Brunswick Turntable repair

The cover (Felt, Flocking, not sure the correct term) on my Brunswick Panatrope is needing replacement. It is old, crusty, and peeling up. What does this entail? Is this something I can do myself, or would I need to send it off somewhere?

Most collectors seem to prefer the original felt on the turntable, no matter what the condition. I normally replace it if has large chunks missing, or if its previously been replaced. Sometimes it will respond well to a good brushing with a clothes brush- try it outside if you don't want a dust storm in your house. It can be glued down easily where it's lifted, but dont saturate the surface, or the glue will seap through to the top surface.
I've never tried this, but I've heard of guys washing the felt while still on the turntable. I guess you've got nothing to loose by trying it. I'd do it on a hot day, early in the morning to give it a good chance to dry quickly. I'd also glue down any loose fabric with a non-water soluble glue before hand to combat shrinkage. I'd try just shampooing it with warm soapy water & a small soft brush first, and rinse it under running water, then towel dry it as best and quickly as you can,(especially any metal surfaces) then put it out to dry. If that didn't show much improvement, I'd try one of those "Oxy" washing powders for the laundry while it's still wet. I haven't used this on a turntable, but have used it on other vintage/antique fabrics with great results. It can fade some dyes, but mainly greens and blues from what I've found.
Another option might be to remove the old felt but keep it with the machine, and replace it with new felt. At least then, it's still with the machine if you ever sell it. I always tape at least a small piece of both turntable & grille cloth to the inside of a the machine for future reference. Often years and years later, I've eventually found a perfect match, but wouldn't have known it if the original was gone.

When I replace felt, I do it as follows.
1. Find a felt that is as close to the original colour as posible. Like everything, theres different qualities, thicknesses, and textures out there, but I usually choose by colour first, even if it looks a little different to the original, because you often find something better eventually- because of different batches and manufacturers.
2. Decide which side you want showing, and turn it over onto a flat surface. If it's creased, iron it first.Then I place a record on the felt, and trace around it with a fine tip felt pen, and also mark the centre. Make sure before hand that the record is the same size as the turntable/felt.If that's not posible, you'll have to make a cardboard disc the correct diametre.Some turntables allow you tuck in the edges, so make them about 1/4" bigger, but not in this case.
3. Carefully cut it out following the line, and try not to stretch the fabric as you do it. It's best to use either big or curved SHARP sissors, and cut it on the table, rather than holding up in the air. Then check it on the turntable to make sure it fits.
4. Glue it in place. Contact glue is good for turntables like yours. Spray on glue in a can is the easiest to use, as it gives you an even coat &it's harder to put to much on. After cleaning old glue etc off the turntable, give it a coat, as well as the underside of the felt. Then clean any new glue off the plating that shows around the edge of the turntable, and from the spindle hole. Don't worry about the indentations in the turntable for now, but lower the felt carefully from one edge if its off the machine, or from the spindle if you replace it on the machine. This will depend on how accessable the turntable is, or what suits you best.
5. Smooth the fabric roughly over the turntable, concentrating on the centre and edge first, and then the basic surface. Press it down firmly, and then concentrate on pressing the fabric into the ridges and grooves. Check to see is all ok, and trim anything down if you have too- and it should be done.

Unfortunately, turntables like those on Brunswick's and Edison's are the hardest, because they have a rolled edge. Those that have felt right to the edge, can just be trimmed by leaving an overhang, and cutting it on a downward stroke, running around the edge with a sharp blade.

BTW: If you do keep the original felt, but still don't really like it, you can always leave a record on the turntable to cover it. I do this anyway, on all my lidless machines to protect the felt from dust and fading. It's much easier to dust a record than the felt.
I suppose it also depends on the machine itself. If you are going to strip and repolish the woodwork, theres probably no real point in keeping daggy felt, so hunt through your local craft & fabric stores, op-shops etc, or for the really good stuff, billiard table manufacturers, suppliers and restorers. If the original finish is good, your usually better off keeping the old felt when posible. The finish on your "Lorraine" looks well worth saving though to me. New felt always looks new, and distracts from the look of an otherwise original machine, and in some cases, can even effect the value.

Shane, Thanks for all the great info. I really appreciate it. My biggest concern was that the Felt, or the loose places would damage the record , or cause the record to wobble. I had never thought about cleaning and re-glueing. I will probably give that a shot and if the felt tears in the removing or cleaning process, I'll just take it as a sign that I should have new. The suggestion of keeping a record on it is a great Idea, since I would want to show them off along with the . I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the finish. The lid is pretty rough looking, including water stains from drinks being left on it. I hope to able to be able to fix it up or improve it without refinishing. That's a whole other discussion that I won't clog this topic with. But I definitly need the advice.