The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Years ago there was a paper journal briefly published by a guy named Tim Gracyk, and i distinctly recall a detailed article in one of the issues about rebuilding and adjusting these selfsame dashpots. I'm unable to dig mine out easily, but there might be scans online or perhaps another member on here with a copy to share.

And then I went down the google rabbit hole and found it online:

https://ia800302.us.archive.org/34/item ... 8J%203.pdf

I remember using the article to do mine, and they have worked perfectly ever since. The ideal state is that the lid stays up when latched in the open position. Then when you close it, you just give it a little nudge downward to unlatch it, and it floats downward to a gentle closing.

Thanks, PeterF, for finding this article!
Here's a detail on page 15 showing the dashpot vent assembly:
Bob

Exactly what I needed! Thanks peter for finding that. And Barnett for posting that image. Its strange to think they made these things almost 100 years ago.

You know, you guys don’t have to rediscover how to Service these things!
Victor provided great dealer support.
Here is Service Bulletin No. 10

MarkELynch wrote:You know, you guys don’t have to rediscover how to Service these things!
Victor provided great dealer support.
Here is Service Bulletin No. 10

These directions, straight from Victor, couldn't be any better!
Thanks for posting these pages!
Bob

Just to mess with my ole buddy Mark, I'll toss a brick-bat: The Victor and other contemporaneous support documentation assumes relatively new condition, so we must always use a bit of consideration for the missing "but-it's-also-now-almost-100-years-old" factor. Seldom is it a real big deal but one should keep it in mind.

Peter, right you are but the directions are even more to the point. Sometimes knowing how something is supposed to be dismantled can be very useful when a part is stuck or hard to turn. Should I lubricate the joint and try to turn it with more force or was it never intended to be removed?

Note the instructions to use Neatsfoot oil on the leather washer and NOT lubricating oil.

I prefer Sloppysfoot oil because it fits my character better, but still, my friend Mark is exactly spot on, as always. That notion of force application is so very important!

MarkELynch wrote:Peter, right you are but the directions are even more to the point. Sometimes knowing how something is supposed to be dismantled can be very useful when a part is stuck or hard to turn. Should I lubricate the joint and try to turn it with more force or was it never intended to be removed?

Note the instructions to use Neatsfoot oil on the leather washer and NOT lubricating oil.

Aha! Hate to say "I told you so," but "I told you so" (see my earlier post, above in this thread, in re: neatsfoot oil).