The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I need to replace a spring in a toy type phonograph. The spring is enclosed in a cage. The cage is secured to the winding gear with metal tabs that go through the gear and then fold over to hold it in place. Only problem is, when I bend those tabs back, they break off. Not good. I've come across this a couple times and they always turn out bad. Any thoughts on how to do this without destroying the spring cage? I could heat the tabs to bend them, but that would also heat the gear which would change the structure of the gear metal.

Cliff

Cliff

You could try heating the metal tabs with a soldering iron (a larger one which will produce more heat than the smaller wire/circuit board irons)

Bruce

Bruce wrote:Cliff

You could try heating the metal tabs with a soldering iron (a larger one which will produce more heat than the smaller wire/circuit board irons)

Bruce

I need about 1200 degrees F or more to soften the metal enough to bend easily. I believe soldering irons/guns max out at about 500 degrees.?

After some cogitating, I came up with this. I cut a hole in the gear on the up side of each tab slot that is big enough to allow the tab to come out without bending. Then I twist the gear around until the tabs align with these holes, then pull the gear off. To reinstall, I insert the tabs into these holes then twist the tabs back into the original slots. The spring tension should keep the tabs firmly seated in the slots so the gear shouldn't fall off. Right?

Big box (Lowe's) sells a little tandem tube torch that you use with the little MAPP gas and oxygen bottles. All found in the plumbing section for cheap. I can get a small, focused little white hot flame with this outfit that should get those tabs red hot by themselves in no time.

-bill

CDBPDX wrote:

Bruce wrote:Cliff

You could try heating the metal tabs with a soldering iron (a larger one which will produce more heat than the smaller wire/circuit board irons)

Bruce

I need about 1200 degrees F or more to soften the metal enough to bend easily. I believe soldering irons/guns max out at about 500 degrees.?

...another cogitation. As an electrical soldering iron wouldn't get hot enough you could try using a blow torch to heat a rod of steel until at least red hot and touch this to a tab. That said if I had the equipment I favour Bill's idea with the little hot flame....

If you cut the extra holes I wouldn't count on spring tension always keeping the gear in place especially as tension may alter when the motor is fully wound or wound down unless you can put a plug in at least one of the holes to prevent slipping.

Jamie

I would opt for a small torch to heat up the tabs red hot and carefully bend the tabs up. Bending them cold could crack them. Heat the tabs again before bending them back after the work is done. I don't think drilling holes next to the tabs is a good idea. If the cage ever slips and comes apart unexpectedly then it would be a disaster.

wjw wrote:Big box (Lowe's) sells a little tandem tube torch that you use with the little MAPP gas and oxygen bottles. All found in the plumbing section for cheap. I can get a small, focused little white hot flame with this outfit that should get those tabs red hot by themselves in no time.

-bill

Can you show me what the torch looks like? This is all they had at Lowe's. Cliff

I think I got it now...

That little one should work just fine. Just pry the tab enough to get the cage off once the tab is red hot. Heat the tab up again when you need to bend it back down. Bending them cold could break them.
Ken