Fixing a Columbia spring

[oltractor]

On a 3 spring machine, whats the effects of shortening one spring only 4 inches other than decreasing the play time?

[12jslater]

Funnily enough I did this repair about a week ago with the second spring snapped about 6 inches from the end I cut and drilled it and I have two identical Columbias ones in oak and one in mahogany same motor and both with original three springs and the one that was cut runs about a minute longer! It just depends on the springs condition and how strong it is. But with a three Spring 4 inches won't hurt at all they're about 15 - 20ft anyway.

Hope it helped

[Phonofreak]

I would have three identical springs. I believe if you have a spring too short, the motor will run erratically. Always use a full length spring for a consistent motor run.
Harvey Kravitz

[12jslater]

The length of the spring remains nothing to do with the speed as the tension on the Spring will be identical and the guvnor will stop any fluctuation in the speed. The basic idea or a clock or gramophone Spring is to store and release energy so taking some away aka making it shorter will just slightly compromise it's ability to do so. After assuming a three Spring Columbia motor has 3 20ft springs by loosing 4 inches you will only loose 0.5% of your total Spring length across all three springs meaning only a 0.5% drop in run time an power which is negledgable. Say if the motor ran for 10 minutes which I should imagine it would with three springs you would loose three seconds of run time (not encountering drag) but nothing even noticeable.

[melvind]

By offering him a replacement you either know nothing about the mechanics of a gramophone or phonograph or are just trying to make money however seen as your on this forum I'd say it's the latter.

I read all the posts in this carefully and no one even suggested what you stated. Not one mention of offering someone a new spring. Not one.

Dan

[Phonofreak]

I know from experience that if one spring is bad or broken, It is bad to use a shorter or repaired spring. It's not a matter of saving money. It's the matter of having a good running and a consistent motor. I would rather spend the money and have a good running motor. You'll be happier in the long run. It's your motor, do as you wish.
Harvey Kravitz

The length of the spring remains nothing to do with the speed as the tension on the Spring will be identical and the guvnor will stop any fluctuation in the speed. The basic idea or a clock or gramophone Spring is to store and release energy so taking some away aka making it shorter will just slightly compromise it's ability to do so. After assuming a three Spring Columbia motor has 3 20ft springs by loosing 4 inches you will only loose 0.5% of your total Spring length across all three springs meaning only a 0.5% drop in run time an power which is negledgable. Say if the motor ran for 10 minutes which I should imagine it would with three springs you would loose three seconds of run time (not encountering drag) but nothing even noticeable.

By offering him a replacement you either know nothing about the mechanics of a gramophone or phonograph or are just trying to make money however seen as your on this forum I'd say it's the latter.

[12jslater]

But as I say again it is a physical impossibility of an erratic motor due to the guvnor, same tension and a reduction of power by 0.5% and run time by 0.5% that is if the motor ran at 10 minutes on three full springs it would run 9:57 on a shortened spring its marginal.
Fair enough if it was a single Spring but it is a triple Spring motor so there is no need it Is tried and tested by me. If you measured a modern replacement next to an original Spring there would probably be more than four inches difference longer or shorter.
This is similar to a car If you had an 80+ year old 100hp car would you do any work if it was only producing 99.5 hp? Cuz that's a 0.5% drop in power same as the Spring and it would run eratically.
Always remember the Spring driven motors will always want to run erratically it's the guvnor that stops them doing so.

Just cut it I have done to several machines with no effects.

[JerryVan]

Oltractor,

Shouldn't hurt a thing.

[oltractor]

Thanks guys!