My first talking machines and info on their restoration
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- Victor II
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
Thanks Curt A, I think I will try to not screw this one up but things do not go the way I would like sometimes, lol.
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- Victor Monarch Special
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
Herderz wrote:I got my tonearm donor today, Looked pretty good to come up with something playable with some work "old arm at the top". Reproducer diaphragm is solid but needing a rebuild just like the one that came with the machine. Length measured pretty much the same from center of mounting horn to tip of needle mount.
Upon further inspection though I saw this. A hair line crack in the elbow of the horn mount to the reproducer. Just my luck, I will have to look at it for a couple days and see if I can disassemble it with out breaking it. If I can I think I can reinforce the crack from the inside to strengthen it so it will hold up to playing. A thin coat of epoxy on the inside maybe.
I wouldn't try to disassemble it. Just work some epoxy into the crack from the outside by putting a gob of epoxy over the crack, then rub your thumb through the epoxy and over the crack to force & push it into the gap. Then wipe off the excess.
- Curt A
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
If that part is good on the original reproducer, why not just change it out for the cracked one...
"The phonograph is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.
"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
My Wife
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- Victor Monarch Special
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
Honestly, that crack does not look as if anything is getting ready to fall apart. Doing nothing may even prove to be the best.
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- Victor II
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
Thanks, Jerry Van and Curt A.
Curt A the crack is in the elbow the same as my original tonearm, but it is only a stress crack not broken through yet. Jerry Van I said I would think on it a couple days but it only took a couple minutes and I was removing the reproducer to look inside the elbow. The stress crack had not gone from end to end just around a internal casting protrusion for the screw thread to the elbow tilt adjustment. I took a small round wire brush that I use in clock repair and roughed up the internal casting at the crack. Then made me a very small paddle out of wood to apply steel re-enforced epoxy in a thin coat to the inside of the elbow. Let it cure up and I will go from here. While curing I broke down the sound box, surprisingly the seals were still flexible with no hardening or cracks unlike the original which fail into pieces. The diaphragm had a couple of spots were it was starting to de-laminate but no through cracks. I cleaned the seal with silicone used a heat gun to try to get it more life and re-assembled the sound box. I just had to see if my talking machine would sing, and it did. I need to rebuild the sound box put am having trouble finding an 2 ⅛" mica diaphragm. I can get the seal pretty easy but the mica not much luck yet. I also cleaned the inside of the lid, not much work with not oxidation to speak of.
Curt A the crack is in the elbow the same as my original tonearm, but it is only a stress crack not broken through yet. Jerry Van I said I would think on it a couple days but it only took a couple minutes and I was removing the reproducer to look inside the elbow. The stress crack had not gone from end to end just around a internal casting protrusion for the screw thread to the elbow tilt adjustment. I took a small round wire brush that I use in clock repair and roughed up the internal casting at the crack. Then made me a very small paddle out of wood to apply steel re-enforced epoxy in a thin coat to the inside of the elbow. Let it cure up and I will go from here. While curing I broke down the sound box, surprisingly the seals were still flexible with no hardening or cracks unlike the original which fail into pieces. The diaphragm had a couple of spots were it was starting to de-laminate but no through cracks. I cleaned the seal with silicone used a heat gun to try to get it more life and re-assembled the sound box. I just had to see if my talking machine would sing, and it did. I need to rebuild the sound box put am having trouble finding an 2 ⅛" mica diaphragm. I can get the seal pretty easy but the mica not much luck yet. I also cleaned the inside of the lid, not much work with not oxidation to speak of.
- dzavracky
- Victor IV
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
Ron Sitko sells the white tubing for reproducers, it is not expensive. I wonder if Ron would also be able to get/make you the correct size diaphragm? I just got a diaphragm and some tubing from him today... it sounds great!
David
David
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- Victor Monarch Special
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
The mica you show there looks very good. I would not replace it. You should melt a small bit of beeswax where the needle arm attaches to the mica, (on both sides). This insures a rattle free connection between the two. A small chunk of wax is usually laid next to the needle arm connection, then a small solder iron or wood burning pencil is touched to it to heat the wax until it flows around the foot of the needle arm.
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- Victor II
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
Thanks dzavracky and Jerry Van. I will try to get a hold of Ron about the mica and the current diaphragm is ok for now minus the seals that would be a cheap rebuild that would help I think.
Here is todays work, I polished the hinge and the lid prop which were chrome plated, cleaned up nice. Then the needle cups which were more of a challenge to get down in them but I prevailed. Also had to clean the screw heads of grime, got to get the details right for a job I would take pride in. Working on the tonearm board to clean it up before re-assembly.
Here is todays work, I polished the hinge and the lid prop which were chrome plated, cleaned up nice. Then the needle cups which were more of a challenge to get down in them but I prevailed. Also had to clean the screw heads of grime, got to get the details right for a job I would take pride in. Working on the tonearm board to clean it up before re-assembly.
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- Victor II
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
Well it has been a couple weeks since my last post on the progress on my first machine. I have not been idle. I have about 60 hours in the cleaning of the original finish. I striped down the cabinet and started to clean the muck. I do a process of what I call the "mud" cut. It is cleaning off of all the dirt, lamp silt, wood and coal silt after years of accumulation from the finish. I use a medium cut cleaner from Meguiars and with small folded cotton cloth I rub the finish in about a 3 inch square with the compound until it creates a mud looking paste, then I wipe clean with a larger cotton cloth. The small cotton cloth must be folded to a new clean pad before the next cut. I use a lot of Qtips to get in corners, edges etc. After that I repeat the same process with a fine cut cleaner from Meguiars. It is a scratch remover and a fine polishing compound, it will polish the surface of the old shellac back to a gloss state. The last step is a bee's wax coating for a day then a buff with cotton cloth.
This is how it comes out after sore finger tips and tired arms. The inside of the case also got a bee's wax cleaning and everything looks good. The horn seems to be solid and no cracks in the seams as far as I can tell using a flash light to see if there is a gap anywhere. With the base done I can start re-assembling 1 piece at a time now.
This is how it comes out after sore finger tips and tired arms. The inside of the case also got a bee's wax cleaning and everything looks good. The horn seems to be solid and no cracks in the seams as far as I can tell using a flash light to see if there is a gap anywhere. With the base done I can start re-assembling 1 piece at a time now.
- dzavracky
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Re: My first talking machine and info on it's restoration
WOW! That is a really nice looking machine
How is the reproducer going?
David
How is the reproducer going?
David