Winding your machines.

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories

How do you usually wind your phonograph?

I wind the motor and then release the brake
29
76%
I release the brake then wind the motor
9
24%
 
Total votes: 38

gramophoneshane
Victor VI
Posts: 3463
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 3:21 pm

Winding your machines.

Post by gramophoneshane »

I'm wondering how our members wind up their phonographs.
Original manuals often state you should wind up the mainspring before allowing the turntable to rotate.
I prefer to set the turntable in motion before winding, now that the motor and springs are getting on in years.
Is this safer for the springs?
Is this safer for fibre gear?
Does it make any difference at all?

Feel free to add your thoughts.

User avatar
barnettrp21122
Victor IV
Posts: 1600
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 4:19 pm
Personal Text: "Did you ever stop to think that pleasure is a duty?" (Victor sales pamphlet)

Re: Winding your machines.

Post by barnettrp21122 »

I like to set my automatic brake if the machine has one, so I don't have to run to the machine when the record's over.
My sequence, usually:
Place record on turntable
Change needle (usually bamboo)
Set automatic brake
Start turntable, and place needle on start groove
Wind 15-25 turns, depending on current spring tension
Repeat until real-life activities summon!
Bob
"Comparison is the thief of joy" Theodore Roosevelt

His Master's Voice Automatic 1A Exponential Gramophone Demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi70G1Rzqpo

User avatar
OrthoSean
Victor V
Posts: 2912
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Near NY's Capital

Re: Winding your machines.

Post by OrthoSean »

The brake on my machines are usually released when I wind my machines anyway since I usually let the springs wind all the way down when I'm done playing them anyway...

Sean

larryh
Victor IV
Posts: 1601
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:44 pm

Re: Winding your machines.

Post by larryh »

I believe that Edison mentions its best to not wind the machine fully but rather to wind it reasonably to play each record, thus eliminating the extra strain of constantly over tightening the springs.
I tend to wind mine before each play with the record turntable stopped. I don't see what effect that might have that would be a problem with the spring? If a spring starts to wind down during play for some reason such as forgetting to wind it, I turn the handle enough to bring the spring back up to a reasonable tension.

Larry

Lenoirstreetguy
Victor IV
Posts: 1183
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:43 pm
Location: Toronto, Ontario

Re: Winding your machines.

Post by Lenoirstreetguy »

Well with me it's actually either. I'm a Gemini after all. I think I have read that there is some reason why it's better not to wind while the thing is running, and I will see if I can find it...although I may be making it up. I will check in later.

Jim

OrthoFan
Victor V
Posts: 2178
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 7:12 pm

Re: Winding your machines.

Post by OrthoFan »

I got into the habit of always winding the motor with the brake released about 15 years ago. I started doing this after I gave my erstwhile Credenza a full wind--about 70-80 turns of the crank--released the brake, and heard a violent snapping, then a clattering sound--like a machine gun. I put the brake on, unscrewed the crank, carefully tilted up the motor-board, and could see that two of the governor's springs had broken. It took me at least an hour to slowly, manually, run down the motor so I could fix it. I'm a great believer in Murphy's Law, and I figure this wouldn't have happened if the brake had been released while I wound it. (I know, that doesn't make much sense, but that's the kind of person I am.)

OF

larryh
Victor IV
Posts: 1601
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 7:44 pm

Re: Winding your machines.

Post by larryh »

What part do you think the snapping of the springs played in winding the spring? I am having a hard time visualizing what would relate them. If the leather break is engaged then nothing would be happening to those springs that I can understand. But then that may be the problem? I had two credenza springs to break, once while winding and once just out the blue when it hadn't been played for days.

Larry

estott
Victor Monarch
Posts: 4172
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:23 pm
Personal Text: I have good days...this might not be one of them
Location: Albany NY

Re: Winding your machines.

Post by estott »

For me, both. The machine I generally use (Credenza currently) stays partially wound, other machines I let run down.

OrthoFan
Victor V
Posts: 2178
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 7:12 pm

Re: Winding your machines.

Post by OrthoFan »

larryh wrote:What part do you think the snapping of the springs played in winding the spring? I am having a hard time visualizing what would relate them. If the leather break is engaged then nothing would be happening to those springs that I can understand. But then that may be the problem? I had two credenza springs to break, once while winding and once just out the blue when it hadn't been played for days.

Larry
I kind of wrote that tongue-n-cheek, but had I wound the mainspring while the brake was released, then the turntable would have been spinning--as would the governor.


What actually happened, based on what I could see, was that one of the flat springs came loose, and the spinning action caused it to break. That, in turn, broke another spring, possibly because the governor's weight from the broken spring smashed against it.


So, if the governor springs were about to give way, they might well have done it before I had given the machine a full winding--if the turntable/governor was spinning while I wound the Victrola. (I'd have stopped turning the crank at the point where the governor's springs broke--or before, if I heard funny noises.)


Of course, they could just as well have snapped with the brake released, and the turntable & governor spinning, after I had given the motor a full winding, and it still would have taken me over an hour to unwind the motor--but, if Murphy's Law had anything to do with it, they wouldn't have.

OF
Last edited by OrthoFan on Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Henry
Victor V
Posts: 2624
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:01 am
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

Re: Winding your machines.

Post by Henry »

I once (and ONLY once!) made the mistake of removing the governor from its bearings, for lubrication, while the motor was completely wound up. It didn't stay wound up for long! In an instant the springs released, splattering grease from various gears all over my shirt. Now I don't know whether (a) broken governor spring(s) would have the same effect, but I'm not going to perform the experiment to find out!

Post Reply