The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I always run down all of my Edison machines after I use them. It is only logical NOT to leave any tension in the spring for extended periods of time..especially if it is an original 100+ year old spring.

:0)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

I let my machines run down to a natural stop without playing a record, and then I give them a couple cranks until there's a small, but not negligible amount of tension in the crank (not enough to play a record fully, but about halfway through). I takes alot of "knowing" and "feeling" your machines to figure out the crank tension at which it'll play half a record, but the trick comes with time.

The consensus seems to be:

Let them run down completely - but a turn or two after won't hurt.

Bill

I never wind my machines all the way up to begin with. I'll wind enough for maybe one or two plays, then, when I'm done, they're just about wound down anyway. With every new play I crank may 5 or 6 revolutions and that seems to be enough to play a record without maxing out the springs needlessly.

I have read in some original literature not to wind it up all the way and leave it but to play a record and if no more are to be played then leave it there. So since I read this in official literature, perhaps for a Victrola, that is what I do on any of my 84 machines when I use them.

What Bill, Roland, and Tony said: run down motor completely, then one or two turns to leave spring(s) very slightly wound. I have no idea what previous owner(s) did, but I've always followed this procedure in the 37 years I've owned my XI, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year! (Still with its original springs, AFAIK.)

BTW, after playing records, I also release the brake lever to "unload" its spring.

vansteem78 wrote:I have read in some original literature not to wind it up all the way and leave it but to play a record and if no more are to be played then leave it there. So since I read this in official literature, perhaps for a Victrola, that is what I do on any of my 84 machines when I use them.

Only 84 machines? Is this guy even worthy to hang out with us?

I generally wind it down to the point where the spring has released most of it's tension, especially if I'm going away on vacation.

-Stephen