My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

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pughphonos
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My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by pughphonos »

Hi Everyone,

I'm going to report on the repair job I've done on a B80, sold to me by Ken ("Phono Phan") a few weeks ago for $60 plus $35 shipping (I figured I couldn't go wrong at that price).

When it arrived it would crank, but barely. The turntable would spin, but it came to a halt pretty quickly once the reproducer was lowered onto a record. So I removed the motor and decided to follow the advice of some on this Forum (via a different string): I spent several days flushing the spring barrel with WD-40 (used up a couple large cans). Didn't want to try to remove and clean the spring, nor send the motor off to a shop. After five days of flushing and draining (lots of graphite flakes came out, so I'm guessing the spring barrel had not been cleaned since ca. 1914) I then inserted most of a tube of SUPER LUBE (Synthetic Grease Dielectric PTFE Multi Purpose Lubricant 21030 3 oz.) as recommended by Brad Hurt the "Dyslexic Genius" on YouTube. End result? Works like a charm! No clunking, etc. -- the spring unwinds quietly and smoothly.

The machine came without a grill and I could not find an original for replacement, so I bought a 14" wide Columbia grill that doesn't look all that bad. I then bought some forest green cloth for the grill and the panels flanking the horn at the back of the cabinet. For the cabinet I used lots of Goop Off to clean off the century of dirt and then applied bees' wax. Not a bad result; I might work on a better result later.

The B-80 is so gosh-darned fun and it's a joy to own one. It's amazing how the power is transferred from the motor (bolted to the bottom of the cabinet) to the belt via a long gear. You'd think it would be so easy for that gear to get bent and distort the speed—and I have read that the B80 can produce a warble effect from various causes (bent gear; belt-related issues; etc.). But with mine, no problems!

I heartily recommend that others pick up surviving examples. Mine is serial no. 16667.

Mindy P.
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Last edited by pughphonos on Wed Sep 27, 2023 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"You must serve music, because music is so enormous and can envelop you into such a state of perpetual anxiety and torture--but it is our first and main duty"
-- Maria Callas, 1968 interview.

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Ben the phono man
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Re: My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by Ben the phono man »

Wow! That looks amazing! wonderful job! That columbia grill is quite handsome.
- Ben

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pughphonos
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Re: My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by pughphonos »

Ben the phono man wrote: Wed Sep 27, 2023 11:56 am Wow! That looks amazing! wonderful job! That columbia grill is quite handsome.
Thanks, Ben! It does work. I read somewhere that the B80 had around three original grill options during its brief run, so that helps lessen the pressure that all B80s have to look exactly the same.
"You must serve music, because music is so enormous and can envelop you into such a state of perpetual anxiety and torture--but it is our first and main duty"
-- Maria Callas, 1968 interview.

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Re: My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by Curt A »

Glad you got that from Ken... he's a great guy. That turned into an extremely nice machine for a reasonable price. Congrats.
"The phonograph† is not of any commercial value."
Thomas Alva Edison - Comment to his assistant, Samuel Insull.

"No one needs a Victrola XX, a Perfected Graphophone Type G, or whatever you call those noisy things."
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Re: My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by Granby »

I am the proud owner of a B-80 but mine still needs a little attention.... :? I will say this... that thing is HEAVY. It currently resides upstairs in my house and I can't muster up the courage to carry it down. It seems like the weight isn't evenly distributed, either... all towards the back.

I guess it is time for me to get back the gym... I am too young to start having complaints like this. ;)

All kidding aside, great job with the repairs and grill selection!

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pughphonos
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Re: My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by pughphonos »

Curt A wrote: Wed Sep 27, 2023 12:40 pm Glad you got that from Ken... he's a great guy. That turned into an extremely nice machine for a reasonable price. Congrats.
Ken is great! His town has a great shipping company that handles all sorts of weights and sizes; seems like the phono got to me no more than two days after I'd agreed to buy it. So be on the lookout for anything else he offers.
"You must serve music, because music is so enormous and can envelop you into such a state of perpetual anxiety and torture--but it is our first and main duty"
-- Maria Callas, 1968 interview.

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pughphonos
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Re: My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by pughphonos »

Granby wrote: Wed Sep 27, 2023 1:46 pm I am the proud owner of a B-80 but mine still needs a little attention.... :? I will say this... that thing is HEAVY. It currently resides upstairs in my house and I can't muster up the courage to carry it down. It seems like the weight isn't evenly distributed, either... all towards the back.

I guess it is time for me to get back the gym... I am too young to start having complaints like this. ;)

All kidding aside, great job with the repairs and grill selection!
For sure it is HEAVY!! Once I pushed its shipping box into the house I opened it to immediately start disassembly (starting with removing the lid) as I didn't want to strain my back by yanking all of it off the floor.

Looking forwad to seeing photos of yours in due course.
"You must serve music, because music is so enormous and can envelop you into such a state of perpetual anxiety and torture--but it is our first and main duty"
-- Maria Callas, 1968 interview.

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Phono-Phan
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Re: My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by Phono-Phan »

WOW!!!! Great job on the B-80. I am so glad you put forth the effort to bring it back to life. If you are ever in the Central Wisconsin area, you are more than welcome to stop in and see what other treasures I have available.
Ken Brekke

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Re: My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by Phono-Phan »

Ken is great! His town has a great shipping company that handles all sorts of weights and sizes; seems like the phono got to me no more than two days after I'd agreed to buy it. So be on the lookout for anything else he offers.
[/quote]

The hardest part of shipping this was finding a box big enough. SpeeDee Delivery is very fast and cheap. They have a limited territory though. Most shipments are one to two days.

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Re: My Edison B80 tabletop disc phonograph

Post by Roaring20s »

I echo all of the above, with a Brava! :geek:

James.

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