Survey, Do you service your new purchase

[saxymojo]

Hi
I was wondering how many collector buy a new machine and just put it on the shelf, or how many give the machine a full service to get it to the best playing and looking condition they can.

[MordEth]

Marcel,

Great poll idea! I think you may wish to add another choice between these two, for the Neophones of our board:

• Do you do a full service, Motor (including main spring) Cabinet and Reproducer
• Do you just oil the machine and wax the cabinet

After having helped John service a machine or two, I can attest that he does basically everything short of taking the main spring out and lubricating it, so he’s one step below the top choice.

Although given time, I kind of expect to see him pulling out a spring or two. (And certainly, I’ve learned quite a lot about the workings of these machines from watching and assisting him.)

I wonder how many people stitch their own leather parts for their machines (as you’ve demonstrated), though. I was very impressed with your stitching, as I am not even remotely talented as a tailor.

— MordEth

[saxymojo]

Hi David
Great idea, I added the suggested line and lost two votes If you voted you will have to do it again sorry.
Regards Marcel

[MordEth]

Great idea, I added the suggested line and lost two votes If you voted you will have to do it again sorry.

Ah. Sorry about that, I didn’t realize that this board system resets the votes if options are added. I was the second vote, so fortunately nothing was lost.

I think that quite a few collectors are fairly handy but shy away from removing the main spring, but I could be wrong—I don’t have any statistics to back that assertion. It’ll be interesting to see the poll results.

— MordEth

[saxymojo]

Hi David
There were 3 votes, I think the 3rd may have been Shane, if I know him as well as I think I do, he is like me and does the lot.
Who voted just wipe it over with furniture polish

Regards Marcel

[Steve]

Marcel

I understand the question but I honestly feel that your poll is basically flawed and here's why: to answer the question with any validity it assumes that each respondent has an entire collection of machines which arrived in identical condition. In other words, if they were all virtually mint and like new and played perfectly, you're basically asking would you still pull them down and service the motor and wax the cabinet etc? A sensible answer might be to leave them well alone. Okay, that's appropriate perhaps, BUT what about the next machine which is not working 100% and the cabinet is dirty and the soundbox needs rebuilding? A different response would be called for. How does the collector who buys different machines in different states answer your poll with any valid response?

I tend to buy machines in as best condition as I can reasonably afford. I never buy "projects" and I do not keep restored machines for myself. For the majority of my acquisitions the "wipe over with furniture polish" is probably the nearest appropriate answer. However, I have had machines where I've needed to oil the motor,occasionally hand the motor to my "motor fiend" for main spring cleaning or replacement and I have also had to rub down and clean some tarnished metalwork and cabinet finishes in the past, a thankless task and mercifully rare for me! As most of my machines are probably worth a lot less now than I paid for them, I don't relish wasting days of my time trying to "prep" them! Hehe.....yes, so it was ME who gave you the "wrong" answer....deliberately!

One response which is missing would be "rebuild reproducer and lightly dust the case". That would possibly most accurately describe what I do to MOST machines I get (but not all). I ALWAYS rebuild any soundboxes as a matter of course because getting the best sound out of each machine is what is most important to me. There have been a few exceptions where I couldn't do this with cast soundboxes which are sealed etc but otherwise, they all get rebuilt. If the motor runs quietly and smoothly and holds a constant pitch, why pull it down unnecessarily? If the cabinet finishes are clean and in good shape, why throw goo over them for the sake of it?

Steve

[MordEth]

Hehe.....yes, so it was ME who gave the "wrong" answer....deliberately!

Steve,

Based on your response, perhaps a better question would have been “What’s the furthest you are willing to go to restore a machine?”, but I don’t think there are any ‘wrong’ answers. (Perhaps Marcel feels differently and will give you detention after forum. We can’t have any phono-delinquents. )

Obviously, like you stated, the amount of care that any given machine is going to need will vary based on its current condition. Recently, we’ve seen machines in very good condition (like the Pugh gramophone and the VV-XVI) and then there are the machines found in barns and attics. Personally, I’ve been rather amazed by some of the restorations I’ve seen done. I generally don’t have much motivation towards restoring or refinishing.

— MordEth

[Steve]

Recently, we’ve seen machines in very good condition (like the Pugh gramophone and the VV-XVI)

David,

You have no idea how much I'm kicking myself over the Pugh gramophone! If only I had the space for that....arghhh!

Steve

PS I've added to my last post about "soundbox rebuilding"

[saxymojo]

Hi Steve
Yes you have a valid point, I guess the main point is to know if you would do what was needed to be done or just shelve it to gather dust. So often I have bought machines from collectors and not even the rubber in the sound reproducer had been replaced, they looked like pop corn, after it was popped
I met a collector once in Tasmania, he restored his machines, well thats what he called it, I called it destroyed his machines. He did everything, but would never do the simple task of replacing the reproducer rubber. I have also purchased machines that needed no work but I still go over them and check the spring grease add a few drops of oil and give the machine a good clean and polish, actually I clean my machines every week just to keep the dust off them.
Thanks for your input Steve.

Regards Marcel

[Steve]

Hi Marcel

You're welcome!

Yes, David had already hinted that it was perhaps a question of "how far would you go?" as much as anything.

I'm in complete agreement with you though. I have also been to other collectors' houses and been astonished to see machines that still had their "attic" dust on them, frozen gaskets, non-running motors, broken parts etc. If I had to live with that, I think I'd just give up. There would be no satisfaction in owning anything for me.

I have my own rule for these things. I simply ask myself the question "Could I access any particular machine at anytime and play a record through on it with the best possible sound (for that machine) if another collector wanted a demo of it?" If I can't answer that with a yes, then there is either something wrong with my collecting policy or I just need to pull my finger out and sort whatever the issue is with any given machine. I have never just plonked a machine down and left it (warts and all) to gather dust if it is not as presentable or working as it should be.

Steve