My New VV2-55

[Lah Ca]

This thread pulls together four others:

My First VV2-55
viewtopic.php?t=60396

My Second VV2-55
viewtopic.php?t=60442

viewtopic.php?t=60466

viewtopic.php?t=61334

And now the combination below...

Well ... it is sort of finished ...

There is always more to do but .... it is sweet as it is now. The motor is very quiet, and there is almost no platter wobble.

The to do list:

I am not entirely happy with my paint job on the arm support from my first machine and the ball race cup from my second, but it will do for now. Maybe I will try for a better match later.

I need to do some leather treatment on the tab above the latch and on the handle.

I need to decide on a protective treatment for the rexine.

I need to find a washer to go under the retaining clip for the platter. There was this funky laminated paper/celluloid thing that disintegrated immediately upon my removing of the clip. It helps keep the clip tight against the platter.

washer.jpg (12.01 KiB) Viewed 903 times

The what I needed to do list:

I needed to salvage the arm support bracket and reproducer off my first machine and rebuild the arm assembly with pieces from both machines. As said the arm bracket and reproducer are from the first machine, as are the ball bearings and spacer. The ball race cup is from the second. All the rest is from the second.

I needed to drill out the rivet holes in the salvaged support bracket so that I could line things up with the matching threaded holes in the ball race cup for the second machine. They were close but not exactly the same.

I needed to un-gum the auto brake mechanism and lubricate it.

I needed to take a pair of pliers and bend the auto brake trigger arm to stop it from rubbing on the bottom of the platter. I needed to swap springs on the auto brake trigger arms as well.

And of course a good general cleaning was needed.

What came with the machine:

A pleasant but totally bagged and chipped Gene Austin record, one I don't have.

An original tag from the machine. It was stuck down at the bottom of the record holder. It has the price and serial number written on the back:

Two custom badged needle tins (with lots of new needles, not original ones, though). These tins are cool because they are local, branded for a then local drug store. The needles and tins claim to be made in Barvaria.

A scraped up Tungs-tone tin.

And a box of Victor soft tone needles, almost full.

[AmberolaAndy]

What a coincidence that we were combining two VV 2-55 machines to make one good one at the same time!

[Lah Ca]

Some pics of the case

[Lah Ca]

It was a dark and stormy night ....

The wife and I were sitting on the couch in our living room with the VV2-55 open on the coffee table and a box of 1920s records at hand. The weather outside was cold with squalls of rain. We were sipping citrus-fruit hot rums (large mug, one heaping Tbsp Demerara sugar, juice of half an orange, half a lemon, and half a lime, one whole large clove, two large whole allspice, one-half cinnamon stick, 1.5 Oz of Hart & Son 1804 rum, .5 Oz Triple Sec, 2 dashes Angostura Bitters, topped up with boiling water). I had played about ten records had just put on another which was about half way through when suddenly there was a bang as the spring let loose and the machine stopped dead.

My lovely VV2-55 is now non-functional.

The spring had previously given no indication of any problems. It was near silent both winding and unwinding, no clunking whatsoever. The motor ran smooth and strong.

Anyway, I packed the VV2-55 up, went downstairs to get my c. 1941 Montreal-made RCA Victor portable, and we resumed our pleasant evening.

Now I must learn a new skill, redoing a spring. I still have another VV2-55 in which the spring is good even if the motor as a whole is not. The machines are a year apart in age by serial number so as long as the motors or spring barrels and springs are the same, I have parts.

[Inigo]

Usually the spring gives no clue that it is going to break or disengaage... Hope it's the easiest problem of the two...

[Lah Ca]

Hope it's the easiest problem of the two...

Thanks.

Yes, I hope so too.