G&T Style 3 Restoration Help

[Hines57]

I am restoring a Gramophone and Typewriter New Style 3 gramophone. I originally posted in the British and European section of this forum but I have been advised to post here also because I am seeking some help.

In addition to the parts in the pictures, I have a brass horn (being soldered back together by a trumpet-maker friend) and the original leather elbow. That has split and I am going to sew it back together as best I can. I have already addressed some noise in the motor's gearing. The base plate needs gluing and I am heading out to get glue and some more clamps this morning.

I am preparing to make an oak travelling arm and Django has been a great help with pictures. I think I have the right dimensions for the wood (11 inches x 1 inch (tapering to ¾ inch) x ⅜ inch) but it would be useful to know more about the metal parts on the arm.

I understand that there was some sort of limiter that stopped the arm dropping but I have never seen an original machine and there are few pictures of this part or the clamp that attaches to the elbow/soundbox. I'm not an experienced metal worker but I might have a go at these parts. If anyone can post a picture or two that would be a great help.

I am seeking a long neck 'Concert' or 'Exhibition' soundbox / reproducer for the machine and I would be really grateful for any assistance in that direction too. I know it should be a G&T one but I would consider a Victor one if it would work with the flat (horizontal) travelling arm.

I would be really grateful for any advice or assistance.

[Django]

A worthy project. If you have a serial number, someone here might be able to date the machine. Detailed pictures of the motor and controls would also be helpful. There are many expert and helpful people on this forum. It looks like a late example with the speed control and brake mounted on the spring barrel, but my knowledge of G&T machines is minimal. Good luck.

[Hines57]

There's no serial number on the machine - just a letter H impressed in the base plate. If anyone knows what that H stood for, I'd love to know.

My research suggests that it is a later example of the New Style No. 3 gramophone of the Gramophone and Typewriter Ltd. It was a cheapish machine made between April 1903 and October 1905. It looks similar to the famous 'Trade mark' model and indeed early examples used Trade mark cases but with Style 3 motors, which were originally uncased. These were designed with a brake on the motor to allow the playing of 10-inch records. Where mine differs from pictures in Oakley and Proudfoot's book on HMV machines is in its brass horn, its lack of a record clamp, and in its the ball shaped weights on the motor governor (they're cylindrical in the photos). My horn may not be original, although it is certainly of the period, but the other parts seem all correct and this makes me think that it probably dates from nearer 1905 than 1903.

[gramophone-georg]

Wonder if H could be Hanover?

[Django]

Does anyone know which reproducer and traveling arm would be on a late example of a G&T Style 3? A lead on available parts would be a big help.

[Django]

I assume that this machine was at the transition time when they went from the cabinet mounted governor control to the spring barrel mount. Does yours have the small, elliptical cover shown here, (or the holes for it)? If not, yours is probably newer than this one.

[Django]

A few reproducer variations.

[Django]

There have been times when I have had to produce my own parts. For the traveling arm I suggest recycling old wood from a damaged piece of furniture from the same period. I have been fortunate enough to get some dimensions from forum contributors or other machines that I have or borrowed, but when that is not possible, you can scale from images on the internet or in books. All that you need is a good reference such as a reproducer diameter to determine the scale. Just be careful to determine if there is an error from perspective or from use of a wide angle lens. Scaling multiple images is best.

[Django]

Please update your progress as it moves along. It is always nice to see the rebirth of a machine. Pure collectors may cringe, but I like to have a little of myself in the machine.

[Hines57]

First stage complete: base plate glued back together. I used four clamps - two were to try to limit verticals movement in the corner joints but the oak seems to have shrunk a bit and there was limit to the amount I could get edges to be flush.