A fellow came into the shop with a vertical play Watchtower portable phonograph needing spring replacement. The motor looks fairly simple but I can't figure out how the turntable comes off. It doesn't seem to want to pull off, nor does it look like it has a screw on spindle. The turntable feels pretty flimsy, don't want to risk warping it. Anyone know the secret? I need to know what size hammer to use.
Thanks! Cliff
Watchtower Vertical Playing Phono Question
- CDBPDX
- Victor V
- Posts: 2006
- Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:43 am
- Personal Text: A Hobbyist Specializing in Sales and Repair of Spring Motor Phonographs
- Location: Castle Rock, WA
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Watchtower Vertical Playing Phono Question
Cliff's Vintage Music Shoppe, Castle Rock, WA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz_IpaVrW8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz_IpaVrW8
- Inigo
- Victor Monarch
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- Personal Text: Keep'em well oiled
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Re: Watchtower Vertical Playing Phono Question
I've been reading about these machines pretty recently, and there was lots of discussion about tech matters. Even the several different designs were there, and the patents drawings and schemes... Have you done a search on this forum? Pity I didn't remember where I read all that...


Inigo
- Inigo
- Victor Monarch
- Posts: 4577
- Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2017 1:51 am
- Personal Text: Keep'em well oiled
- Location: Madrid, Spain
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Re: Watchtower Vertical Playing Phono Question
Found it!
It was about the topic what are these kids doing wrong which drives into gramophones that play records in the vertical position, which in turn contains a link to a thread in the German forum, and one thing led to another, and here it is!
https://grammophon-platten.de/e107_plug ... post_36165
EDIT
This includes a parts list, no tech discussions... But the tt shaft (part #15) does not seem to have a thread... Maybe a thorough analysis of these diagrams gives the clue for the tt attachment to the spindle.
Following the whole thread from here
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... oing+wrong
as I did... Perhaps you'll find the tech discussion and the patents drawings. They were s somewhere in the German forum. Follow the links given there.
It was about the topic what are these kids doing wrong which drives into gramophones that play records in the vertical position, which in turn contains a link to a thread in the German forum, and one thing led to another, and here it is!
https://grammophon-platten.de/e107_plug ... post_36165
EDIT
This includes a parts list, no tech discussions... But the tt shaft (part #15) does not seem to have a thread... Maybe a thorough analysis of these diagrams gives the clue for the tt attachment to the spindle.
Following the whole thread from here
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... oing+wrong
as I did... Perhaps you'll find the tech discussion and the patents drawings. They were s somewhere in the German forum. Follow the links given there.
Last edited by Inigo on Thu Oct 24, 2019 4:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
Inigo
- CDBPDX
- Victor V
- Posts: 2006
- Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:43 am
- Personal Text: A Hobbyist Specializing in Sales and Repair of Spring Motor Phonographs
- Location: Castle Rock, WA
- Contact:
Re: Watchtower Vertical Playing Phono Question
Thanks! I think this is exactly what I needed!Inigo wrote:Found it!
It was about the topic what are these kids doing wrong which drives into gramophones that play records in the vertical position, which in turn contains a link to a thread in the German forum, and one thing led to another, and here it is!
https://grammophon-platten.de/e107_plug ... post_36165
Cliff

Cliff's Vintage Music Shoppe, Castle Rock, WA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz_IpaVrW8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIz_IpaVrW8