The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I've come across two of these and both had this outside portion split pretty bad (pot metal...). They're great sounding sound boxes so I thought I'd make some new outer shells. The area on the bottom, under the needle bar has also been reinforced. The holes will have to be drilled, and depending on which resin I use, they may need to be tapped as well. Does anyone know what the size and thread pitch is by any chance?

It will also be fun to see if I can shave off some grams and what effect all of this (materials and weight) will have on its performance.

Thank you.

Would it be possible to produce an entire reproducer out of resin? If so, it would possibly make a much lighter and stronger reproducer than the potmetal #4. I would be interested in your results, since the brass #4 is very heavy...

Curt A wrote:Would it be possible to produce an entire reproducer out of resin? If so, it would possibly make a much lighter and stronger reproducer than the potmetal #4. I would be interested in your results, since the brass #4 is very heavy...

The "inside" half would be easy, assuming there was any demand. I've only noticed the outside part swelling to the point of failure. But yes, it would be interesting to see the difference in weight and performance.

Maybe you should make one and see how it performs. I'm sure there would be a demand for a lightweight #4, which could be used on any Victor or Victrola... I would definitely buy one...

The other thing that might be an idea, is to reproduce the potmetal Columbia trunnions and other parts that need frequent replacement. In fact, you could probably print them on a 3D printer... This would rescue a whole range of phonographs that most collectors avoid...

One more idea... you could reproduce the black gutta percha Columbia and Pathé reproducers that are extremely hard to find and expensive to buy...

Unfortunately there is only one of me
If someone else was interested in making such parts, I'd be happy to help them along with learning mold making.

I think this is a great idea and a worthy project. I'm all for reproducing commonly unstable parts with more stable materials.

Gentlemen, the 3d printer is obsolete. Molding models is the way of the future--and way of the present!


I suggest, Mr Don Wilson, that you should recruit some help. Young and able help. I wish I could be there but I cannot. Consider they don't have to be Victrola collectors!

I also suggest, Gentlemen of the Forum, that we all pitch in money. If everyone sent ten bucks, he'd have plenty for silicone--and molding records does nothing but preserve history. We hold 78s like they're common trash--but even a red columbia Harry James record is an incunable of sound. In 100 years they'll be disappearing and the Edison cylinder will be all but extinct.

Consider, the next time you pick up a mint 78, it's not just a nice record. Consider it a master. A stamper. RCA scrapped the Victor masters in the sixties and countless race records were melted down in World War Two. Any shellac recording is a true survivor--even if it's "Begin the Beguine" on Bluebird which I trip over frequently. (Still one of my favorite records.)



Resin, saves records. Period.

I for one will be donating. Let's foot the bill and get the records, reproducers, parts, and infrastructure we need. Soon there will be phonographs again. Let's find musicians--and back in the dawn of audio, they recorded anything and everything!

We can do this, before they make a bowl out of the last 78, and before they shabby-chic the last Victrola XI.

You like records? Let's do records!



TL;DR--hey guys let's donate and help out so we can do this!

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:Gentlemen, the 3d printer is obsolete. Molding models is the way of the future--and way of the present!


I suggest, Mr Don Wilson, that you should recruit some help. Young and able help. I wish I could be there but I cannot. Consider they don't have to be Victrola collectors!

I also suggest, Gentlemen of the Forum, that we all pitch in money. If everyone sent ten bucks, he'd have plenty for silicone--and molding records does nothing but preserve history. We hold 78s like they're common trash--but even a red columbia Harry James record is an incunable of sound. In 100 years they'll be disappearing and the Edison cylinder will be all but extinct.

Consider, the next time you pick up a mint 78, it's not just a nice record. Consider it a master. A stamper. RCA scrapped the Victor masters in the sixties and countless race records were melted down in World War Two. Any shellac recording is a true survivor--even if it's "Begin the Beguine" on Bluebird which I trip over frequently. (Still one of my favorite records.)



Resin, saves records. Period.

I for one will be donating. Let's foot the bill and get the records, reproducers, parts, and infrastructure we need. Soon there will be phonographs again. Let's find musicians--and back in the dawn of audio, they recorded anything and everything!

We can do this, before they make a bowl out of the last 78, and before they shabby-chic the last Victrola XI.

You like records? Let's do records!



TL;DR--hey guys let's donate and help out so we can do this!

Good idea: I've already contributed toward some new record molds. This is another worthy cause!

Bill