As someone posted a while back its frustrating when folks don't show how their projects end up after asking questions. So here is the penultimate report [warts and all] with a few pictures. The final report will come when the weather warms up and I can work on the consolette motor in my unheated garage without fear of eminent hypothermia.
So to summarize:
Bought the consolette with badly cracked potmetal reproducer.
Frozen solid and no amount penetrating oil [long soaking and even using the magic homemade formula with ATF and acetone everyone swears by] and freezing broke its willpower.
Bought another one but it too was impervious to all forms of persuasion.
Found out from you folks - [bless you all] about Ron Sitko and his repro cases … and bought one.
Dissembled the two frozen soundboxes by ungentle means to get the parts.
Decided the aluminum diaphragms were a bit too far gone and ordered a new one.
Got as far as removing the removing the shaft from the needlebar [one of the details that no one ever mentions in any post or online instruction I have found] and re-installing same in the new case.
Attached the spider to the diaphragm.
Took a long break and put it all aside.
Got back to it this Sunday.
Here is my confession and where you may well and justifiably chastise me.
I can’t solder. I really, really, really suck at it. I especially can’t do it through tiny holes in soundboxes … I swear I tried really hard but I am utterly incompetent.
So I epoxied the needlebar to the spider … shame on me!
Then the ball bearings … so many opinions and techniques!
Rubber gasket, bearings, rubber gasket.
Magnetize bearings grease and no gaskets at all.
Paper gasket, bearings, rubber gasket … and so on.
I opted for magnetizing the bearings.
I had the same problem another member had and the bearings were slipping through.
I cut slivers foil tape and placed them so there was less area for the bearing to fall through. I also realized that the placement of the needlebar cross shaft has to very precise!
Managed to get a nice ring on one side … then realized that the hole in the body casting was just a smidge too small for the gasket material Ron sent [not sure if he knows this] but with some ugly trimming I got it to fit and installed the cap.
I don’t think the foil would interfere with the movement of the bearings, but to be sure I put a drop of oil in to unsticky the tape … and oil is never bad me thinks.
Turned it over and repeated … no tape … once one side was done the second went much smoother and without any bearings dropping through.
I obviously won’t know if it’s an absolute disaster until it’s tested. I expect many will read this and say all that time and effort why didn’t he just send the dam thing off to someone who knows how to do this?
My response would be that it seems like there are collectors who just enjoy the machines in and of themselves and some who really enjoy tinkering and learning about the innards. Both are equally valid viewpoints. I like the challenge and failure is always an option
And the No. 4 I’m working on now seems like making a paper airplane in comparison.
PS - decided not to put the phase plug in for now ... maybe later