I've had springs go during winding, but this is the first one that went during play.
Oh well, another of the joys of collecting.
Looks like I'll need to give Ron Sitko a call.
Cheers, Bob S.
[P.S. - I went to plan "B" and made the recording on my Amberola - 1A]
Yikes! You got to experience the one thing that worries me the most about these machines! I’m always paranoid of the spring just randomly breaking like that on one of my machines while it’s playing!!
Always scary when a spring breaks. Nice video and it shows what we can all expect one day. I have had two springs break over the years. One while i was winding and one when I wasn't around. I had a Victrola 11 whose spring exploded. Grease everywhere! But, it was contained and didn't harm the machine.
Pretty amazing that it broke while playing. The way the crank jumped, did the ratchet skip and let loose also? I am sure that you will have it repaired in no time.
I'm glad your record is all right. The Standard should be easy to fix--the ratchets can be "jumpy" if there are any problems.
Last Saturday my pristine, near-mint Victor III decided to blow its top in a crowd of people. I was DJ'ing on Main Street with it and a pair of cylinder players when I finished a Blue Amberol and prepared to spin a 78 on the old Victor.
There was a loud bang like a car back-firing and I saw something shoot by my face. Looking down at the machine I saw that the crank was gone--then I heard it turning cartwheels out in the middle of Main Street.
Unfortunately, the Victor's entertainment career has suffered a setback. The crank split like a peppermint stick on the end (it was an early machine with the slotted crank). The original, mirror-bright nickel plating now has serious road rash that I won't be able to buff out, but it doesn't matter anyway because the crank is now warped severely.
Not only did it ruin my original starting-handle but it yanked the escutcheon out of the side of the machine with enough violence to rip screws from the wood. I never did find the escutcheon or any fasteners, and believe me I searched!
In a testament to Camden craftsmanship and tough, limber, modern springs, the Victor III was usable later in the day--I was able to start it up with my bent-up piece of a crank and play a number of records. But I'm retiring the Victor now until I can find a good escutcheon and crank again.
I had a spring break during play on an HMV145 fitted with the No.32 double spring motor. The force sent the soundbox skittering across the record, ruining it, but fortunately it was one which I could afford to lose.
The break was near the end of the spring and was repaired, but when I was offered a fully reconditioned motor with new springs I performed a transplant. That was in 1987 and the motor is still serving the machine's present owner, who lives 400 yards from me, as good as new.
![[The Talking Machine Forum - For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings]](/styles/we_universal/theme/images/the_talking_machine_forum.png)
That Main Spring sure gave up the ghost!
