My First Phonograph

[NateO]

I have been collecting records for about 4 years now, and I decided it was time I bought a period machine to play them. So, this weekend I picked up a VV VI. It runs well, and looks okay. However, the mica in the reproducer is damaged, so I can't actually use it yet.
I have two (very basic) questions. I am not sure how to remove the turntable platter or the crank. I wanted to ask the experts, so I don't break anything.
Thanks,
Nathan

[fran604g]

Hello NateO,

Welcome to the group and to the world of phonographs. I have a machine virtually identical to yours. For the crank handle, turn it counter clockwise, it will unscrew from the motor winding shaft (internal). The platter should lift right off of the shaft in the center. There is supposed to be a retainer clip to hold it in place, yours is missing.

Then there are 2 wood screws on either side of the motorboard, remove those and the motorboard will pivot up from the front and there should be a support bracket inside to hold it up in place to inspect the motor.

Fran

[NateO]

Hello NateO,

Welcome to the group and to the world of phonographs. I have a machine virtually identical to yours. For the crank handle, turn it counter clockwise, it will unscrew from the motor winding shaft (internal). The platter should lift right off of the shaft in the center. There is supposed to be a retainer clip to hold it in place, yours is missing.

Then there are 2 wood screws on either side of the motorboard, remove those and the motorboard will pivot up from the front and there should be a support bracket inside to hold it up in place to inspect the motor.

Fran

Thanks very much! The crank came out easily enough, and it is nice to be able to finally see the motor. The first thing I thought of was to try and pull the platter up, but it won't budge.

[Phonofreak]

Nate, Welcome to the forum. The VV VI is an excellent phonograph to get started with. They look and sound good. I would get the Complete Talking Machine by Eric Reiss. It is chock full of information of repairs, restoration, and just about anything dealing with wind up phonographs. It is available in bookstores, Amazon, ebay, and any of the parts dealers. It sounds(pardon the pun)needs rebuilding because of the cracked mica. Eric Reiss's book will cover all that information. My first phonograph was also a VV VI. I still have that machine.
Harvey Kravitz

[JerryVan]

Nathan,

The platter, a.k.a. turntable, really is meant to just lift off the spindle. However, it's usually stuck in place due to corrosion or sticky old oil. Try pulling up on it while you have a helper tap the spindle shaft down with a small, rawhide, or plastic, or brass hammer. If several sharp blows doesn't break it free, there are other ways as well.

Someone suggested that there should be a retainer clip. While this may be true for some models, it was not used on yours.

[phonogfp]

Hello NateO,

Welcome to the group and to the world of phonographs. I have a machine virtually identical to yours. For the crank handle, turn it counter clockwise, it will unscrew from the motor winding shaft (internal). The platter should lift right off of the shaft in the center. There is supposed to be a retainer clip to hold it in place, yours is missing.

Then there are 2 wood screws on either side of the motorboard, remove those and the motorboard will pivot up from the front and there should be a support bracket inside to hold it up in place to inspect the motor.

Fran

Thanks very much! The crank came out easily enough, and it is nice to be able to finally see the motor. The first thing I thought of was to try and pull the platter up, but it won't budge.

The Victrola VI does not use a retainer clip on the turntable. It's designed to simply be lifted straight up off the spindle, but over the years things often become a bit gummy.

If you have someone to help you, lift the turntable up as far as you can by the opposite edges (e.g.: hold at the 9:00 and 3:00 positions). In this way, lift the entire machine off the bench an inch or so. Then have your friend place a wooden block on the spindle and GENTLY tap it with a hammer. (A rubber mallet will work fine if you don't have a block of wood handy.) The weight of the machine, along with the GENTLE tapping should cause the machine to slip off the suspended turntable.

Once you have the turntable off, a quick wipe of the spindle with 0000 steel wool and a drop of good oil (not 3-In-One) should prevent this from happening again.

Good luck!

George P.

[JerryVan]

George,

I agree totally with everything we said ;>)

[NateO]

Thanks for the help everyone! I will try and remove the platter tonight, so hopefully it will work. I am planning to replace the turntable felt, as the original is in rough shape. I also have a question about the break. Was there some type of pad or leather to help stop the turntable?

[Jerry B.]

Rebuilding your Exhibition reproducer is a job you can do. A new mica diaphragm and a foot of white gasket material is all you need. You'll be amazed with the positive results. Everything you need is available from parts suppliers listed in the "Links" portion of the Forum. Welcome to the Forum. Jerry Blais

[fran604g]

Nathan,

The platter, a.k.a. turntable, really is meant to just lift off the spindle. However, it's usually stuck in place due to corrosion or sticky old oil. Try pulling up on it while you have a helper tap the spindle shaft down with a small, rawhide, or plastic, or brass hammer. If several sharp blows doesn't break it free, there are other ways as well.

Someone suggested that there should be a retainer clip. While this may be true for some models, it was not used on yours.

Right, sorry, I got confused with my HMV-101 spindle. D'oh!