What is your least used machines?

[CDBPDX]

Pathéphone VII. Could never get the motor to run evenly.

Many times the governor is the cause of uneven running. Check that the governor shaft isn't gunked up. Might just need to be cleaned so that the governor sliding collar moves freely. If the collar doesn't slide easily, it will cause uneven running.

Remove the governor. One end of the governor weight assembly is secured to the governor shaft with a set screw. Loosen that set screw and the weight assembly should slide right off the shaft. If the shaft is gunked up, it may not slide easily. Clean the shaft and clean the inside of the sliding collar and put the assembly back on the shaft and tighten the set screw. Be sure to note where this assembly is located on the shaft and try to get as close to that location as possible when reassembling. Reinstall the governor and it should work better.

Also make sure the disc on the sliding collar is smooth, free of bumps and such. Last, keep the speed adjust pads oiled.

Cliff

[epigramophone]

My Fullotone Chinoiserie floor model. Magnificent to look at, but with the worst tracking alignment of any machine in my collection.

[HisMastersVoice]

Pathé Le Coquet cylinder machine. Just because I only have 2 decently playable Pathé cylinders.

[De Soto Frank]

Pathéphone VII. Could never get the motor to run evenly.

Many times the governor is the cause of uneven running. Check that the governor shaft isn't gunked up. Might just need to be cleaned so that the governor sliding collar moves freely. If the collar doesn't slide easily, it will cause uneven running.

Remove the governor. One end of the governor weight assembly is secured to the governor shaft with a set screw. Loosen that set screw and the weight assembly should slide right off the shaft. If the shaft is gunked up, it may not slide easily. Clean the shaft and clean the inside of the sliding collar and put the assembly back on the shaft and tighten the set screw. Be sure to note where this assembly is located on the shaft and try to get as close to that location as possible when reassembling. Reinstall the governor and it should work better.

Also make sure the disc on the sliding collar is smooth, free of bumps and such. Last, keep the speed adjust pads oiled.

Cliff

Thanks for the suggestions, Cliff. I have done most of this, and even replaced the main-spring. I got so frustrated with it, that I finally just ignored it.

I'm NOT at all impressed with the Heinemann "Flyer" motor that runs the thing... I've been tempted to re-power it with a spare Victor motor, but would feel very guilty about altering the machine.

Perhaps someday I'll look on it more kindly, and have another go at it.

[oldphonographsteve]

My Columbia AU Graphophone is my least used. It has a slightly warped turntable and is just too hard on my precious 7" records.

-Stephen

[OrthoSean]

Thumbs up, Steve. I don't play any of my 7 inch discs acoustically. Mine all get played on modern equipment with custom styli.

Sean

[gramophone-georg]

Thumbs up, Steve. I don't play any of my 7 inch discs acoustically. Mine all get played on modern equipment with custom styli.

Sean

Wimp.



My least used machines are my cylinder players. I just don't much care for them.

[AZ*]

The tiny novelty machines like cameraphones, Miki and Mikky phones, etc.

[CDBPDX]

I'm NOT at all impressed with the Heinemann "Flyer" motor that runs the thing... I've been tempted to re-power it with a spare Victor motor, but would feel very guilty about altering the machine.

Perhaps someday I'll look on it more kindly, and have another go at it.

I was tinkering with a little Heinemann "Flyer" motor just today. Seemed to be a decent little motor. Dug it out of a big lot of phonograph parts I got last weekend. I was going to install a new spring, but the original spring worked fine so I left it in. Has enough power to play about 6 minutes, runs about 8 minutes on a full winding. This one has a screw hole in the top of spindle. Not sure what that's about. They adapted these motors to play in a lot of different machines.

Cliff

[Lucius1958]

I'm NOT at all impressed with the Heinemann "Flyer" motor that runs the thing... I've been tempted to re-power it with a spare Victor motor, but would feel very guilty about altering the machine.

Perhaps someday I'll look on it more kindly, and have another go at it.

I was tinkering with a little Heinemann "Flyer" motor just today. Seemed to be a decent little motor. Dug it out of a big lot of phonograph parts I got last weekend. I was going to install a new spring, but the original spring worked fine so I left it in. Has enough power to play about 6 minutes, runs about 8 minutes on a full winding. This one has a screw hole in the top of spindle. Not sure what that's about. They adapted these motors to play in a lot of different machines.

Cliff

The screw hole is present on my Edison P-1: the upper end of the spindle screws in there, holding the turntable in place.

Bill