Just Picked up a VE 8-12x....

[leadlike]

I have been looking for an acoustic machine for some time. After some research, as well as hearing some machines demonstrated, I decided to focus my sights on the Orthophonic machines. After having several deals fall through on various machines (Most of the time they were in wretched shape) I finally found a fairly local ebay auction for an 8-12 that was in reasonable shape. I picked it up on Sunday, and it is in better shape than I expected it to be. Now, it will need restoration, which is where my questions begin:

The soundbox is pot metal, and there is some minor cracking beginning around the needlebar area. I have dealt with this sort of thing before, and I think I should be able to get away with separating the case halves without having the thing exploding in a thousand bits. The internal hardware that connects the base of the tonearm to the wooden horn is also pot metal, and that is in much worse shape. I have been looking around the internet at various vendors, trying to find one that carries gaskets as well as new bearings for soundboxes. Anyone here have any recommendations for such a place?

Originally, this entry was much longer, but it was deleted before I had a chance to post. Thanks to anyone who can offer me assistance with this machine. Hopefully, in a few months, it will be playing away for us.

[FloridaClay]

The potmetal mounts for the tone arms of Orthophonics are prone to failure. I have just been through that with one I bought and found that Victrola Repair Service in Vermont has reproductions made out of steel. Not cheap, but should hold up forever. Here is their web address http://www.victrolarepairservice.com/. They are also very nice folks to deal with.

Clay

[leadlike]

Luckily, the tone arm mount is fine-it turns the tone arm freely, and it appears that there won't be a problem with removing it. The internal parts that connect the arm mount to the horn itself are in bad shape, but as long as I can make them airtight, I suppose they will be okay.

I see the link you provided does offer Orthophonic gaskets, but no new bearings. Is there a source for these as well?

Another item I wanted to cover was disassembly of the soundbox: I have a spanner tool that will fit the back-does the face simply twist off from the back then? Is it a standard Right-tight, Left-loose thread? I have been searching the net for info on Ortho soundboxes, and there doesn't seem to be much.

[FloridaClay]

Ah then you are talking about the plumbing under the motor board then. I have a potmetal attachment collar on mine, where the bit that extends down from the tone are mounting bracket meets the cast iron structure at the end of the horn, that is only holding together by a prayer. Don't know of anybody making reproduction replacements for those. Mine won't possibly take any real tension, so my thought is that I will just barely finger tighten it when I reinstall it and seal the area with a bit of silicon caulk.

Clay

[FloridaClay]

Humm. A follow on thought. Has anybody tried filling the cracks in these potmetal bits that don't show with epoxy or something of the sort?

Clay

[leadlike]

I was probably going to epoxy in all that under the table plumbing with JB weld or something like that, but only if the assembly isn't properly airtight. I saw a reference to using crazy glue on filling in the cracks on exposed parts like the soundbox, but that's something I don't want to try unless the whole thing begins the cookie crumble.

[leadlike]

Well, this is interesting: I decided to begin work on the reproducer, and on pulling the bearing covers, I saw a piece of soft rubber tubing. Hmmmm.....someone has been in here fairly recently. I pulled the tiny piece of tubing, expecting that it was being used to pack the bearings, but there were no bearings! Same thing on the other side, someone has removed all of the bearings! No wonder this thing sounded so dead to me!

I still have yet to find a source for these bearings online. Does anyone at least know what size they should be?

[Schmaltz]

According to Walt Sommers, in a post from the Phono-L list back in 2007:

The nominal diameter of an Orthophonic bearing is .0625". I don't know the tolerance that would have been allowed, but I'd estimate that it would be +/- .0005".

I found a source for these small bearings by accident, when I pulled a computer cooling fan apart. Turns out the small fan I looked in use bearings of the same size.

[phonojim]

Call your local bearing store and see if they stock 1/16" (.0625) balls. Walt is correct about the size. I have a bottle full of them left over from my days of overhauling Bell & Howell 16mm projectors.

Jim

[leadlike]

Sounds good. I've already done some pricing, and it looks like I can get a hundred for about 5 bucks. So I'll have a few leftover when I'm done.

I got out my spanner wrench tonight and got the soundbox apart-it came apart quite easily. Someone has been in here, too-the back gasket is missing. The diaphragm looks to be in good shape. Looks like they separated the case halves, got scared of damaging the thin aluminum and backed off.

Today I ordered most of the parts I will need, as well as some stuff to touch up the cabinet. It looks like my local hardware store and Lowe's stopped carrying Howard's restor-a-finish, so that too has to be shipped.