A Skylark is singing again....

[Gramtastic]

I was fortunate to buy a Puck Skylark on Ebay this week. It looked terrible with a corroded spring, broken governor and a layer of rust and dirt over most of it. The good news was that it was entirely original and just needed some tlc to get it working again !
I stripped it and cleaned all the parts, replaced the broken and missing governor springs and took the motor to a local clock repairer to look at the mainspring. This is tiny compared with a gramophone spring so I thought a clock man would be able to source me a new one - instead he cut the rusted end off it and made a new loop at the end whilst cleaning the motor parts ! One hour later and I had a clean, working motor with the original spring and a temporary key! When the layer of dirt was cleaned off you can even see the original yellow/green paint in the centre of the horn. I am very pleased with the result so far, now I just need to work out how to tie the string drive without making a knot so big it jams in the motor - any ideas ? and source a correct winding key.

[poodling around]

Wow ! This looks even nicer with your photo's !

Love the metal / iron base - and everything else !

Like I say, I don't collect cylinder photographs but this to me (unusually) is a real beauty !

Congratulations on a fabulous purchase - which it seems is in very good hands for restoration.

[nostalgia]

Congratulations with a very interesting purchase!
I have never seen this machine before, and wish you all the best luck with the rest of the restoration.
It looks great already:)

[Curt A]

GLAD YOU GOT THIS... It looks great after cleaning. If you need pics of mine, which has the original cabinet, I'll be glad to send or post some. I'm not sure how the string is connected, but mine is working and I'll take a look... I thought about getting this myself, but shipping from England was a bit prohibitive, however I knew it could be restored to good condition... Great work... It was made by George Carrette of Nuremberg, Germany in the early 1900s. They were known as "Kastenpucks" (cabinet pucks) in German.

From the eBay pictures, I couldn't recognize the bird design, it looked like a floral design that was also made. The nickel plated Skylark design is the rarer of the designs, so you got a great one to restore...

I took some pics of my machine and its cabinet. If you decide to make a cabinet, I can give you the dimensions. The drive string is small and is knotted, which doesn't interfere with its operation. The original winding key seems to be a fairly standard clock key - see pic.
Your pics show an original eye screw, so it apparently had a top at one time...

Hope this helps...

[Sidewinder]

You have done a great job, congratulations.

Somewhere along the line an auction house called this Carette Kastenpuck a "skylark", this may have been ornithologically correct, but I do not think Carette ever called it this. Just to be pedantic, it would be incorrect to call this a puck "skylark" as another company had already reserved the name.

Their "Pucks" are easily identifyable as such

[Gramtastic]

Curt, thanks for the photos - very useful ! I might make a case for it now.

[Curt A]

You have done a great job, congratulations.

Somewhere along the line an auction house called this Carette Kastenpuck a "skylark", this may have been ornithologically correct, but I do not think Carette ever called it this. Just to be pedantic, it would be incorrect to call this a puck "skylark" as another company had already reserved the name.

Their "Pucks" are easily identifyable as such

When I bought mine, it was referred to as a "Songbird Kastenpuck", so that may be George Carette's name for it...

[VanEpsFan1914]

What a wonderful thread; thanks Curt for sharing the pictures and very good job Gramtastic on getting in touch with your clock man and starting that motor back up again. It should be great restored! I wouldn't do a thing to that horn.

[Gramtastic]

Thanks for the comments - I will keep the horn exactly as it is. It's only original once !
Curt, could you post a photo of the outside of the string guard as I need to make one and I would like to get it the same as yours ?

Many thanks
Andrew

[Inigo]

the string guard isn't a mere tin plate, it can be seen that it carries a tensioner pooley, that seems to be adjustable, as it is mounted on an intermediate steel piece which is then screwed onto the guard plate by two screws or something.... You'll need photos of that part too... How interesting, and what a nice phonograph!