The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Also. As far as parts go is it as simple as eBay? Or are there specialized dealers? I haven’t done any digging yet.

It all depends on which parts you might need... it could be "simple" or not... you might find something on eBay... I looked for a specific part for 13 years before I found one - you might get lucky.

Look on the "Links" section of the forum or post a "Wanted" ad. There are no specialized Modernola dealers - they went out of business after 1929... or maybe before.

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the tips on the motor. I’ve gotten it stripped down cleaned and reassembled. I’ve searched the forum and found suggestions for lubricant and I ended up buying sewing machine oil and synthetic grease. Honestly it seemed like there was a lot of debate in the right thing to use so I haven’t used either yet but the motor runs quietly without anything right now. What are the suggestions out there now?

Also I’ve started working on the cabinet, used the pumice free Gojo to clean the outside which is looking great and I’ve started to clean up the inside as well which is easier said than done. I do have a couple cracks in the front grill section (photos attached). What would be best practice for repair? I’m thinking wood glue as an obvious choice but checking here first. Also that bottom crack cannot be pulled together with finger strength alone, any thoughts on how I get these two sides together?

That break is due to wood shrinkage. As such, there may simply not be enough width left in the shrunken panel to pull the gap closed. Even if you could force it, another crack might appear in some other area. I would try using a band clamp, wrapped around the cabinet, to see if it can be pulled shut. However, if that doesn't work with any reasonable force, then my first opinion applies. At that point consider leaving it alone or carefully using wood filler. I usually hate wood filler because so few people, (including myself ), do it well enough to actually improve the look of an object.


https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Clamp ... U?dchild=1