Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories
VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
Posts: 3165
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

In the act of removing yet more varnish I found that the original finish was intact in places, such as the deck area. It seems more resistant to the stripper than the polyurethane.

The deck is a darker shade of wood than the exterior, so the machine will require some light staining.

A week or so more and I may be putting it back on legs! Anyhow, I still haven't figured out how to break into the spring barrels.

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
Posts: 3165
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

Update: Motor opened and A POSSIBLE DATE of 1922 or 1923!

Well, I just DID break into the spring barrels. It looks as if the mainsprings may still be useable to run the motor but I don't know for sure yet. They're FILTHY and not going anywhere. I thought the Victor grease got hard. This stuff reminds me of a solid chunk of pencil lead, only it smells nothing short of awful thanks to the rancid base.

But it's getting a good mineral-spirits soak and the outside of the casing looks like a mirror when it's polished up a little. I think this motor has a chance of running nearly perfect once I get it back together.

The more I work on this machine, the more I love it. Tell you what, I was reading a radio forum and saw that the Brunswick machines of the 1924-1925 era had brass tonearms and brass Ultona heads. So...I found a thread right here saying that arms with the screw on top are potmetal, while those without the screw are brass.


It looks like mine has a pot-metal tonearm. I'm perfectly fine with that, as it works perfectly in all directions. It also helps date the machine to 1922 or 1923, the first two years that the Model YO was produced. That's kind of cool. BTW, I pulled the data plaque off and it has the serial as being #159878. If anyone, ANYONE, has a foggy idea what year this thing is, that'd be just great!

Pictures to follow when the restoration is a bit further along. I will have to borrow a camera as my old 120 rollfilm shooter just doesn't work anymore (a future project.)

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
Posts: 3165
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

UPDATE No. (lost count.) BROKEN SPRING NEARLY FIXED, AND I THINK IT's A 1922 MODEL.

Well, yesterday I finished the stripping. Now there is only a tiny bit of touchup to do and I'll have the thing ready for varnishing.

I broke into the motor at last and found one of the springs torn off at the barrel attachment. The hardened grease would hold it long enough to play a record or two, but after about thirty-five or forty turns on the crank, the spring would slip one revolution. I wondered why it sounded odd, and now I know.

It seems to be a very simple fix. I torched the spring and will be drilling it tonight. The restoration goes on hold until I can get some suitable axle grease to repair the motor with.

Looked at some tags from parted-out Brunswick Yorks, and the serial numbers are all lower than mine. By this super-legit method I am going to claim the build date as 1922 until proven otherwise.

A fun part is burning the oil-soaked rags at the end of each day. The solvents, oils, and other nasties from last night went up like a celluloid collar. I never saw a cardboard box so fast reduced to nothing--and never had the privilege of making such large flames either!

Right now I'm chilling out in front of a 1914 Emerson 9" brass fan, rewired by yours truly.It's off topic but since it's old and sits next to the phonographs, it's kind of a nice piece. The antiques are so quiet compared to modern fans; I actually like to listen to the motor run and the old 1899 Parker blades brushing air. Very cool--even a humble electric fan can still have Edwardian elegance all over it.

User avatar
gramophone-georg
Victor VI
Posts: 3984
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:55 pm
Personal Text: Northwest Of Normal
Location: Eugene/ Springfield Oregon USA

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by gramophone-georg »

Drill first, THEN harden with a torch. Just sayin.
"He who dies with the most shellac wins"- some nutty record geek

I got PTSD from Peter F's avatar

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
Posts: 3165
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

Oops!

Well, you knew I would mess up sometime. Kind of like how, for a lot of people, it's not NASCAR without a crash...restorations always involve some sort of mistake or blunder. I am really good at finishing a project and having spare parts left over. :)

52089
Victor VI
Posts: 3745
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:54 pm

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by 52089 »

gramophone-georg wrote:Drill first, THEN harden with a torch. Just sayin.
Not according to "Compleat Talking Machine". That book says annealing is necessary first or drilling will be impossible.

User avatar
gramophone-georg
Victor VI
Posts: 3984
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:55 pm
Personal Text: Northwest Of Normal
Location: Eugene/ Springfield Oregon USA

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by gramophone-georg »

52089 wrote:
gramophone-georg wrote:Drill first, THEN harden with a torch. Just sayin.
Not according to "Compleat Talking Machine". That book says annealing is necessary first or drilling will be impossible.
Well... one would think that drilling before annealing would be easier on the drill bits and make the spring less prone to cracking, yes? Decades of automotive experience don't necessarily translate to talking machine repairs though, I suppose.
"He who dies with the most shellac wins"- some nutty record geek

I got PTSD from Peter F's avatar

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
Posts: 3165
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

Update: MAINSPRING, LACQUER, CLOTH AND A DECAL:

I was able to get the hole drilled in the spring. Experimentation showed that the spring must be clamped in a vise, then heated cherry red with a gas torch and allowed to cool slowly. The resulting color change shows that the temper was drawn out of the steel.

Drilling took a sharp bit and a small drill-press. I made two holes and filed to make the pear-shaped end.

Oh, and my nitrocellulose lacquers arrived today. I placed an order for a Gregg Cline decal, and other parts--as well as a turntable felt. I have the original but it is decaying.

To find: stain, wood glue, pins, cloth, decal, and spare time.
I also need a needle cup, and the Pathé needle and collet.

Almost ready to enter the last half of the restoration!

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
Posts: 3165
Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

AND NOW: The last half of restoration officially begins.

I found the stain--Use "walnut" to do the dark-mahogany style. It should be fine. I'm currently planning to use it as a stain in a couple coats, then varnish. Leg repair is coming soon.

I also put the turntable on a wire-wheel and buffed the rust & old glue off. It's almost ready to take some new green felt. The Edison Amberola can benefit as well from some of the glue I got to put legs on the Brunswick. Someone dropped it and busted out some of the front trim... Anyhow, there's always a little loose veneer to deal with.

Today I also got the bedplate in from the Edison Standard. Last patent date is November 1903, making me suspect it as being a 1904 model! There's one bent shaft but at that age I should expect a little damage. Time to play blacksmith a while more...

These projects are great!

User avatar
Lucius1958
Victor VI
Posts: 3935
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 12:17 am
Location: Where there's "hamburger ALL OVER the highway"...

Re: Starting the restoration on the $25 Brunswick YO

Post by Lucius1958 »

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:
Today I also got the bedplate in from the Edison Standard. Last patent date is November 1903, making me suspect it as being a 1904 model! There's one bent shaft but at that age I should expect a little damage. Time to play blacksmith a while more...

These projects are great!
Well, my Model B Standard from early 1906 has the Nov. '03 last patent date...

Bill

Post Reply