Just brought home a fair Victrola VV 2-55 with an Orthophonic reproducer. This is the first one I've seen with no hint of a crack on the backside. Very cool!
Cliff
An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
- CDBPDX
- Victor V
- Posts: 2005
- Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:43 am
- Personal Text: A Hobbyist Specializing in Sales and Repair of Spring Motor Phonographs
- Location: Castle Rock, WA
- Contact:
An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
- Attachments
-
- tn-600_VV2-55_Reproducer_0000.JPG (274.32 KiB) Viewed 1233 times
-
- tn-600_VV2-55_Reproducer_0001.JPG (334.27 KiB) Viewed 1233 times
-
- tn-600_VV2-55_Reproducer_0002.JPG (278.87 KiB) Viewed 1233 times
Cliff's Vintage Music Shoppe, Castle Rock, WA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz_IpaVrW8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz_IpaVrW8
- De Soto Frank
- Victor V
- Posts: 2687
- Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 1:27 pm
- Location: Northeast Pennsylvania
Re: An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
They are out there, Cliff. Glad you found one - that's a keeper !
By the way, take note of the small letter "B" under the middle "O" in "Orthophonic" on the back-plate...
So far, I have observed backs plates with: no letter, letter "B", and letter "C".
I have inquired here a couple of times about the significance of this letter, but no one seems to know...
( If they do, they're not talking... )
Frank
By the way, take note of the small letter "B" under the middle "O" in "Orthophonic" on the back-plate...
So far, I have observed backs plates with: no letter, letter "B", and letter "C".
I have inquired here a couple of times about the significance of this letter, but no one seems to know...
( If they do, they're not talking... )
Frank
De Soto Frank
- CDBPDX
- Victor V
- Posts: 2005
- Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:43 am
- Personal Text: A Hobbyist Specializing in Sales and Repair of Spring Motor Phonographs
- Location: Castle Rock, WA
- Contact:
Re: An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
The diaphragm looks to be in excellent condition. Unfortunately, I can't play it yet because the needle tightening screw was broken off. Haven't had much success with removing the remains of a broken needle screw. Any ideas?
Cliff
Cliff
- Attachments
-
- tn-600_VV2-55_Reproducer_0003.JPG (45.05 KiB) Viewed 1137 times
Cliff's Vintage Music Shoppe, Castle Rock, WA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz_IpaVrW8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz_IpaVrW8
-
- Victor V
- Posts: 2694
- Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:23 pm
- Location: NW Indiana VV-IV;
Re: An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
Very nice find. I think alot of it depends on where and how they were stored. Of course as we all know it also depends on the ingredients in the pot metal, some have more lead than others. I often look at these pot metal reproducers and think about the decades, I am wondering when most of them started to break down? was it the 1940's, 50's etc.?
- Oceangoer1
- Victor III
- Posts: 617
- Joined: Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:43 pm
- Personal Text: "I dreamt of Paris again last night"-Roger
- Location: Southaven, Mississippi
Re: An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
I have no idea if this will work, but I was planning on doing it to a broken thumbscrew I have.
Glu or epoxy a really thin piece of metal, or something similar to what's left of the screw and use that to twist the remaining parts out. I will probably end up using an untwisted paper clip or a kebab stick.
I believe the issue when this happens is that it's not necessarily stuck in there, it's just that you have nothing to grab on to in order to twist it out.
Congratulations by the way on the intact reproducer. I have several of these that came with portables and I have a couple that are rebuilt and I use them on my floor model Orthophonics. They are all without cracks and i have had good luck disassembling them!
Glu or epoxy a really thin piece of metal, or something similar to what's left of the screw and use that to twist the remaining parts out. I will probably end up using an untwisted paper clip or a kebab stick.
I believe the issue when this happens is that it's not necessarily stuck in there, it's just that you have nothing to grab on to in order to twist it out.
Congratulations by the way on the intact reproducer. I have several of these that came with portables and I have a couple that are rebuilt and I use them on my floor model Orthophonics. They are all without cracks and i have had good luck disassembling them!
-
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1845
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2009 6:18 am
- Location: Luxembourg
Re: An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
You could try to make a new slot by tapping a small blade against the broken part of the screw, and then unscrew it. I did that successfully on larger screws, doing it with the tiny needle screw will be challenging, you would need to place the needle holder in a stable base to prevent it from breaking when you tap with the blade. There are some watch repair tools designed for that.CDBPDX wrote:The diaphragm looks to be in excellent condition. Unfortunately, I can't play it yet because the needle tightening screw was broken off. Haven't had much success with removing the remains of a broken needle screw. Any ideas?
Cliff
-
- Victor II
- Posts: 413
- Joined: Wed May 20, 2015 1:55 pm
Re: An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
Have you considered taking it to a watch repair person that might know how to take it out.
- De Soto Frank
- Victor V
- Posts: 2687
- Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 1:27 pm
- Location: Northeast Pennsylvania
Re: An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
If there isn't anything clamped in the needle-chuck by the remains of the screw, try backing the screw out with a good jewelers' screw-driver just a tad narrower than the bore of the screw ( check by fitting in another reproducer with the thumbscrew removed ), using a good amount of inward pressure.
If the screw was not cross-threaded, or over-tightened against something in the chuck, hopefully it will back-out to where you can grab it with needle-nose pliers.
Sometimes we get lucky this way...
If the screw was not cross-threaded, or over-tightened against something in the chuck, hopefully it will back-out to where you can grab it with needle-nose pliers.
Sometimes we get lucky this way...
De Soto Frank
- Retrograde
- Victor III
- Posts: 959
- Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2010 1:47 pm
Re: An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
The most common place to find a crack is the backsideCDBPDX wrote:Just brought home a fair Victrola VV 2-55 with an Orthophonic reproducer. This is the first one I've seen with no hint of a crack on the backside. Very cool!
Cliff
- audiophile102
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1219
- Joined: Tue May 12, 2015 12:50 pm
- Personal Text: Say to yourself I am so happy hurray!
- Location: Brookfield, Illinois
Re: An Orthophonic Reproducer with No Cracks on Backside!
I would first use a punch to make an indent in the broken screw and then drill it out with a small drill bit. Take it slow and you will get good results.
"You can't take the phonographs nor the money with you, but the contentment the phonographs bring may well make your life better, and happier lives make the world a better place."