Triumphon floor model

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nostalgia
Victor IV
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Triumphon floor model

Post by nostalgia »

I (again) could not resist buying a gramophone, knowing that this one would very likely end as a mini bar or similar, if I had not bought it. I also never have seen a similar Triumphon before, and I could neither find it here nor on the German forum when doing a search, so I thought it could be of interest to share some photos. The lid stay is broken, but it is made of wood and I have all the pieces, so it should be easy to repair. I have not yet had time to look at the motor, but the turntable spins when the motor is winded. Two soundboxes also followed the gramophone, but if they are Triumphon or not I really don't know, since they are not marked in any way, and I am myself not yet capable of recognizing soundboxes outside the HMV/ Columbia region.
I don't really know yet if I will keep the gramophone or not, since my rooms are crowded with gramophones, and if adding one in my house, another one now has to leave. But for the time being let us look at some photos of this little "Princess". Somehow the legs reminds me of rococo period chairs, even if I know next to nothing about period furnitures.
Whatever happens, she deserves an overhaul for sure, to be allowed to return to her former beauty!
Attachments
Triumphon front.jpg
Triumphon side.jpg
Triumphon horn.jpg
Triumphon interior.jpg
Soundbox.jpg
Soundbox back.jpg

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
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Re: Triumphon floor model

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

Those Queen Anne legs make up for any oddities of design! I hope you can get it running and tell us how it sounds with that tiny horn. Usually I am used to seeing phonographs with the whole inside taken up by a horn; this might be equalized to play German records or it may be a strange afterthought. Never saw one before.

epigramophone
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Re: Triumphon floor model

Post by epigramophone »

The small horn mouth is typically German and does not bode well for sound quality, but it is an attractive machine and well worth saving.
Triumphon portables such as the one pictured below turn up from time to time :
Attachments
triumphon.JPG

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nostalgia
Victor IV
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Re: Triumphon floor model

Post by nostalgia »

I started to disassemble the machine yesterday. Not an easy task actually, I had to gently remove both fragile small wood strips and upper and lower boards to get access to the motor, that I still have not been able to remove safely from the motorboard. (That's what's going to happen today, hopefully.)
I upload some photos both of the wooden horn and the motor, so anyone having an interest can have a look. I am about to service the motor today, I think a spring is broken inside this double spring motor. Apart from it, the motor looks good enough to me. I don't know if Triumphon made their own motors or not ( even if I think they had the means and qualifications to do so), after googling a bit, the company behind the Triumphon brand, Biedermann & Czarnikow, (Berlin), had quite an extensive production also in mechanics, and started their business as early as 1884.
Attachments
Triumphon motor (1).jpg
Triumphon motor (2).jpg
Triumphon motor (3).jpg
Triumphon motor (4).jpg
Triumphon interior horn and motor.jpg

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nostalgia
Victor IV
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Location: My gramophone repair room

Re: Triumphon floor model

Post by nostalgia »

The Triumphon has now received a total overhaul and also a strip was necessary this time, as I saw it. The marks on the lid cover was impossible for me to amend, and I decided to strip her down, using sand paper only. Doing it all by hand it was a hard task and took some days. After stripping it, I decided to use Liberon Victorian Mahogany Spirit Wood Dye, and also added a layer of Howard's Restor-A Finish Mahogany as a finish over the Liberon Wood Dye. Finally, Howard's Feed and Wax, as a top layer.
The red turntable felt also was exchanged with a green felt.

Challenges met and remarks made concerning the motor:
1. One of the springs was broken, and a new spring was added.
2. Also the second spring was removed and cleaned.
3. The governor had the same problem as the HMV model 87 serviced a few weeks back. The worm gear axis was close to stuck in a narrow tube due to hardened old grease, making the speed of the motor changing continuously.
4. The grease used inside the spring was much easier to clean out than on many other springs from other manufacturers. It was brown, and the spring cleaned up very easily using diswashing detergent in water only, and cleaning with rags ( no steel wool needed). A final cleaning/polish with WD-40 as always.
5. General feeling about this motor. Solid, easy to service.

I am as always uploading some photos, before and after, and also adding a youtube link, since it was asked if I would share the listening experience when I had serviced the gramophone. The soundbox attached ( for the time being) is an Odeon Concert. I guess it is not the biggest sound, as also was expected, but it still plays well and deserves a nice spot somewhere, wherever that may be... :roll:

Youtube, Triumphon after restoration: https://youtu.be/P_e46ir8UtM
The sound on the video does not make the gramophone justice, the record is also worn out...

Ps. Photo no 4 shows the realistic color of the gramophone, photo no 3 is too red due to light conditions.

Final thoughts. One can agree or disagree that stripping was needed for this gramophone, but I also took it as a learning possibility for working with wood cabinets, and in total I am quite happy with the result myself.

So..I will say, mission accomplished.
Attachments
Triumphon stripped by sandpaper.jpg
Triumphon after restoration (1).jpg
Triumphon after restoration (2).jpg
Triumphon after restoration (3).jpg
Triumphon after restoration (4).jpg

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