Home Model B follow-the-restoration.

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dzavracky
Victor IV
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Re: Home Model B follow-the-restoration.

Post by dzavracky »

Look nice Charles! Finish a long project is a rewarding feeling.

David

VanEpsFan1914
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Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
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Re: Home Model B follow-the-restoration.

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

Slow moving project continues--I finally went ahead & bought a new 19-tooth drive gear for the motor & a proper horn crane for that nice horn. All came from Brian Parlier's store "The Phonograph Shop," continuing on the Ron Sitko parts business.

The new crane is incredibly well done. Unfortunately this means that all the "passable" plating on the machine now looks awful, so I'll have to send off & have the rest replated to match! The new component replacing the cracked 19-tooth gear is a new gear from whitish nonferrous metal, probably aluminum, that attaches with a setscrew. It's a perfect mesh for the gears on there. I don't know how aluminum will hold up in heavy use but anything's better than old cracked brass--it's a fairly beefy new gear so it shouldn't split.

Still waiting on governor springs but that's OK as it needs a number of other parts before the machine can be assembled. Governor kits only help when there's a whole motor to put the governor on, and a working spring suspension, and a pulley that isn't warped or cracked. I also need some tools--a file and a hacksaw. The crane rod is set up for a long horn, maybe 32" or 36", and the little 24" horn that I have is hanging w-a-y out away from the carriage in space like an Edison piñata. Once I bob it off with a hacksaw it should fit pretty great. Few more parts on the way--and of course a trip to Nashville Plating before final assembly--and it should be looking as good as it can.


It's been fourteen months since I bought this on 17 October, 2020. This is perhaps my slowest restoration but eventually it will make a playable machine.

VanEpsFan1914
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Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Home Model B follow-the-restoration.

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

And tonight, seizing a few spare moments outside of studying, I was able to put the small gear into the machine and rearrange the thing enough to see how the powertrain worked.

Wound up the new spring a few turns and with a little bit of careful adjustment was able to get the motor rolling over. It ran for about thirty seconds or so on its own--not bad considering it needed to be oiled and was on low power. I do not want to wind it much without the governor weights installed as nothing prevents it from running away at this point. Were it properly lubricated and adjusted it could start with very little winding.

Not playing yet but nice to see the gears doing their thing!

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