Portable - Cleaning the Case

[John3313]

Hi,

I picked up this nice little unit in Palm Springs last week. From this posting below I believe it to be an O-2 of 1940-42 vintage. Unlike my other Victrolas there is no plate anywhere with model number and serial number. Should I assume this came off at some point?

My first question has to do with the black leatherette (?) covering all the surfaces. What is the proper way to clean it? Should I apply a conditioner of some sort periodically to keep it in shape?

My second question concerns the tone arm joint that is exposed in the picture. The piece going in there was extremely stiff and I presume it should be a smoothly moving joint for proper operation. I've cleaned and lubed the joint but it is still very stiff. Is this the point where I should start gently sanding the joint with some 320 grit wet-dry paper lubed with a little oil?

John

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... rtable+RCA

[tomb]

RCA put the model number and serial number under the platter. Most of the platters were held in place with a slotted washer that you pry off gently and lift the platter. If the platter will not easily come off with a little pressure a LIGHT tap with a hammer may loosen it. If you use oil on it you will get a stain on the felt. The platter can be washed with a mild mixture of soap and water to clean it. Do not remove the felt or put a lot of pressure and rubbing on it. The arms are pot metal and swell. It was a cheap way to make them. You can try sanding and polishing but they never seem to move freely. The easiest thing to do would be replace it. They screw down with three screws and replacement parts come up on E bay under Victrola. Cleaning the case would be with dishwasher soap and water (Mild) or GO JO ( recommended non pumice style ). If it is a black cover you can use black shoe polish to touch up the abrasive spots. I would not use the polish unless you like a shiny phonograph or it I not in the best shape. The liquid covers better than the paste. Tom B

[VanEpsFan1914]

Before you replace the arm go get some valve grinding compound. A good automobile supplier should have it. Let that do its magic--

We need to learn to restore what we have, because the supply of cheap parts is going to dry up one day if we don't!

[epigramophone]

When cleaning portable cases I first remove all metal fittings from the exterior. The interior seldom needs heavy cleaning.
I use a car upholstery shampoo applied neat with a damp (not wet) sponge.
After a couple of minutes wipe it off with a slightly damp cloth, rinsing the cloth and repeating if necessary, depending on how dirty the surface is.
Then dry immediately with an old towel. Do not allow the surface to remain damp.
Shoe polish or cream is fine on black machines, but coloured surfaces can be difficult to colour match.

[John3313]

Thanks for all the tips. Here's is where I have arrived this morning:

[John3313]

For the arm surgery I should have mentioned that I am cheap so I used some 400-grit wet/dry sand paper I had, cut up into 1cm wide strips. Using 3-in-1 oil I just lightly polished the high point on the arm like I was shining my shoes.

[John3313]

In this shot you can see the arm is very non-uniform in wall thickness so during the polishing step I stayed away from the thin point and just worked on the other 75% of the surface area.

The clamp on my vise has rubber jaw protectors and the piece is just being held finger tight ...

[Curt A]

Sanding looks like a good method for making the tonearm work well. As far as the case, clean it with some water to get off any surface dirt, then touch up the worn areas with shoe polish or a black Sharpie marker. Finally, wipe the case with WD-40 to restore the black color (yes, it works and no, it won't hurt it) and wipe off any excess with a clean cloth. You will be amazed at the difference...

I told a member of this forum to use this method on a painted Victor record sign and while he was skeptical at first, he was amazed at the difference it made... It went from a chalky, dull painted sign to one that looked well taken care of. I have also use this method on black metal horns which weren't bad enough for a repaint, but were scratched and dull from age and neglect. The WD-40 seems to rejuvenate vinyl, paint and other materials without damaging them... even 78 records. I have cleaned records for over 30 years with it and absolutely no negative effects...

For some reason WD-40 seems to get a bad rap from those who consider themselves purists, because they claim it gets gummy. Not in my experience, however I am not talking about WD-40 clones from WalMart or other places. My first choice is WD-40 since it is reversible if you don't like the result, just clean it off with mineral spirits or alcohol depending on the material...

[John3313]

Funny you should mention WD-40 (invented in San Diego by the way ...) that is what I used to clean the tarnish/muck off of the nickel plating, spray onto cloth then serious wiping. For actual rust I use WD-40 and 0000 steel wool.