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Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 6:02 am
by Inigo
Nice original machine, wow!
I'd suggest for the motor, only superficial cleaning and regreasing the gearing and reoiling the bushes and the regulator pad. It's in an original clean status...
The spring inside the barrel is the only thing that would need (maybe) extracting, cleaning and regreasing the spring, for safety and full motor power.
For the rest, you can try how it works with the revised spring, and after reoiling and regreasing. If it works smooth and with little or no noise, and the power and speed are good, I wouldn't disassemble, clean and reinstall all the gearing. In my humble experience, this makes the motor perfectly clean but noisier....
Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 11:32 am
by Bruce
Dwayne
Very nice family heirloom!
One option you may wish to consider is polishing the brass horn. Some collectors polish these horns and others leave them, either way it is up to you and how you want to display this lovely machine in your home.
Attached is a photo of one of my machines where I threw on a polished horn for you to see how nice they can look.
You can buff your horn with a buffing wheel if you have one or if there is an auto shop near you. Once done I suggest you coat the horn with a thin layer of liquor or as I do buff on wax to keep the brass from tarnishing too quickly.
Another option is John Duffy (Ripduf1 on this forum) who does an excellent job of repairing and buffing phonograph horns. 860-966-2827
Please keep us posted - especially the final results on Christmas day.
Bruce
Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 11:56 am
by soundgen
where have all the Exhibition soundboxes gone ? None on Ebay at the moment !
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw ... sacat=1442
Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 5:54 pm
by dennis
"Once done I suggest you coat the horn with a thin layer of liquor..."
I like being coated with a thin layer of liquor after I get home from work.
Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 6:03 pm
by Jerry B.
PM sent about a spare Exhibition. Jerry B.
Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 7:41 pm
by CharliePhono
Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2019 8:11 pm
by barnettrp21122
Bruce wrote:Dwayne
Very nice family heirloom!
One option you may wish to consider is polishing the brass horn. Some collectors polish these horns and others leave them, either way it is up to you and how you want to display this lovely machine in your home.
Attached is a photo of one of my machines where I threw on a polished horn for you to see how nice they can look.
You can buff your horn with a buffing wheel if you have one or if there is an auto shop near you. Once done I suggest you coat the horn with a thin layer of liquor or as I do buff on wax to keep the brass from tarnishing too quickly.
Another option is John Duffy (Ripduf1 on this forum) who does an excellent job of repairing and buffing phonograph horns. 860-966-2827
Please keep us posted - especially the final results on Christmas day.
Bruce
I asked a collector/dealer friend about his thoughts on horn polishing. He said "If I'm selling it, I polish it. If I'm keeping it I leave it alone."
Good advice I think.
Bob
Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 3:44 am
by estott
JohnM wrote:The correct term for “tiger oak” is ‘quarter-sawn’ oak. You can Google that term to see charts showing the three ways to saw oak — plain-sawn, rift-sawn, and quarter-sawn. Plain-sawing is the most economical way to saw oak because it wastes the least, but it reveals the least figure in the wood. Quarter-sawing is the least economical (thus most expensive) because it wastes a great deal of wood, but it reveals the most figure. Rift-sawing is between the two. ‘Tiger oak’ is what I call an ‘auctioneer’s term’ — not what it is called in the lumber or furniture industry, but a term that the general public can understand when the auctioneer doesn’t know what it’s actually called.
Having a large bed in Tiger Maple - which is an accepted term - I can understand why they call it that. Mahogany cuts get names like Striped, Flamed, Ribbon & Banded, and it indicates the look rather than the technique - so why not Oak?
Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 8:33 am
by edisonclassm
Dwayne,
Read your pm messages
Re: From Grandma's Attic: 1903 Zon-O-Phone. Need help with p
Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2019 4:39 pm
by vic-b
This is a back mount Zonophone "Concert." It is later, just before Victor would have purchased Zonophone and gone to the all wood motor board. That "waffle" metal motor boards are more desirable. This is a later decal. Earlier machines actually said "Concert."
The Zonophone reproducers that look like Exhibitions do come up about twice a year. Probably need to go with a Victor for now. You might have trouble with the screws that hold the reproducer to the tapered tone arm. Trial and error I am afraid, but you need something fully threaded with a flat head, NOT a Phillips head. Take the reproducer to the hardware store with you and have the guys find something for you. Also, they will have pre-cut gaskets in plumbing supply that you will just need to cut holes in for the screws. You can do this with a leather punch if you have the right size. Go to a real hardware store with old guys in aprons. Do not go to a "big box store!"
You probably can find someone to rebuild an Exhibition reproducer. Then send them the reproducer and the tone arm and let a "professional" take care of getting the reproducer on the tone arm. Let me know if you want help doing all of this.
Oh....., and DON'T polish the horn!!!
Best,
Jeff
Wisconsin