need help restoring a HMV 102e

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ptjw
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by ptjw »

thanks for the recommendation, i'll definitely consider it when the time comes to get some needles..

now i have another question: gramophoneshane did say that this gramophone could play 12" records, but i did some measurements and found that the tone arm is too short to reach the end of a 12" record.

i don't have any records yet, but i will soon...i took some pictures and attached them to this post, as you can see...the tone arm is locked fully to the right and for a 12" record, it should be 6" from the middle of the turntable to the edge of the record (logically right? or am i missing something?)

i put a tape measure there and as you can see, the tone arm with the old soundbox does not reach the edge of the gramophone, about only the edge of a 10" record i would say...

trouble is now that i just ordered some records online and they should be arriving in a few weeks, and they are 12"...


am i missing something here? is the tone arm too short, or was it installed wrongly by the previous owner? the auto brake levers seem to be in the correct places...
Attachments
tape measure
tape measure
full lock
full lock
10"
10"

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barnettrp21122
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by barnettrp21122 »

Here's a picture of my HMV 102 with the tonearm in its extreme right position
HMV Tonearm position and adjustment screw.jpg
In your picture it looks like the adjustment screw on your automatic brake is in too far, limiting the outer movement of your tonearm. I've circled mine in white in my picture.
When you remove the old reproducer you'll see if the end of the crook has been messed with. It should have the L-slot as shown in the picture.
The automatic brake works well, but can be fussy if you try to adjust it. If you take it apart take note of how the C-clip and circular pressure spring are positioned and in what order they should be reassembled. You may find a gasket of cork or other material sandwiched in. Don't lose that! All the pivot points should be clean and work freely. These points shouldn't need any oil on them.
Hope this helps.
Bob
"Comparison is the thief of joy" Theodore Roosevelt

His Master's Voice Automatic 1A Exponential Gramophone Demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi70G1Rzqpo

ptjw
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by ptjw »

hey thanks you were right about that screw, now the tone arm can reach 12"! i didn't think that was the solution to my problem before because it was so rusted up i couldn't move it and i thought it was meant to be stuck there...until i applied a little bit of WD-40 and hey presto i could move the screw...

anyway i haven't had much time to do anything because i'm currently in university and exams are coming :( i did manage to clean up the motor today...backbreaking work...but i think its better than when i first got it...cleaned off the oil 50 year old oil as best as i could and applied some new one, tested it with the strobe disc and it runs more or less at 78rpm where the speed setting says it is supposed to be 78rpm.

i bought some records from ebay, bizet compositions conducted by thomas beecham and clair de lune played by jose itubi, but they should take awhile before they arrive so i guess i have to focus on my exams for now...
Attachments
nasty..
nasty..
after
after
before
before

ptjw
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by ptjw »

did some polishing on the tone arm today and i found that i am in obvious need of sandpaper of a much finer grit..
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after (work still in progress)
after (work still in progress)
before
before

estott
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by estott »

Agggh- sandpaper!

Well, you've already used it and the arm does look better, but finish the cleaning with the finest grade steel wool, then metal polish. I'm not certain you'll be able to get a mirror finish like the original but it will look good.

gramophoneshane
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by gramophoneshane »

I'd definately avoid using sandpaper on any of the other parts. The chrome is pretty tough, but not that tough, and the plating on other parts is usual thinner than what was applied to the tonearm.
If fine steelwool & metal polish aren't working too well, it might be worth getting a rust converter that contains phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid is a food grade acid (it's the stuff they put in coca-cola that strips tarnish off pennies), so it's not particularly dangerous to work with, & it's not stong enough to do any damage to the plating. I just paint it on, wait a few minutes & rinse it off, and any rust or corrosion will rinse off with it.
The tonearm certainly looks 100% better now though. It may not be as perfect as replating, but it's more than exceptible imo.

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Henry
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by Henry »

Don't know precisely what "ptjw" means by "sandpaper." Emery paper, 400 or preferably 600 grit, will not scratch. Fine (0000) steel wool first; if that's not effective, then the 600 emery . Either way, no scratch marks. Consider a coat of paste wax to preserve the shine.

ptjw
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by ptjw »

sandpaper might have been a bad choice in hindsight now because the arm is quite scratched all over, perhaps i used too coarse a grit ...going to look for some 2000-5000 grit sandpaper to try and polish it out...

to be fair the arm was REALLY corroded...the chrome is pitted and flaked away below the arm and i had to scratch the rust away...i can see the bronze-tin color through the small pits in the chrome so i guess its a good thing that i got all the corrosion away for now.

i hope that really really fine abrasive paper would bring some shine back and get rid of most of the scratches if not all of them!!

i tried removing the metal plates of the speed indicator and the auto brake (the ones that say fast-slow and autobrake on/off) by removing the screws but the screws are so rusted up that they won't budge an inch. i tried spraying a tad of WD-40 on them and they still won't give, so i just polished the plates right there on the gramophone.

this machine has been left unused for nearly a decade, and the average humidity of 90%++ in Singapore didn't do much to help it's condition so i guess i'll have to just try my best to clean this machine up knowing that i can never get it to look as pristine as it once was :roll:

gramophoneshane
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by gramophoneshane »

Jf you have access to a bench grinder with a buffing wheel, they can sometime work wonders with removing small scratches too.

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Henry
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Re: need help restoring a HMV 102e

Post by Henry »

The 600 grit emery "paper" is also referred to as "wet-or-dry" paper. Used wet (water) it's a little messy, but may give better results. I've polished scratches out of watch crystals with 600 wet, followed by toothpaste (Crest or Colgate's) applied with a wet thumb, so I'm thinking this might work well on plated surfaces too.

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