Teak wrote:If it does not bodge at all, drop it in a bucket of diesel over night.
Some classic car owners have found that filling the cylinders with Coca-Cola will eventually free seized pistons, but I have never heard of anyone using it on a phonograph.
It would be nice to think that it had a practical use, as I certainly wouldn't drink the stuff.
Teak wrote:If it does not bodge at all, drop it in a bucket of diesel over night.
Some classic car owners have found that filling the cylinders with Coca-Cola will eventually free seized pistons, but I have never heard of anyone using it on a phonograph.
It would be nice to think that it had a practical use, as I certainly wouldn't drink the stuff.
Managed to get the spring barrel shaft to budge: it will move freely for a fraction of an inch in either direction, but no further. Do I have to disengage the springs somehow to get it out? Got one gear loosened from the shaft, and got the set screw out on another.
On the upper works, I can disengage the feed screw from the pulley; but the little screws are still not responding. Carriage shaft is still stuck: if I could wrap some rubber around it, and use a pipe wrench to twist it, maybe I could get it loose?
Well, I'm about ready to throw in the towel and send the whole shebang off to Ron. Outside of the tiny bit of progress I have made so far, all I've accomplished is wrist strain, mangled screw heads, and a sour temper.
I still haven't tried torching the damn thing; but I don't want to set the place on fire.
One problem I've noticed is that the feed screw seems to be frozen to the mandrel shaft, so it doesn't work in 4 minute mode. If I could just get those blasted tiny screws out...
Sorry to hear this has been such a frustrating experience. Somebody at one time used some really crappy product on that Triumph. Bad oil turns to varnish. Really, a propane torch might sound drastic, but it isn't - - just move the flame back and forth over the area you want to free up. It's almost magical.
...And although I've relayed this relatively recently, I'll repeat it: the torch will not harm that black paint! I wouldn't have believed it unless I had seen it with my own eyes. Our own Wyatt Marcus put a propane torch to the stanchion of a Home Model D and really HEATED it up! I kept telling myself, "It's only a Home; it's only a Home," but once the bearing was out and everything cooled down, you'd never know. The paint looked perfect. (Of course, you don't want to do that near the decorations!)
phonogfp wrote:Sorry to hear this has been such a frustrating experience. Somebody at one time used some really crappy product on that Triumph. Bad oil turns to varnish. Really, a propane torch might sound drastic, but it isn't - - just move the flame back and forth over the area you want to free up. It's almost magical.
...And although I've relayed this relatively recently, I'll repeat it: the torch will not harm that black paint! I wouldn't have believed it unless I had seen it with my own eyes. Our own Wyatt Marcus put a propane torch to the stanchion of a Home Model D and really HEATED it up! I kept telling myself, "It's only a Home; it's only a Home," but once the bearing was out and everything cooled down, you'd never know. The paint looked perfect. (Of course, you don't want to do that near the decorations!)
Well, having tried various penetrating oils, mineral spirits, acetone, naphtha, and lemon juice with minimal results, I bit the bullet and bought a torch.
After heating a couple of bearings for a minute or so, I tried whanging away at them with a brass rod and mallet.
Finally, FINALLY, the bearings began to budge. A couple of hours later, I had the governor and all of the gears out. - except one shaft, which is blocked by the spring barrels (I still can't quite figure how to get them out).
In any event, I can now send the springs, in the motor frame, to Ron.
Next step is the upper works; I hope I don't have to melt the asphaltum off to get those shafts free.
Wow - I'd like to know what "lubricant" it was that turned to stone. (I still suspect it was our old friend, "Three-In-One"!)
A propane torch will not damage the asphaltum paint on an Edison cylinder machine; at least it didn't when Wyatt was working on a mandrel bearing while I nervously watched.