New owner needs info

[drh]

Portable phonos have small springs and thus seldom have any power to spare. So one must wind them frequently during use, and most likely they need to be wound “all the way” for satisfactory performance.

With practice, one gets a sense of how that feels. Wind it til it gets harder to do so, then stop. Never force it.

If it gives resistance during winding but then gets slack, or suddenly easier to wind (sometimes accompanied by a sound at that point), the spring is broken and must be replaced. If there is little or no resistance, and tension never increases with winding, the spring is broken and must be replaced.

Some people re-use the existing spring in the name of economy, using various tricks, but if one goes to all the greasy dangerous trouble to open up the spring barrel, it’s best to install a new spring while you’re in there.

Note that because of what's outlined in the first bolded passage, doing what's outlined in the second will often leave you with a spring too weak to play a record all the way on a winding. Definitely replace the spring if it breaks.

[Angus555+]

[Angus555+]

[Inigo]

It looks nice in that colour. Some may hate what you've done, but the original cover was irreparable... You still keep the black board with the logo, to testify it was originally black.
The B/10 means 1946. The serial number in the 182000 range may indicate when in 1946 this was made. I don't know the numbers meaning, they could have started in 000001 or in 100000 or whatever... Some people here know more about them, but these numbers are a nightmare!
You'll enjoy it. It's one of the best portables ever made, of not the best! The sound with a properly restored 5b soundbox is astonishing.

[Angus555+]

Thanks heaps for that yes I know some people are quite fussy about doing up old stuff but I don’t want to sit it on a table and watch it deteriorate further so I had to do something about it because I want to use it and make it last many more years

[Inigo]

Yes, I presumed you were to use it as a daily player.... They are stupendous for that!
Check your private messages inbox....

[Angus555+]

Yes, I presumed you were to use it as a daily player.... They are stupendous for that!
Check your private messages inbox....

Thanks for that advice mate

[Inigo]