My latest acquisition- VE 8-35X

[NateO]

Thanks George- This one really is a sweetheart. Any special tips for oiling an electric motor versus a spring wound one?

Bill- This one has the light as well. I was very happy the first time I plugged it in and the light came on. The cord is looking pretty frayed, but there's no exposed wiring yet. I still plan on replacing it, just to be safe. I also plan on keeping mine on a power strip as well, so I sleep better too!

Vince- I'm in the same boat, I really didn't have the space for this one. Through some careful rearranging, I was able to fit it in. I honestly tried to walk away from it, but I just couldn't.

[phonogfp]

Any special tips for oiling an electric motor versus a spring wound one?

Not really: just the usual governor locations and any moving parts including end bearings. Others on this forum may have more specific recommendations. Just remember - no Three-In-One!

George P.

[OrthoSean]

Nice score, as a fellow 8-35 owner, you're going to love it. My 8-35 is the only orthophonic I have in my actual "living room" along with my EMG, I play both daily.

The back bracket in these is usually seemingly "glued" in place from the old sealant Victor used, it seems like some sort of rubbery stuff that petrifies and adheres the bracket to the cabinet. When I removed mine, I removed the four screws on the base and put just a drop of oil into each screw hole. After awhile I very carefully started rocking it back and forth. It took quite a bit of careful nudging before it finally started to break free from the "goop", but it finally did, just go slowly and (obviously) be careful so it doesn't break or crack any further than it already may have. I was lucky, mine was in fine condition. Once I had the entire assembly out, I cleaned out all that goopy petrified junk, took the tonearm apart for a good clean, de-grese, re-oil and greased the joints and bearings then resealed the base with heavy grease. Makes a big difference in volume!

Good luck and congrats on a great machine!

Sean

[NateO]

Sean,
Thanks for the advice with the back bracket, as that was exactly the issue I was having. I was finally able to pry it loose, with quite a bit of effort.

I decided to go ahead and replace the bracket anyway. It seems serviceable, but I'd rather just get it replaced and never have to worry about it again. Now I just have to locate a decent reproducer, and the 8-35 should be good to go!

Nate

[OrthoSean]

Hi Nate,

When I picked up my 8-35, I found a couple of surprises in the left drawer, TWO new spare "RCA Victor" branded orthophonic reproducers, these are basically identical to originals except the "RCA Victor" branding on the back and the screen over the front. The original owner of mine used his well into the late 1930s and the original was long gone, he must have bought three backups, stuck one on the tonearm and tucked the other two in the drawer. At any rate, don't rule one of these out as a replacement, the pot metal on them is very stable and they sound fantastic, in fact I now prefer these over originals. I'm glad I held onto the extras because I recently picked up an 8-7 Schoolhouse with a totally exploded original on it and a 1-90 with the same issue. I used to see these on eBay frequently when I was actively searching for parts.

I'm glad you were able to finally free that bracket.

Again, good luck!

Sean