- THE ORIGINAL BRONZE GRILLE -

As found, the grille on this machine displays a unique characteristic: it was PAINTED.  For being such an early machine, which fellow collectors and I deem as a factory prototype, very little documentation exists to support or deny the existance of factory color application to the original grille panel; other than the paint showing obvious age wear.  The lyre and oval surround display an undercoat of pewter pigment, with a final wash of gold. 

RESTORATION DECISION:   Because a suitable reproduction grille could not be sourced, I will re-build and restore the original grille to its former golden
glory. 

The original lyre, in pieces.
Gluing the pieces back together.
The frame also needed to be reinforced.
Pewter, Gold, then Shellac topcoat.


Re-assembly, stripping of finish, and replacement of missing sections.




Part of the oval surround must be replicated by a professional woodworker, so the grille will be on pause until I can source someone.

-------ACTUALLY.............everyone I talked to was incapable of replicating this part.  So, out of frustration, I did it myself.  Took 10 minutes,
and I think the results are pretty good.  I did not use mahogany, rather, a dissimilar wood, because the end result is to be gold painted as original.

New piece cut

Fitted into place

joints filled, primer added to lyre to fill grain

Gold paint added, as well as stain and shellac to frame.

Further gold painting, followed by metallic gold wax.