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Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:33 pm
by jboger
I'd like to glue a Columbia fiber gear in place as it is loose enough to rotate freely. I could use epoxy, but that would be permanent. I'd rather use something reversible. Does any one have any suggestions?

Re: Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 6:46 pm
by JerryVan
jboger wrote:I'd like to glue a Columbia fiber gear in place as it is loose enough to rotate freely. I could use epoxy, but that would be permanent. I'd rather use something reversible. Does any one have any suggestions?
Don't you want it to be permanent?

Besides, it's not as permanent as your think. Heat will will melt the epoxy away. Yes, it will also destroy the fiber gear, but you'd only want to remove it if the gear were no good anyway.

Re: Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 7:23 pm
by jboger
Jerry, if there's a choice, then no. I always prefer the option to undo what I've done. But your comment has triggered a memory. I once used a paint remover that also dissolved an epoxy that someone had used long before I had the item. It took a while, but it did it. But if no one has a suggestion, I will try water-soluble white glue first and hold off on the epoxy. I know nothing about gorilla glue and other products on the market. I will also try hide glue.

Re: Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:00 pm
by VanEpsFan1914
On degreased surfaces, burnt shellac gets very sticky and might give enough. You don't want it to cut loose, though--a "run" on the governor could tear up some of the mainspring gears.

Would replacing it with a new gear from Mr. Sitko or Vollema work?

Re: Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 9:38 pm
by jboger
Shellac is an excellent idea. I have some shellac flakes that I can dissolve in a small amount of ethanol, which I could then use as a cement.

Ron supplies excellent replacements gears, but this is for an early two-spring motor from a front-mount AH. A new one from Ron might work, but then again it might not. I like the idea of shellac and shall try that.

Thanks.

Re: Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 12:12 am
by VanEpsFan1914
One thing I did re-gluing the stylus bar onto a 1904 Edison recorder was to "stick" it on there with a dot of brown shellac and then set that on fire. I blew out the flame a second later. It cooked out the solvent, making it most prodigiously sticky, and it seemed to work nicely enough.

A front-mount AH can be a nice little machine! It's valuable enough for a new gear. Hopefully Mr. Sitko has them fresh if shellac doesn't work.

Re: Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:53 am
by Jerry B.
I've used a modern fibre gear replacement with good results. What are the risks of gluing an old gear and having a sudden failure? Jerry B.

Re: Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:32 pm
by Phonofreak
What kind of a Columbia AH do you have? There are about 3 or 4 types of motors. If this is the very early one with the off center crank, the fiber gear will be very hard to find. I don't know of any reproductions. If this is the more common motor with the horizontal governor and center crank, then a Sitko replacement will be perfect for what you want. Once I get further information of the motor, I can tell you how to do the repair. If you can show a picture, that will make it easy.
Harvey Kravitz

Re: Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 7:22 pm
by jboger
Just want to attach this fiber gear to the beveled wheel. I don't mind to save $25 for a new gear. I bought one from Ron before. Ron sells a great product. The fiber gear you see in the picture is a replacement; it works. I just need to attach it so it is structurally strong. Harvey, if you have a suggestion, something you've done before that's reversible, I'm all ears. If not, I can try shellac, epoxy, or even break down and buy a new fiber gear. I do worry that a new fiber gear might not work on this particular beveled gear. I have reasons to think that, but that's a different matter.

Re: Loose Columbia fiber gear

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 7:30 pm
by jboger
I have three types of front-mount AH's: (1) the earliest with an off-center crank hole; (2) the second type with a centrally-place crank; and now a third one (3) with the more common motor that one sees on many early Columbia client machines as well as Columbia-labelled machines. This one has a two-spring motor. I just got it over the weekend at an auction that was clearing out a house. It came with an early reproducer, the one with the screw that tightens down on the needle. I have two of these now; this is the much better one.