My first Victor talking machine and info on it's restoration

[Inigo]

Nop... My hmv tonearm is definitely different. The Herderz tonearm has a conical shaped cup; mine is just the opposite, the tonearm has the convex side, and the horn has the concave receiver. Both are highly polished, and there aren't any marks of ever having had ball bearings inside. There would be no room for them. With a touch of grease, my tonearm slides very softly on its seat, and it moves itself with the slightest slope in the machine. Must be an earlier model, or things in Europe were done this way? Someone has any other hmv hornless tabletop with ball bearings on the tonearm base? It's curious... These hornless machines must have been a cheaper version of the lided tabletops.

[Herderz]

Thanks Jerry, If the fulcrum bar is bent it is ever so slight. The Mica diaphragm is still centered in the reproducer body. I found where I can get the one ball bearing I need, also going to get new Mica. The next thing I need help on is the stop pin for the tonearm. It is missing and has been gone for a while do to the dents in the tonearm where it has been hitting the mounting cradle on both ends of it's swing back and forth. I don't think it is a screw in pin do to how thin the nickel plated brass tone arm is. Anybody know what the stop pin looks like? I might be able to reproduce it if I knew what it looks like. Either way I will be making something that will work.

[JerryVan]

Nop... My hmv tonearm is definitely different. The Herderz tonearm has a conical shaped cup; mine is just the opposite, the tonearm has the convex side, and the horn has the concave receiver. Both are highly polished, and there aren't any marks of ever having had ball bearings inside. There would be no room for them. With a touch of grease, my tonearm slides very softly on its seat, and it moves itself with the slightest slope in the machine. Must be an earlier model, or things in Europe were done this way? Someone has any other hmv hornless tabletop with ball bearings on the tonearm base? It's curious... These hornless machines must have been a cheaper version of the lided tabletops.

Interesting! Always something new to learn. Thanks.

[JerryVan]

Thanks Jerry, If the fulcrum bar is bent it is ever so slight. The Mica diaphragm is still centered in the reproducer body. I found where I can get the one ball bearing I need, also going to get new Mica. The next thing I need help on is the stop pin for the tonearm. It is missing and has been gone for a while do to the dents in the tonearm where it has been hitting the mounting cradle on both ends of it's swing back and forth. I don't think it is a screw in pin do to how thin the nickel plated brass tone arm is. Anybody know what the stop pin looks like? I might be able to reproduce it if I knew what it looks like. Either way I will be making something that will work.20210128_112632.jpg20210128_112712.jpg20210128_112940.jpg

The stop pin is pretty simple. Just peened in place. I suspect the diameter steps down a bit where it passes through the tone arm. Then just peened over. Proturdes inward onlt far enough to do its job. Don't have a photo handy, but I'm sure some others will.

[Herderz]

Thanks Jerry, That is what I thought seeing the pin hole. I can make a new stop out of brass to peen into the stop using my jewelers lathe. Do this more than you think in the clock world.

[Inigo]

It's a simple brass pin, thicker in the upper part where it sets into the tonearm support, fixed in position by means of a side screw, and thinner in the bottom part where it enters into the tonearm upper craddle. Yours seem to be pointed (is that a shallow conical craddle in the photo?) Mine is a simple straight end cylinder. My cradle is deeper and not conical (as far as I remember, I may be wrong, though...)

[JerryVan]

It's a simple brass pin, thicker in the upper part where it sets into the tonearm support, fixed in position by means of a side screw, and thinner in the bottom part where it enters into the tonearm upper craddle. Yours seem to be pointed (is that a shallow conical craddle in the photo?) Mine is a simple straight end cylinder. My cradle is deeper and not conical (as far as I remember, I may be wrong, though...)

You're describing the pivot pin at the top. He's inquiring about the stop pin that limits how far the arm can swing.

[Herderz]

I made a new stop pin on my lathe and peened it to the tonearm, I think it will work as the original.

I polished the upper horn mount and I am thinking whether to go ahead and strip the horn and repaint it. The bottom I could live with but the top tonearm cradle does not have but about 25% of the paint left on it and the rest is just rust and it is the part that I will see. It is rough cashing with no pin striping. I usually do not refinish items like this but the case has already been refinished so the originality is lost.

[Herderz]

I have a new mica diaphragm and a set of ball bearings on the way for the tonearm, should be here this week. I decided to go through the motor this weekend while I wait. It does not look like it has been touched in forever. I did grease the worms and oiled the pivots and bushings after I first got it to give it a test run but it did look quite dry to start.

I disassembled it and cleaned all the dried up mess on each piece. I had to pick out each tooth of all the gears because the dirt and dried grease was hardened in the grooves. I polished all the pivots and bushing hole to get it ready for reassembly.

I disassembled the spring drums and cleaned them up. The springs are Victor and still have about 70% force left in them. I decided I would reuse them because they are Victor and I did not have a problem with turntable speed at least for two sided play. I am going to test the speed length with the fresh cleaning to see how long she will maintain her speed as soon as I get it back together.

I reassembled the turntable shaft and the governor shaft along with the speed brake adjusting the endplay and lubrication as I assembled. I might have to readjust the governor lever after I mount it to the main board for proper setting.

I repacked the spring barrels and got everything ready to reassemble.

I got everything back together and greased with a bench test that said everything looks ok.

[dzavracky]

Wow it looks great!!

Good job on the motor


David