The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

If the pot metal is swollen you may get it moving by putting it into the freezer over night. If all that does not help then I would leave it alone and enjoy it as is. If you need to service the reproducer you can probably do that without detaching it from the tonearm, but often times Columbia reproducer gaskets are still supple after 100 years. They must have used a different kind of rubber from Victor. If it sounds good you may not need to do anything.

Andreas

Thanks for all the help, but I've given up for the time being. I can tug on the pin and feel the spring, but the reproducer does not want to turn off, so perhaps the pot metal is swollen. I will return to this problem sometime later.

Finally got the reproducer off the tonearm. The tonearm is banged and dented, but the reproducer is in good shape. It has an aluminum diaphragm, which is why I wanted to salvage it.

The question now is, how do I remove the ring that retains the diaphragm? Is it a friction fit or is that ring threaded in? If the latter is the case, then I will need to devise a tool--shouldn't be too hard.

But, want to know in advance what I up against, and here the experience of the Forum is invaluable.

John

Is the Aluminum diaphragm flat or pleated? Does the retainer ring have four little holes or is it spring loaded and snaps off. A front shot will be good.
Harvey Kravitz

Four little holes. I have a smaller Columbia reproducer that has a retaining collar that sort of snaps in. That one doesn't have four holes. The one I'm asking about seems to be the most common Columbia reproducer I've seen.

If a picture would still help, I'll upload one.

The four little holes ( spaced like the four points of a compass ) indicate a threaded spanner-ring.

These unscrew counter-clockwise.

I try a small jeweler's screwdriver that just fits inside the hole, then press on it sideways with my thumb.

Be on the lookout for any paper "Ring shims" that might be between the spanner ring and the rubber gasket.

jboger wrote:Finally got the reproducer off the tonearm. The tonearm is banged and dented, but the reproducer is in good shape. It has an aluminum diaphragm, which is why I wanted to salvage it.

The question now is, how do I remove the ring that retains the diaphragm? Is it a friction fit or is that ring threaded in? If the latter is the case, then I will need to devise a tool--shouldn't be too hard.

But, want to know in advance what I up against, and here the experience of the Forum is invaluable.

John

John, if that arm has dents, it is likely an early brass arm, that is made of from brass-sheet that is drawn and wrapped on a form, then butt-soldered along the long edge.

Don't throw it out. It may be useful to someone along the way.

Columbia went to cast-brass arms around 1912, and then to pot-metal around 1913-14.

The reproducer heads with the bayonet-necks are pot metal, however.

The metal diaphragm sounds like 1910-1912-ish.


A front view photo would be helpful.

Frank

Frank: Thanks. I gave it a shot and the retaining ring is indeed screwed in. After I got a look inside, everything seemed so neatly packed in that I doubted I could do as good a job. I left it as is and put it back together. I will post a picture.