The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

While I'm waiting for screws and and mica to arrive, I've decided I could start fixing the motor. In my motor the governor is wonky and there are some washers missing here and there, so now I have not only a new spring, but a spare motor, too

Anyway, I wanted to make sure about greasing the thing. I have both lithium grease and sewing machine oil. So...should I grease the spring and gears, and oil all the bearings, like it is shown on HMV lubricating charts (different motor, same principle)? Or should I just grease everything (sans the governor felt)?

Different motor, same principle:) When you have this HMV chart, it is a great note for learning how to lubricate the different motors. AfterI first started to service my HMV motors by using this chart, I have later on used the same principle on Odeon, Parlophone ( Lindstrom), Steidinger and Triumphon motors in portables/ table/ floor models.
Take care of the washers, and also the bearings, which often are tiny and easy to drop. Without them the motor will never be the same..
Good luck.

Well...the bearings...

There is a little ball under the spindle shaft. Previous owner probably lost it and replaced it with a larger one. He then placed washers under the lid to make more space for it so it turned freely. I put in the correct ball, remove the washers and put it all back together but the axial movement of all the shafts is a bit too large. They slide up and down a lot, how much of this movement is normal? It is like 3 mm of free play.

Progress is slow but I'm getting there. Spring box in my motor had worn locating peg (the one that goes through the hole in the spring). So I figured I could use the complete box from my second hand motor and keep the new spring for later. Less work that way.

Well, turns out the old spring I have is weak, it is barely enough for one side of the record, so I'll have to replace it...eventually...

Anyway, today I've put new diaphragm gaskets in the reproducer*. Wooden case still isn't bolted together but it runs.

*) To remove the needle bar took a lot of soaking in petrol, penetrating oil, and even then a lot of force...screws are now battered a lot, but it works

Video of it running: https://streamable.com/hfsg3m

Your machine sounds great and I love the record... I can't really tell from your video if the needle is 90 degrees vertical to the record, if so, it needs to be angled slightly so the needle doesn't dig in to your record - just a slight twist of the reproducer will put it at an angle where the needle "drags" instead of "digs", if this makes sense. Otherwise, it's looking good and working well... congratulations on getting it going.

Here is an idea for fixing the holes in your rexine cover. I had a Columbia portable that suffered from the same abuse and rather than re-cover the entire case, I used a product called Liquid Electrical Tape to brush on the wood and fill the missing places... It worked well for me and you could hardly tell where it had been repaired - definitely a better look than before, if not perfect. If you can't find this exact product, maybe you can find some similar black rubberized coating to use... just a thought.

Thanks!

Also, thanks for the product recomendation. I'll look into it.

Needle is at around - give or take - 75°. And there is probably no way to set it to the "usual" 60°, it has a simple bayonet mount with a simple tone arm, there are no adjustments anywhere.

I got the record on local alternative to eBay and I don't really like it - it is about breaking up with a girl, the man is meeting her for the last time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvkXfKrMszY