Need help with Columbia Q reproducer carriage

[jboger]

Before I start to futz around with this I'd like to get some input/help. Two questions:

(1) The lever to raise and lower the reproducer seems to work but not fully. In the "up" position, the reproducer does not clear the cylinder all the way. If you look at the photo, you can see two parts labelled as 1 and 2. Should Part 1 rest on Part 2?

(2) I pushed the reproducer down on the carriage as far as I am comfortably capable of doing so. Should it be a closer fit?

As always thanks for all the help.

Regards,


John

[phonogfp]

"Part 1" should always be in contact with "part 2," but it's common for them to become slightly misaligned. Make sure "part 1" is slid up as close to "part 2" as possible. It may be necessary to remove "part 1" and slightly bend its finger so the reproducer is elevated a bit higher when the lever is in the "non-playing" position.

As for the reproducer, look at the mandrel from an end. If the stylus if riding perpendicular to the mandrel without being more than a fraction of an inch down either slope, you should be okay.

Good luck -

George P.

[jboger]

I believe I now have a path forward. Thanks.

[Menophanes]

I have a seemingly identical Q which initially showed the same problem with the reproducer lifter; it would clear the cylinder at the beginning but not always at the end. My solution was to bend the horizontal arm of 'Part 1' slightly upward so that it acted more positively on the cam ('Part 2').

My reproducer, which is identical to John's (diameter about 35mm, with no clamp-screw and with the horn-tube meeting the flat body at an angle) seems to ride a little higher, i.e. closer to the main carrier assembly, than his; however, as has already been suggested, this is a matter to be adjusted by eye and ear on the individual machine.

Oliver Mundy.

[jboger]

Oliver: I suppose if I were to push the reproducer further down it would solve my machine's "lift" problem. If I can not do that, which I don't think I can, then I will study the mechanism by which the reproducer is raised or lowered. I believe, thanks to you, that I have a better understanding: the cam/arm combination acts like a fulcrum to raise and lower the reproducer. I want to make sure I understand the directions in which things move before I bend anything.

John