I posted this on the theater organ internet mailing list but the
questions apply equally to many mechanical music machines.

I think we tend to think of orange shellac as the traditional finish
used by the big organ builders on all wooden parts (pipes, chests,
structural lumber, etc.) of their instruments and that it was a finish
that was either wiped on or sprayed on.  But, what other types of
finish were used by these companies over time?  I know that at some
point Kimball went to clear automotive lacquer.

As I have studied the finish used by Barton I wonder if they (and
others) might have applied a color coat (to simulate the look of orange
shellac) of aniline dye and then topped with a clear coat of either
shellac or lacquer sprayed on.  Normally, brushed on shellac takes
some time to dry and harden, but when sprayed on, the thinner coat does
dry faster.

A top coat of lacquer over an orange dye or stain would probably be the
fastest and that would certainly be the most efficient way to have a
fast, quick drying, good looking finish that could give the appearance
of the traditional orange shellac.

On Welte parts from 1925 onward, after R.P. Eliot came over from
Kimball, I tend to believe they used a dye coat for color with a top
coat of lacquer like Kimball used (although Kimball did not use the
orange color).

Has anyone else given thought to this? For the technicians here, what
have you observed, if you even thought about it.

Dave Krall