Playing 7" discs on a Victor I

[Curt A]

OrthoFan: "May I ask what you actually used to make yours (the one seen in the picture)?"

I second that request.

Looking at it, it appears that it is made with ¼" rod bent appropriately to hold the reproducer and the counterweight/balance is made with a piece of solid brass stock, drilled to fit the rod and tapped for a knurled screw to adjust the distance from the reproducer... Is that close?

This would also work with any Victor machine by placing a right (right angle) bend to go over a Victor or Victrola tonearm to provide support and then another left (right angle) bend to run alongside the tonearm...

[Curt A]

If the problem is the record slipping instead of the motor bogging down, I would cut a sheet of thin soft vinyl or rubber as a friction pad between turntable and record. My Victor I has plenty of torque to play a 10" record completely through.

Here is a simple, free record hold down that works great especially for Hit Of The Week and other light weight or cardboard records... Go to any tire store and ask for used valve stems which they just trash (or buy a new one if you prefer) and cut it as shown in the picture. They fit perfect on the turntable stem and they also work as an adapter for records with the larger size holes...

[OrthoFan]

May I ask what you actually used to make yours (the one seen in the picture)? Please respond here or feel free to send me a PM. Thanks.
Doug

OrthoFan: "May I ask what you actually used to make yours (the one seen in the picture)?"

I second that request.

Looking at it, it appears that it is made with ¼" rod bent appropriately to hold the reproducer and the counterweight/balance is made with a piece of solid brass stock, drilled to fit the rod and tapped for a knurled screw to adjust the distance from the reproducer... Is that close?

This would also work with any Victor machine by placing a right (right angle) bend to go over a Victor or Victrola tonearm to provide support and then another left (right angle) bend to run alongside the tonearm...

Hi Doug & Curt:

The photo of the counter-weight was one I found online for illustration purposes to show the type of thing I was talking about. It is not one I made.

The counter-weight I put together was a simple cardboard tube, taken from an empty aluminum foul container, and filled with putty, and then stuck onto the end of a rod made out of a cut and bent coat hanger. (VERY LOW TECH) It looked similar to the one illustrated, in that the end of the rod was curved to accommodate the tonearm near the sound box.


Instructions for building the one in the illustration can be found here -- https://the78rpmrecordspins.wordpress.c ... -may-2011/ NOTE: You may have to highlight the text to see it. For whatever reason, it shows up blank on my browser if I don't. Just in case that doesn't work, here is the text portion of the article about making the counterweight:

Making The Optional Counterweight

If you would like to further reduce record wear and stylus pressure, it’s well worth the effort to make a simple counterweight. Form a suitable hook on one end of a 9″ length of ordinary ¼ inch steel or brass rod. Next drill a 17/64″ hole down through the centre of a 1 ½″” long ¾″” brass rod. Drill and tap a suitable hole in from one side of the brass rod for some kind of thumb-screw to hold the weight affixed to the rod. The weight may be moved one way or the other along the rod to vary stylus pressure on the record. This counterweight arrangement can also be used to advantage when playing standard lateral-cut discs.

HTH,
OrthoFan

As an afterthought, perhaps some enterprising member with a home/simple machine shop could knock off a few dozen like the one in the photo and sell them on this forum for a nominal fee? Not sure what the cost to make one would be...