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph (model C-19) from an antique (old stuff) store in a small town just across the line in Florida. From the information available, it was produced after May, 1916 and before 1927 when Edison made the last of them. It's actually in fairly good shape mechanically. Fifteen Edison 'Re-Creations' (records) came with it and it plays just fine. It's amazing how good one of these things sounds without any of the electronics we're accustomed to these days. We did a little cleanup internally, then I oiled and greased the necessary points. I actually found an owner's manual for it online! OK, enough of the good stuff.
The exterior finish of the cabinet looks decent from a distance, but has a wrinkled appearance up close. It's a tight wrinkled look, whereas the undamaged areas look almost like a French polished finish. I have not done any testing of the surface to determine what topcoat was used. My best guess is shellac, since that was common back then. Before I start doing anything with the finish, I'd like to get your educated opinions on the best approach to deal with this issue. The back of the cabinet has the same appearance, so I can experiment on it first.
Here's an overall look at the machine.
This is a closeup of the top edge of the turntable section, showing some of the wrinkled appearance and some smooth area.
Thanks is advance for your help!
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