HMV 130 Tabletop... Sorry, 104... I think!

[gramophone-georg]

Not here in the USA, I'm afraid, or anywhere on UK or German eBay. I have a donor HMV portable parts machine, but while the motor is very similar, the spring barrel is different. This spring barrel in the 104 looks like it is bent over the side lid, on the portable the barrel is held onto the "lid" with small screws.

If you like to pay the postage from the UK, I'll be happy to send you a spring drum.

Barry

Barry- PM sent.

[bulleid_pacific]

I have a 104 and a 130, both of which need new grille cloths. Unfortunately, I believe the weaver who was producing the cloth for www.retrospecialist.co.uk has retired and no more will be produced. I enquired and was given this story. Unfortunately the 12"x12" size they still advertise is too small for either machine and larger sizes seem to be no longer available. This is a shame as I've read that it was a very good match when used 'inside out'

[gramophone-georg]

So, by way of update, I'm going to try to post some photos here from the eBay listing. This is what I started with. Not a bad base at all.

And, of course, I can't figure out how to do that, so here is the listing in case someone else can.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/gramophone-HMV- ... true&rt=nc

I figured not bad at $100 plus shipping, which actually wound up being an additional $40 on top of the quoted amount (which I knew going in it could not possibly have been right), but they did a great job.

It actually looked worse than this somewhat- and I don't know where the rule is written that all gramo lids MUST be used as plant stands, but it sure was.

Barry (Phono48) did indeed very kindly send me a good spring barrel with a good spring in it. Took it all apart, soaked it in carby cleaner for a few days, and repacked it with synthetic automotive red grease with a little penetrant mixed in as a thinner. Made a good, sticky, flowable grease.

Rather than a strip/ refinish/ restore, I decided to go minimalist on this one, re- gluing, spot staining and blending where necessary, and using a black Sharpie marker to hide some really egregious faults. This is a great trick... put the ink on and wipe it immediately, and it will fill stubborn light cracks and splits in veneer and look like grain.

A clean up with GoJo and then Howard's feed and wax on the cabinet worked wonders. I actually had a piece of grille cloth left over from a VV 1-70 project several years ago that was JUST big enough. I pulled everything apart to detail it. While I had the metal horn out, I did make one modification... I covered the outside of it with automotive stereo sound deadener, "Fat Mat".It sure took the metallic resonance and sympathetic vibrations out. High notes with a full tone needle were painful before.

All of the metal bits got polished, and the black bits got repainted. I made some soft foam gaskets to seal the tone arm base to the horn. I also rebuilt the governor while the motor was apart, and did a quick replate of the crank and escutcheon... not TOO good, but it looks like it belongs.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to post pics of the finished machine and post a video.

This was purchased as a "rescue" so it will be going up for "adoption" soon.

Oh, you'll notice that the original 5A box has some hairlines on the back, but they are pretty microscopic- almost invisible in person. However, I picked up a really nice 5B brass unit that I'm waiting on gaskets for that will go with it.

Stay tuned! Thanks for all the help and guidance from across the pond on this!

[gramophone-georg]

Pictures. The camera makes the top look about twice as bad as it does in person... compared to what I started with I'm very pleased with it.

[gramophone-georg]

Here's a video of it playing "April in Paris" by Artie Shaw's fantastic 1940-41 orchestra. Sorry I'm not an experienced videographer. It's a little "blasty" in spots but that's likely due to the ancient camera I am using.

Personally- I'm still in the pre cell phone era, LOL. Hope you like it!

The machine has the automatic start (by moving the soundbox out from the center) and stop (but this only works if the record has the Victor style eccentric stopping groove).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT47r9Gzitg

[alang]

Looks awesome. Congratulations! I love the dark oak finish, makes the wood grain really pop dramatically.

Andreas

[Henry]

Beautiful machine, and really great sound! I'm impressed by the full tone and frequency response, and lack of surface noise! Now if I could only get my hands on one just like it....

[gramophone-georg]

Beautiful machine, and really great sound! I'm impressed by the full tone and frequency response, and lack of surface noise! Now if I could only get my hands on one just like it....

I'm really pleased with the aural results of the "Fat Mat" sound deadener on the outside of the horn. Sealing the tone arm to the horn and the reproducer to the arm really makes a difference as well. It's the little things...

[Phono48]

Beautiful machine, well done. Glad the spring was of some use.

Barry

[gramophone-georg]

Beautiful machine, well done. Glad the spring was of some use.

Barry

Thank YOU for your gracious help! Couldn't have done it otherwise. I actually did repair the spring barrel that came in it but I had a suspicion that what happened to it with the broken rivet and the inward divot where the rivet was in the barrel meant it had been overwound by gorillas... and that proved to be true because the spring barely had enough oompf to make it through half a 10" record, and any loud passages slowed it right down.

Your spring and barrel put it exactly right and the governor overhaul took the speed variations out. She'll handle a 12 inch disc just fine now.