Howard's "Destroy-A-Finish"??? Walt, I'm curious why you say that because I have had some very good luck with Howard products (including that) on a few otherwise hopeless machines I've owned (or still own - it brought my 10-50 back to life and it still stuns me to remember the "before")
Can you share any specific experiences or reasons why not to use "Destroy-A-Finish", please? I'd like to know if I could be harming mine when I have used it in the past, plus I have an Edison B-80 that I've been thinking would benefit in no other way but from a thorough once-over with it... Sean -----Original Message----- From: phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org] On Behalf Of Walt Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 7:05 PM To: 'Antique Phonograph List' Subject: RE: [Phono-L] GOW finish For those machines that I refer to by personal experience, it is clearly the case that the finish came as Golden Oak Waxed directly from the factory. The data in "Look for the Dog" is referring to factory finishes (that is, how they left the factory) and is an objective account based on actual production records. I don't know what you mean by "previously stripped." Are you asking if the cabinet was originally finished with shellac which was then removed while it was still in the factory (and before it was ever shipped)? If so, the answer is, "definitely not." Aside from the technical impossibilities, I do not believe that Victor's manufacturing process would have accommodated such an expensive process for producing what is intended to be an economical finish. The idea of stripping a cabinet at the factory only to then wax the stained finish is radically counterproductive as I estimate it. An old shellac/varnish finish can be removed, but it is impossible to remove every trace of it - totally impossible. This is one of the ways I am able to tell if a finish is original and even what the finish originally was if it has been redone or coated at some later point. A minuscule amount of shellac will always remain in some crease, open pore, nail hole, seam, etc. Once the raw oak grain absorbs any of the shellac's resin by way of the denatured alcohol, it leaves a fingerprint forever. Short of total cabinet disassembly and sanding maybe 10% of every surface away, those forensic pieces of Victrola DNA are there for good. I guess I am a little stumped as to why people think it so odd for wood to be merely finished with wax, because such a finish is often seen in furniture of the period, generally. It is, in the bigger picture of furniture finishes (which I am sure Eldridge Johnson's boys were plenty skilled at - at least until about 1917 or so), not at all unusual. I am well aware of the many "magical" chemical finishes like "Howard's Destroy-A-Finish" and tinted waxes mentioned by Rich that are available on the market, and it may well be the case that such an product was applied to the machine you mentioned initially, but without at least seeing pictures of the machine or preferably asking the seller some questions I couldn't be so quick to suspect it as a boogered-finish. Knowing eBay? It might be ten times worse than you think. But it may be legit. (Any luck finding that auction number?) Walt -----Original Message----- From: phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org] On Behalf Of bkasindorf Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 12:52 PM To: Antique Phonograph List Subject: Re: [Phono-L] GOW finish Thanks, But does this mean it was previously stripped and this kind of finish added later? Did Victor ever ship a phono with this kind of finish from the factory? -Barry On Wed, 27 Dec 2006 09:22:18 -0600, "Rich" <rich-m...@octoxol.com> wrote: > Google is a wonderful invention. > > Try this, > URL: > http://www.architecturals.net/restore/home.cfm?page=productdisplay&CategoryI D=36&SubcategoryID=112&ProductID=2662&Start=1 > > Cut and paste back together as required. > > This is nothing more than colored wax... Your basic CRAPA-FINISH > > > On Wed, 27 Dec 2006 6:41:52 -0800, bkasindorf wrote: > > _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list Phono-L@oldcrank.org Phono-L Archive http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/ Phono-L RSS Feed http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/feed/index.rss Support Phono-L http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.15.28/604 - Release Date: 12/26/2006 _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list Phono-L@oldcrank.org Phono-L Archive http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/archive/ Phono-L RSS Feed http://phono-l.oldcrank.org/feed/index.rss Support Phono-L http://www.cafepress.com/oldcrank
