New member trying my hand at Model 10 Dictaphone restoration

[gt alex]

Hi I bought a dictaphone model 10 set years ago, they were rusty and damaged the recorder /playing part is on a stand and apears almost complete except the speaking hone belt and cable from tube to clutch. The reader part has I broken carragie no reproducer assembly.. good news is the shaver looks peerfect except for a cracked wooden lid and the power cord has been cut off.
I am retired now and have got the itch to get them going. Skill wise, I think I will be OK, because Out of school I became a telegraph mechanic referbishing tape Punch and Reading machines, telex machines etc. in the Brisbane Central Telegraph Office.
I know your help will be needed so this is me saying Hi and I will post some pics when I down load them

[Chuck]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Dictaphone machines are kind of off in an obscure
corner of the collector/restorer community from
what I can tell.

I personally specialize in them out of necessity.
That all started many years ago when I decided to
start making brown wax recording blanks. Needed
a shaving machine. Got a Dictaphone model 7 shaver.

Since that time I've gotten several more Dictaphone
machines of various types. Have 5 shavers now, so there are plenty of spare parts kicking around here.

There are a few of us on here who specialize in,
and use these types of machines.

One thing that comes to mind that I'd like to tell you
is to please consider very carefully and think
through thoroughly the entire situation before
trashing the wonderfully simple and very effective
rheostat that controls the speed of the motor.

I say this because, for whatever reason, it always
seems that most people these days are very eager
to get rid of the nice old rheostat and they always
seem to want to put in some sort of a new cheap
lamp dimmer thing instead.

That is totally unnecessary because the rheostat
works just fine.

Since you worked on punch tape machines, you should
have no problem with these machines.

Chuck

[gt alex]

[quote="Chuck"]trashing the wonderfully simple and very effective
rheostat that controls the speed of the motor.



Thanks for the welcome Chuck
I havn't looked at much yet, but I think the rheostat could probably be rewound if needed. but the way these are build I think most parts will be repairable to keep things as they were.
I just picked up 2 ediphones as well so I will be in touch. I will check out your web site because at this time I have no cyliners.
One thing I will need is the tortoise shell mouth piece for the model 10.
thanks again for the welcome
GT Alex

[JeffHowe]

Hi, guys.

I too have bought some Dictaphone machine and am part way thru cleaning and recommissioning one.

If you could assist I'd be grateful I have moved onto the electrics, but because I'm in the UK, we have 240 volts AC (which will kill you!) I am rather edgy about tackling this bit without some guidance!

Am I correct in thinking that the thing that looks like an electric fire is the rheostat? If so, and I get your meaning Chuck, about keeping the old stuff, but it looks knackered.

The good news is that the boiler plate has a British name & address on it, which makes me think it was sold here, so must be set-up as is for 240v.

Any thoughts would be great! Thanks v much.