Tonearm and support issue

[cmclean616]

Good evening all. I am new to this forum as well as to the Talking Machine world. I happened upon my 1926 Victor Victrola VE8-30X when my husband purchased a store-all full of ice machines. What a wonderful surprise! How much play should there be between the tonearm and support? Mine seems to have a good bit. So much that the pin continues to fall through the hole of the support. Thank you in advance for any help.

[52089]

The tonearm bracket on those machines was made of "pot metal" that has deteriorated over time. If the bracket is still fully intact, there should be a set screw you can tighten to hold the pin in place. If that's all there, then there should be enough play for the tonearm to rotate freely, but not enough that the pin has any chance of falling out.

However, if the screw has been lost, or the screw hole has been damaged, this might not be possible anymore. You can attempt a repair using JB Weld or something similar, or you can order a complete, modern reproduction bracket assembly that will last essentially forever. These are available from the suppliers in the Links part of the Forum. I particularly recommend Ron Sitko for both price and service.

One other beginner tip - remember to only use steel needles once. New needles are available from the vendors mentioned above.

Good luck with your new machine!

[phonojim]

Welcome to the forum and to the wonderful world of talking machines. The 8-30 is a wonderful machine and you will get a great deal of enjoyment from it once you get it running properly. The website of the Antique Phonograph Society has many valuable resources available for newcomers to the hobby including tutorials on records, needles, how to properly set up and use your phonograph and many other useful things to know about the hobby in general. Ron Sitko is a well known seller of parts who sells an excellent reproduction back bracket for your machine. Please post close up pictures of the back bracket so we can better advise you.

Jim