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Here are some more pictures of the phonograph. What on earth have they done to the motor board?

"Here are some more pictures of the phonograph. What on earth have they done to the motor board?"

You mean the pink shirt? I agree, it's awful...

Or are you referring to the huge holes cut into it? Stay away from this machine, it's a disaster...

Toydk:

Thanks for posting the pictures. As far as collectors are concerned, I think most would agree with me that this is a parts machine. What's got me wondering is how the motor is held in position. Three bolts should secure it to the lid, which I think is no longer possible because large holes have been cut into the lid. So what' holding it up, the crank? Tomorrow I will look at my partial machine and make a comparison to see if we learn anything, which is useful even if you don't buy this item. It has a ten-inch platter. I believe the original was eight. That's why the brake is no longer present. The speed control may also have been repositioned. Well, let me look at my machine tomorrow after work. Bottom line: what Curt said.

Check out the CalCustomTM horn elbow.

Some good news: the motor is right. I dropped the motor in my machine and took a photo to match the one toydk provided. I think we trashed the machine enough as a collector's item so I won't say more. Well, one thing more. The tonearm pivot is wrong. That's an easy fix, but the case is too far gone. I doubt that you could put an eight-inch platter on w/o exposing the holes. One might want to do that in order to put a brake back on. It looks reasonably nice. So if you don't care too much about originality, this could be your machine. Otherwise it's parts. I'd stay south of $500 for this. For a bit more--and really not that much more--you can find a better machine.

But do compare the photos of the motors. They are related, maybe even kissing cousins. But they are different. Perhaps this is why your machine has a B suffix and a larger serial number than mine with the A suffix. In other words, the change in letters represents a change in the motor design. I don't know that for a fact but it does seem reasonable.

I have two of these later Victor I's. The earlier of the two has an 8" turntable with a bullet brake. The motor is the exact some one. The motor on yours is also correct. The pivot point is correct, as is the speed control placement. The elbow is a concoction. A Victor II elbow is correct for these later machines. The escutcheon for these machines is from a typical outside horn machine. These come up every so often. The later of the two that you have uses a 10" pressed steel turntable used for the later horn machines and early Victrolas. The brake is the circular tab brake used on the Victor O and first VV IV. Also, this brake was used on the Victor R, very early Victor M, MS, and possibly Victor E. This brake can be tough to find. The crank is correct for both machines. As far as the extra holes, covering up with Quartersawn Oak veneer is the simplest way to do this. You won't have to worry about filling large holes. Then stain, finish and drill the new holes. These later machines aren't too common as these small cased early Victor I. If you can get this machine cheap, like the other have said, go for it. That motor is pretty powerful in such a small size. These late Victor I's pack a lot of punch for the package. If the horn is a No. 17, meaning the bell is 17" in diameter, that alone is worth it. These are tough horns to find. I paid $300.00 for my horn a few years ago, but it was mint and perfect. As I said, if you can get this cheap, this will be a worthwhile restoration.
Harvey Kravitz

Harvey, I'm reading with great interest what you have written. Are you stating that the ten-inch turntable is correct on toydk's machine? I was thinking that it originally had a bullet brake for an eight-inch table, and later, when someone put the machine in working order, only had a ten-incher available and so made a modification. Don't mind being corrected.

It's hard to tell by the pictures. The key would be to find out the dimensions of the motorboard. I'm also guessing by the S/N. and suffix. I have an early late case (if that makes sense) with the 8" turntable and bullet brake. These models were made around 1908-9. In 1910, Victor started using the 10" steel returnable for their outside horn models. The bullet brake was dropped and Victor went to the round tab brake on the Victor I. The motors, arms, brackets and elbow were the same as with the Victor II. Thank you for your interest. I got my information from Look For The Dog, and the Victor Data Book.
Harvey Kravitz

jboger wrote:Harvey, I'm reading with great interest what you have written. Are you stating that the ten-inch turntable is correct on toydk's machine? I was thinking that it originally had a bullet brake for an eight-inch table, and later, when someone put the machine in working order, only had a ten-incher available and so made a modification. Don't mind being corrected.

I measured the motor board on my early late Victor I. It is roughly 10" square. That gives space for the 8" turntable and the bullet brake. The motor board on my later Victor I is roughly 11" square. This will accommodate the 10" turntable and tab brake.The measurements on you motor board will determine the correct turntable.
Harvey Kravitz

Just to be clear, there have been two Victor I's discussed in this thread, the original poster's (toydk) and mine (jboger). Toydk was seeking input about a machine that was coming up for sale at a nearby auction. I hope he has a better understanding of that machine and can make an informed decision as to a path forward. And, toydk, should you decide to buy it, let us know what you have. I'm sure many of us will find it interesting.