Birch 600 Restoration Questions

[1966 Corvair]

I figured I should create a new thread for this considering the subject of my previous thread about my record player has been resolved and that I would title this more generally, as I'm bound to have questions about several different aspects of my Birch Model 600. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm a 21 year old college student who has been collecting 45s and 33s for almost my entire life. This is my first foray into the world of wind-up record players!

Previously, I had fixed the governor in my Birch with a new spring & weight. I've now been working to try and mitigate a problem with skipping. I was able to take the (pot metal) tonearm off and sand it down so that it fits very nicely into its bearing and now swings freely. However, when I removed the snap-ring, there was almost no metal left there and in removing the ring, the last couple of pieces holding it on crumpled into nothingness.

Any suggestions on what I should do? Is there a chance of getting a replacement arm for this machine, or is there a way to fix what I've got?

Thanks,

-Michael

[EdiBrunsVic]

It is a long shot, but search for another Birch 600 that may be around in some antique shop or thift store. When I bought a Victrola several years ago it needed some parts. Another Victrola that was like it became available so two machines became one with parts left over. How did you find the Birch phonograph?

Depending on your location you may want to go to a phonograph show. The shows are great sources for parts and other items. There are listings elsewhere on the forum.
I have been in the hobby for many years but have a small collection and like you, have all three speeds of records with some cylinder records too. The forum is a great resource!

Don

[1966 Corvair]

It is a long shot, but search for another Birch 600 that may be around in some antique shop or thift store. When I bought a Victrola several years ago it needed some parts. Another Victrola that was like it became available so two machines became one with parts left over. How did you find the Birch phonograph?

Depending on your location you may want to go to a phonograph show. The shows are great sources for parts and other items. There are listings elsewhere on the forum.
I have been in the hobby for many years but have a small collection and like you, have all three speeds of records with some cylinder records too. The forum is a great resource!

Don

Thanks for the response, Don. I found the Birch at a sale up in Vermont (I'm from PA) while on vacation this summer. I'd been looking all over for a relatively inexpensive, light portable. I've looked all over my area and have come up dry as far as portables go in general let alone another Birch

Any idea if I might be able to fix what I've got, or is something like that a kiss of death for at least the current tonearm?

Thanks,

-Michael

[EdiBrunsVic]

It is your first wind up machine so it has some special value for you but it has little value otherwise. I too live in Pennsylvania. Investing in a small Victrola may be an idea. See a PM for further details.

[OrthoFan]

The same style tonearm was used on nearly all of the suitcase portables sold in the US during the mid/late 1930s through the 1950s--end of the era.

Screenshot 2023-09-06 151008.jpg (67.2 KiB) Viewed 671 times

You might want to start by posting an ad in the Yankee Trader Wanted section of this forum -- viewforum.php?f=9 -- following the guidelines. Specify GOOD condition, everything working as it should be, etc., to save yourself a headache. since these pot metal tonearms are pretty hit or miss.

OrthoFan

[1966 Corvair]

The same style tonearm was used on nearly all of the suitcase portables sold in the US during the mid/late 1930s through the 1950s--end of the era.
Screenshot 2023-09-06 151008.jpg
You might want to start by posting an ad in the Yankee Trader Wanted section of this forum -- viewforum.php?f=9 -- following the guidelines. Specify GOOD condition, everything working as it should be, etc., to save yourself a headache. since these pot metal tonearms are pretty hit or miss.

OrthoFan

Thanks for the helpful response, OrthoFan! Think I'll give this a go!

[DanP58]

Good morning I saw these on EBay , there might be more check out EBay

[1966 Corvair]

Good morning I saw these on EBay , there might be more check out EBay

Thanks, Dan! I've been looking around but the Birch machines I've seen thus far are all squarely out of my price range, sadly.

[Lah Ca]

@DanP58

+1 on OrthoFan's comment about the semi-universality of these arms on later inexpensive portables.

Here is my (probably) 1941 Montreal-made RCA Victor portable. As a number of people here pointed out, the motorboard, platter, accoutrements, and arm are very, very Birch-like as in almost certainly sourced from Birch:

download/file.php?id=167305&t=1

There is a problem in that historically a lot of collectors have not been interested in these late inexpensive portables, built well after the heyday of talking machines, and have tended to pass them over at thrift stores, estate sales, and auctions, etc, so few of them have anything of this nature in their spare parts inventory. While these portables were once likely numerous, I suspect that a large number have ended up in garbage dumps.

There are a number of gramophone stores/repair shops online. Service from them is generally friendly if sometimes slow--I suspect that these businesses are sometimes not the proprietors' day jobs or are the hobby businesses of retired people. Two that I have recently dealt with spring to mind, The Phonograph Shop and The Gramophone Doctor (Brian Nix in Canada). Other people here may chime in with other suggestions. The proprietors of these businesses haunt auctions and such looking for machines and parts. It would not hurt to reach out to them.

You could join CAPS (the Canadian Antique Phonograph Society}. It is a small, friendly group of enthusiasts. The membership with the PDF rather than paper magazine is inexpensive. Meetings are in person with a Zoom link for remote members. The magazine has free classifieds for members. And each meeting has an "I Need That Thing" section where you can request help with parts.

[Inigo]

Also George Vollema at Great Lakes Antique Phonograph might help...
https://www.victroladoctor.com/about-us/