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Post by Moooperator on Jan 16, 2009 13:23:24 GMT -6
Every since Frank's doctor gave him a prescription for Viagra he goes around saying that to everybody! ;D
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frankt
One Spring Motor
Posts: 17
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Post by frankt on Jan 16, 2009 13:58:42 GMT -6
i beg your pardon, i DON'T need viagra. not just yet anyway, maybe in a few years.
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zeppy
One Spring Motor
Posts: 30
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Post by zeppy on Jan 16, 2009 14:24:01 GMT -6
All of these are awesome! Zeppy, I have to ask you how exactly you repaired the veneer on the left horn door? The match of the grain is very good. I have always had trouble in making veneer patches look good. (Or rather not look at all...) What is your secret? Martin I actually did get a little lucky on most of the veneer patching. When I was cleaning the machine out, I found a few of the "missing" pieces in the space between the record storage and the back of the machine (to explain to those who don't own a VTLA or L-door XVI, there is a hatch on the back of the machine that I assume they used to slid the horn through, and rather than sealing, it can be accessed by a door...and you can actually access the space behind the record storage). I've had less trouble matching the grain, but getting the color to match. You can usually find a decent place to match the grain if you don't mind cutting into the middles of a giant sheet of veneer to get the closest grain pattern. I have less luck with matching the color. You can see a little of the color variation between the patch and original below the right horn door, about dead center on the record storage door. Even with mixing my own stains and shellac, the color is always a little off (even trying to match the parts I leave original to the refinished parts). The new veneer has more of a brown tone, and less orange. My general solution is to try to slavage the veneer whenever I get a machine that is too far gone and needs to be parted out. I leave the carcas of the machine out in the spring weather until the veneer starts to curls (or usually it's already peeling and just scape the sheets off). Right now I'm trying to fill in the parts of the latus work that I'm missing. This gets to be doublely fun, which in addition to trying to match the color, I have to match the thickness, make sure the pattern covers all the underlying white gaps, and re-finish w/o getting getting any shellac (or rottenstone gunk) on the areas behind it (where it doesn't belong).... I'll have to decide whether to apply shellac with a q-tip or an artist paint brush
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Post by martinola on Jan 16, 2009 17:40:17 GMT -6
Very nice work, Zeppy. I hear you about the difficulties of the lattice work. I recently restored a C-19 and found that I built-up too much finish on the frieze background. It looks OK, but I would've been happier with crisper detail. Count me one on the side of using nice artist brushes. I just took to using a 1" sable to topcoat a bedplate and I am very happy with the results. Good luck on the VTLA. I, for one, would be glad to read a long blow-by-blow account of the restoration when you're done with it. Martin
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schweg
Three Spring Motor
Posts: 218
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Post by schweg on Jan 16, 2009 18:36:50 GMT -6
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schweg
Three Spring Motor
Posts: 218
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Post by schweg on Jan 16, 2009 18:41:07 GMT -6
The brick is a Bartlesville Indian Territory brick from Oklahoma. We owned a 100-year old house on land purchased from the Cherokees in 1905. Phonographs looked a whole lot cooler there than in our 1986 Houston house....
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schweg
Three Spring Motor
Posts: 218
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Post by schweg on Jan 16, 2009 18:42:35 GMT -6
Sorry for the duplication. This was supposed to be with the before pics.
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brad
One Spring Motor
Posts: 41
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Post by brad on Jan 16, 2009 19:27:21 GMT -6
Great work everyone with special kudo's to Zeppy. The VLTA is looking good. Here is my modest contribution. I purchased this VV1-70 in pieces piled into a cardboard box. I had no idea what was there and what was missing. Turned out that all the wood was there. As for the HW, the only thing missing was the lid lift rod. What you see in the above picture was some lid lift from Home depot. I was lucky to find someone at the first phonoshow I attended that had the lid lift for this machine. It is unique and I have never seen one like it anywhere. Here are a couple of shots of the final result. There was lots to glue, I replaced the grille cloth, and keep the orginial finish as best I could.
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Post by martinola on Jan 16, 2009 22:26:05 GMT -6
Great work, guys! I note that all of you seem to have fairly organized shop or work space. I'd be ashamed to show you what my work space looks like...
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zeppy
One Spring Motor
Posts: 30
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Post by zeppy on Jan 17, 2009 7:47:02 GMT -6
So does the brick have any significance?
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schweg
Three Spring Motor
Posts: 218
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Post by schweg on Jan 17, 2009 8:44:30 GMT -6
The brick is just a reminder of some really good times at work and at home. I could walk to work then compared to battling Houston traffic every day... I could go out to farm auctions each weekend in search of phonotreasure instead of scanning the internet....
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