The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Thanks for the photo, at least I have some idea what it is. What I don't get on mine is that the bend in the arm fits up against the cabinet with little room to spare. Perhaps it over the years ended up with the wrong crank although I don't think you would have found many around here as you say. I may have to rig the way its attached in order to make it work?

Larry

larryh wrote:Thanks for the photo, at least I have some idea what it is. What I don't get on mine is that the bend in the arm fits up against the cabinet with little room to spare. Perhaps it over the years ended up with the wrong crank although I don't think you would have found many around here as you say. I may have to rig the way its attached in order to make it work?

Larry

Your very welcome Larry. It may be fairly simple to repair your crank. You just need to find a pin and knob that look close enough and once attached....it will be good to go.

I have the same phonograph, except that it has a decal from the Sapphire Record and Talking Machine Company. I don't know much about this company except that it was located in NY and in business a very short time.

Very interesting? Perhaps in the early years Sonora was mostly parting out its phonographs to outside vendors who produced the machines for them and also others. Or maybe Sonora sold off brand names as a sideline to make money? Either way yours is a very nice example. Is the cover over the horn fine screening like mine? It rather looks like it. Have you had someone to work on the motor or rebuild the reproducer, I may need some advice off line if you are able to help that way.

Larry

I just noticed that the crank doesn't appear to have the curved slots like mine has to fit over a pin that goes though the cranking shaft, or is the photo just not showing them. And again I think yours also has plenty of room between the wood side and the crank arm. I wonder if something happened to mine as the arm the wood knob goes on is just one inch different than the one that goes into the cabinet, yours appears to be several inches longer.

How does yours sound? I am leary that the tiny horn will render it fairly poor quality?

Larry

Yes, the grill is a fine metal screen. Interestingly, the sound box in mine says "Sonora" on it.

This was working when I bought it, so I haven't had to do anything, but any of the regular repair service people should be able to repair the sound box or the motor on yours.

If I had to speculate about the SRTMC, I would guess that it was an attempt to sneak these machines past the Victor lawyers. Even though the name of the company starts with Sapphire, suggesting that it plays Pathé records, my example plays only regular lateral records, thereby violating Victor's patents.

With regards to sound quality, I would say that it sounds better than you might think given the wimpy horn. These were cheap phonographs when new, and the purchasers probably felt they were getting their money's worth.

I've added a picture of the other side of the crank.

I see I have been wrong about the crank.. When I look at the rusted part which is what was outside the cabinet its a couple inches before the bend in the arm.. At least that is how it appears. Probably because it was so hard to work and no knob that I felt it was not the correct length.

I have been working on the cabinet for about a week off an on now.. I have saved the original shellac as I do when ever possible. Its been awhile since I last did this and so its a sort of learning curve again.. I cleaned the finish first with mineral spirits then brushed over the old bumpy shellac with denatured alcohol working quickly to smooth it out briefly. After that I sanded it lightly and added a bit of stain to some of the worst places. The hardest part was the top as it had nails popped up and showing all around the top. I tapped them down with a nail set and filled the holes with a wood filler for stain. Then I touched it up best I could using water colors. It looked really lousy when dry as it caused a mat looking splotch were I applied colors to try and imitate the grain as it passed over the nails. Its certainly not perfect but at least its not real obvious like was. After the shellac coats went over it the gaining effect looked pretty natural. I still have a bit of a dent to the surface right over the nail but it will do for what it is. The cabinet was very porous and had a rough grain to start. I had problems with bubbles coming up all over the place on two of the coats of shellac. According to the online information I found that was due to a couple things, too thick a application and too warm a room. Since I am doing this in the attic room without heat I had a space heater running to warm it up before doing the work. I had to shut it down so that it wouldn't ignite the fumes. In doing so the finish was under stress and small and a few large bubbles had to be sanded and then over coated several times to remove the traces of where they were. Its to the point just about where I will let it dry for a week or so and then rub it down and wax it. At that point it will look closer to the photo of the cabinet of another make in the same style.

The slide valve to the volume control was busted and missing a piece besides being totally stuck in the horn slide mechanism.. I worked it free and studied it a bit then created a new wood slide that wasn't warped or the metal rod and nut worked out of the wood and sticking as well. The part wasn't here in the house when I took these two photos but I will try to show how I got around drilling a long tiny hole by laminating several pieces of thin wood to form what was a solid piece on the original. I still need to fix a knob that operates it and thread it to the end when I get the cabinet mostly back together..

Steven is sending the reproducer and repaired crank so in a few days I should have it together.

Larry

It's looking real nice, Larry!

Here is how it looks now that I have it rubbed down and waxed. Better than that glossy effect the shellac gives it at first. Its not perfect, but then neither is the sound being so tiny a horn. I will put up a couple videos of it playing here shortly. I ordered a new felt for it today and will have to try and figure out the best way to proceed with the crank since all the finish is off the metal on the outer part. Steven M put a handle on it from a Crank I got off ebay.. He also rebuilt the reproducer. It really depends a bit on the record. Some if they are very clear with a pretty wide range of sound are not really that bad for listening in a small space. in fact even though its not got the range in some ways the sound is a bit more satisfying than the Pantrope Portable which on the same record can be too loud and a bit strident in comparison. So I guess its not all bad. Where it will end up is a good question since i have such limited space for these things. I just hated to let it sit in a shop since it seemed to be so odd.

I had to make a new slide valve for the volume and have a knob on the rod but its not yet painted or finished which ever I decide. Almost all the screw holes needed some wood put in them to make the screws fit well.

Larry