Automatic Victrola 10-50

[antique1973]

I would find a way to get that thing home, they almost never
come up. Do you have a friend with a truck by chance?

I could borrow a pickup from work, but I'd never get anyone to help me move this monster - even if I did have house-space for it.

My place is so stuffed with phonos and records and LOTS of "etc" that I expect a surprise visit from the hoarder interventionists, any day now ....

I know what you mean, I often wonder if I will end up on that hoarders show myself someday.
I better clean up my records off the floor before they put one of those "condemned" signs on my house.

[frenchmarky]

I bought my 10-50 off ebay for $300 about a year ago, had to drive 8 hours to pick it up. Was missing the albums and the cabinet was refinished in a somewhat lighter shade (would have preferred original, but it was an extremely professional job and I do like this lighter color anyway.)

Yes all the pot metal parts were bad, either busted up or if they weren't, they would have soon busted if stressed. I believe the guy who made the aluminum alloy repros of these parts may still have some of them left. I only know for sure that he had no more of the 10"-12" selector mech gears or the gear shaft housing. He supplied me with everything needed for me to get the changer working again, except for that selector mech which I plan to make work again sometime, some way. For now I have to reach in back and switch the selector gear by hand if I want to play a few 12 inchers for a change. The parts weren't cheap either - cost more than I spent on the machine but I think it was worth the result. All I knew was that this WAS a 10-50 and I was going to make the changer work or die trying!!

The one in this pic at least shows the magazine arm is still standing upright, so the mag base may still be useable, and/or could be made so again by filling any cracks with epoxy or similar cement. This applies to the other pot metal parts as well, they might be salvageable with epoxy.

As for needles, I make my own tungsten needles and I always make sure to pre-play the needle on a junk record before using. There are some old steel needles out there that purported to play 10 or 15 records, perhaps those could be used to play a small stack on a 10-50. I did a little testing of various brands and some of them did indeed appear to wear a lot slower than a regular steel needle. Then again, to me that would mean they are harder on the records too. Anyway I think tungstens are ok to use on a 10-50 as long as the tips are pre-prepped, but if I just HAD to play a super-valuable or mint-condition record on it I'd use a regular steel needle and use Victrola mode. None of my records are worth more than buck or two I'm sure.

[barnettrp21122]

I've been using cactus needles on my 10-50 with very good results, although the sound is softer with less volume. Most of the time that's just fine. I can play at least six sides without re-sharpening the needle, particularly if the records are unworn. The amount of record wear using cactus would be minimal, IMO.
I have the Everplay stylus too, and it works okay when the tip hasn't worn down too short, and if it isn't bent from having been spooled out too long.
There are obviously a lot of 10-50s out there still awaiting rescue and restoration, and I hope someone starts making new castings again, perhaps a bit more refined than the earlier ones. I felt they required a lot of hand-finishing before they fitted properly and looked okay.
Bob

[Swing Band Heaven]

I've been using cactus needles on my 10-50 with very good results, although the sound is softer with less volume. Most of the time that's just fine. I can play at least six sides without re-sharpening the needle, particularly if the records are unworn.

Yes, I find I can get this number of plays from a cactus under the right conditions - although I have found that your disks really need to be in nice condition to do it and also not have too fine a groove cut. Some companies used as smaller groove size than others and I find I have difficulty playing the smaller 78 groove sizes.

.......I hope someone starts making new castings again, perhaps a bit more refined than the earlier ones. I felt they required a lot of hand-finishing before they fitted properly and looked okay.
Bob

And I thought I must have fitted my parts wrong! The parts were advertised as being machined to fit straight away without any additional work which is why I was confused. My record lift pad in particular required quite a bit of grinding on the sides to get it to fit ok and not stick. I just used a grinding stone to do this but it did require quite a bit of work. Of course all the parts were just bare metal and required painting and felting for them to look right. It would have been nice to have a source of parts that were finished and fitted properly - although having said that I was very grateful to find a source of ready cast parts - without these my project would have stalled at the first hurdle so I don't intend the above to be any form of serious critisism. Its merely a wish list
S-B-H