Columbia Eagle Type B repair

[JerryVan]

It appears that you've done a fantastic job! What did you use for belt material? If it's anything like a rubber band, it could be the cause of the wavering sound. Otherwise, what you've got is kind of what an Eagle usually sounds like. George's advice on properly balanced governor weights is an excellent point as well.

What did you end up doing for your broken spring?

[phonogfp]

I do have correct lubricant and did apply some but maybe I need to be more thorough with it.

The critical parts of the governor that need proper lubrication (sewing machine oil) are the 2 bearings, the shaft on which the disc slides, and the leather pad that limits the speed.

If you have a postage scale or a balance scale, you can determine if the weights are balanced. (I'm not convinced they always came from the factory properly balanced.) If unbalanced, a VERY SLIGHT touch to a grinding wheel with the heavy culprit will fix it. If a weight is too light, a small drop or two of JB Weld, blended to the shape of the weight, could be the cure. In either event, a little black paint will cover up the fix.

Since your reproducer has been rebuilt, you may want to avoid loud records, such as band selections, xylophone, etc. Remember that the Eagle was introduced 5 years before the louder moulded records were introduced, and those reproducers weren't designed to handle the louder records.

Good luck and have fun!

George P.

[AmberolaAndy]

So this is where we are.

20240712_080236~2.mp4

Dumb question but is there supposed to be a needle in the reproducer?

Anything I can do to improve the shaky sound?

Heh. I was looking for a reproducer for my recently acquired eagle and I couldn't find any on ebay at the moment! (the one I got for my Q doesn't track very well) Glad to see you got it.
To the Yankee Trader section! (after I buy a new computer first)

[postwick]

I ordered the belt material from The Phonograph Shop. I am going to redo the belt because it's definitely a pretty poor job for my first attempt, and does seem to be binding when the glued joint goes around the pulley.

I also order, off eBay, an entire complete motor. Turns out it had a disconnected spring too, but the opposite side as my original. So I just put the two halves together

It appears that you've done a fantastic job! What did you use for belt material? If it's anything like a rubber band, it could be the cause of the wavering sound. Otherwise, what you've got is kind of what an Eagle usually sounds like. George's advice on properly balanced governor weights is an excellent point as well.

What did you end up doing for your broken spring?

[phonogfp]

I ordered the belt material from The Phonograph Shop. I am going to redo the belt because it's definitely a pretty poor job for my first attempt, and does seem to be binding when the glued joint goes around the pulley.

A too-stiff or improperly-sized belt can definitely cause irregular play. You want it soft and supple; not too tight and not too loose.

George P.

[postwick]

I better lubricated the reproducer slider and the cylinder shaft, adjusted the top pulley and it plays much better. One issue is the faster it spins, the weights bend the thin metal straps they're connected to, which pulls the left disc plate inward and it rubs on the speed control. That's what you hear in the video just before the music starts.

Here is the final result!

- Put two bad motors together to make one good one
- Made a new belt
- Disassembled, cleaned, lubricated and reassembled

Link to video of it playing: https://youtu.be/U48-NtgBjUQ?si=pMFmVD7LATDygO-b

[phonogfp]

That's an improvement - good going!

Eagles are minimalist machines, and any little problem (or combination of problems) will adversely affect their performance. You've ironed out the worst of them.

I too have encountered the speed control arm rubbing against the governor disc. I assume as the leather pad wears down, this becomes more likely. I have found that CAREFUL bending of the speed control arm just a fraction of an inch can fix that problem. You'd need to remove the arm, clamp it in a vice, and slightly bend the pad end with padded channel-locks or other appropriate tool.

A friction-free Eagle is a happy Eagle.

George P.