The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Speaking of which, I seem to remember posts ages ago about people not realizing about tone-arm ball bearings and chasing them all over the place. Where are those stories?
Last week after listening to my Opera, I was closing it up and was about to replace the horn when WHACK...I smacked it against the ceiling fan light fixture and put a nice new crack in it. That's the worst part about the Opera...having to remove and replace the horn if you use the lid. I'm still a little sick over that one. Oh, Don Gfell...

Edit: In response to John's next post, it's nothing that can't be fixed. Just a big crack, not at a seam, all the way down the horn. That poor horn was heavily restored to begin with, having multiple splits and cracked pieces repaired before I got it (not a bad job), and having a few hairline cracks still. This one's by far the largest crack in it, now. Oh, well. I've never loved this poor repaired horn with its obvious outline around the border of the MM replacement decal.

Coyote,

OH! I hope the horn's not to badly damaged!

Regards,
John

Steve wrote:I was carrying a carriage with a nice steel Model O reproducer in it and didn't know the reproducer was not screwed down. The thing launched from the cradle and hit my tile floor breaking the hinge block and bending the wire weight guide. Lucky it could all be repaired. If it was pot metal, it would have been history!

At least you didn't saw it in half....who was that again?

Zeppy wrote:

Steve wrote:I was carrying a carriage with a nice steel Model O reproducer in it and didn't know the reproducer was not screwed down. The thing launched from the cradle and hit my tile floor breaking the hinge block and bending the wire weight guide. Lucky it could all be repaired. If it was pot metal, it would have been history!

At least you didn't saw it in half....who was that again?

It was ME It was a long time ago.....long before I knew the trick of getting a stuck reproducer out of a carraige! I sure regret it now though as it would be worth alot of money now!

RJ

richardh wrote:

Zeppy wrote:

Steve wrote:I was carrying a carriage with a nice steel Model O reproducer in it and didn't know the reproducer was not screwed down. The thing launched from the cradle and hit my tile floor breaking the hinge block and bending the wire weight guide. Lucky it could all be repaired. If it was pot metal, it would have been history!

At least you didn't saw it in half....who was that again?

It was ME It was a long time ago.....long before I knew the trick of getting a stuck reproducer out of a carraige! I sure regret it now though as it would be worth alot of money now!

RJ

Had to rub some salt in those old wounds...



I'm a bad boy..

The worst I ever broke was a 2-minute cylinder of a more uncommon brand. It arrived, I unpacked it and it was fine. Then I slipped it on the mandrel and 'plock'...
The inside of the cylinder was relatively uneven and rough, therefore possibly caused an uneven pressure from the inside. I later swapped the broken record in its box against different empty box to complete it with the cylinder I had and, of course, to get the broken one out of my sight and mind.

I hate to admit this, but I managed to totally destroy a Brunswick console which my great uncle had brought down from the attic. It was a misguided attempt to restore it, and I was 30 years younger then.

A few years ago I was on a business trip to Gotheburg. I had read about a used records store there which was said to have 78s galore - and it did! I spent a couple of hours going through the shelves and bought as many records as I could afford and carry. Unfortunately the only thing I hade to bring them home in was a textile bag, and in spite of some cardboard pieces a few of the records got haircracks during the transportation home. They were all still playable though.

Apart from that I've only had records broken by the people who shipped them.

Fredrik

hello my friends----------i have had my well-being, spirit and wallet broken but i repaired them all----I DIVORCED HER LAST YEAR! as far as my Edisons, so far so good. with a little oil they will be with me for the rest of my life. your friend michael

I have been fortunate enough not to have the really big horror stories, however, I have broken several pot metal tone arms and reproducer bodies that I now follow the mantra:

"If it's Frozen, it's frozen!"