Phonograph Packing

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m_nakamura
Victor II
Posts: 258
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2025 6:59 pm
Personal Text: Millie Toshio Nakamura
Location: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
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Phonograph Packing

Post by m_nakamura »

Hi everyone! We recently moved to Bloomfield Hills from Saginaw, it's really nice! Luckily, my J1-95 and Edison Gem didn't SEEM to get damaged in shipping, everything works fine.

BUT, if I ever were to move again/pick up something from a long distance what's a good way of packing? We (my dad :lol: ) used cardboard box with bubble wrap and newspaper.
A buzzard took a monkey for a ride in the air...!

VanEpsFan1914
Victor VI
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Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2017 11:39 am
Personal Text: I've got both kinds of music--classical & rag-time.
Location: South Carolina

Re: Phonograph Packing

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

If moving from Bloomfield Hills you clearly would have your butler do it, and send it by courier in the care of two loyal footmen and a watchful guard..

Jokes aside, you want all moving parts tied down to prevent movements (block tonearm swing on disc machines and stop the sliding carriage on a cylinder phonograph). Remove the reproducer, wrap carefully, and store. Remove cranks or winding keys.

I take the turntables out of disc phonographs, wrap carefully with plastic wrap to prevent oil stains, wrap in newspaper, store in case.

Remove horns and horn rear mount brackets or crane.

For many cylinder machines it's a good idea to pack the cavity round the motor with bubble wrap and, if mailing, remove the motor and pack separately.

These machines aren't being handed down from the back of the Railway Express Agency's horse drawn van or Ford depot hack, they're being put at mercy of the underpaid and overworked -- wise of you to pack accordingly!

JerryVan
Victor Monarch Special
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Location: Southeast MI

Re: Phonograph Packing

Post by JerryVan »

Millie,

There are the things that you have movers load & transport and there are the things that you load in your car and transport yourself. The phonographs that you mention are the latter.

In my car, I either set them on the floor or put them on a seat, wrapped in a blanket and held in place by the seat belt. If possible, I also put a rubber band around the end of any swinging tone arm and hook the other end over the speed control, or brake, or ? It keeps the arm from flinging around and damaging itself.

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