Featured Phonograph № 67

[gramophoneshane]

I assume the 'funnel' guides the crank to its socket.

It certainly is Edisone. Many UK Columbia/Garrard motors include the same guide.

Thanks for posting your Columbia 239 Andreas. You dont see a lot of Columbia consoles, and it's nice to see any Columbia without those darn louvers lol. It's always great to get a look at the motor & horn design too. You seldom get to see those unless you actually purchase a machine.
I really like the No.6 soundbox. I used to have a UK table model with a 6, and I dont know if it was my imagination, but I always thought my Columbia acoustic (and even early electric) records sounded better on the Columbia than on any of the similar sized machines I had at the time.

As for the mouldings, I would cast them in plaster of Paris. As long as you add the plaster to water, and not the other way around, you should get a smooth hard casting that can be stained and shellaced easily to match the originals. If you leave the mixture very slightly on the runny side, and pour it into the mould slowly , you shouldn't have any problems with air bubbles getting trapped etc. Just give them a day or 2 to dry thoroughly before staining/finishing. I've come across quite a few phonos & sewing machines that use plaster for the decorative mouldings, although some appear to have had some sort of additional hardener/binder added to the mix. Perhaps a few enquiries at a place that restores decorative antique picture frames, or google, could help there, but in my limited experience, plain old P of P works fine & lasts.
I've had success using plasticine to make a mould, by pressing it onto the original & peeling it off, but with multiple medalions to make, it may be worth visiting your local craft store & getting a latex rubber designed for the purpose, although you still might need to use plasticine (or sand) to support the mould while the plaster sets.

[alang]

Thanks for posting the Columbia, 2 questions:

1. What is the funnel looking duhicky on the bottom of the springs?
2. Was the tone arm pot metal?

Thanks!
Steve

Thanks Steve.

1. The funnel thing is to guide the crank into the threads. Smart and helpful.
2. Yes, the tone arm is pot metal, as is the elbow etc. I tried first WD40 then Liquid Wrench Teflon spray and found that Liquid Wrench works much better than WD40. I had the impression that WD40 makes the pot metal expand even more after a while, while Liquid Wrench creeps in and leaves a dry teflon residue which lubricates very well. After talking it apart I used the Dremel to grind a bit of the expanded pot metal off. It's been working fine ever since.

Andreas

[alang]

Nice looking machine... it looks like you did a great job on it!

I'm reading over the journal article describing the machine. What the heck is a "3-spring A.C. motor"???

Never thought about hooking up a power cord to a spring driven motor, but the idea sounds intriguing.

I am likewise curious about that funnel shaped thing on the motor. Never seen that before!

Thanks Shane.

I wondered the same when I read the article, I think they may have left out an "or", like in a "3-spring or A.C. motor". The other option might be that A.C. was some kind of internal naming convention for Columbia motors? Columbia had all kinds of strange model names etc. Anybody know?

I definitely would not want to hook up a power cord to an all metal motor board...

The funnel is to guide the crank into the thread. Nifty.

Thanks again
Andreas

[alang]

I assume the 'funnel' guides the crank to its socket.

It certainly is Edisone. Many UK Columbia/Garrard motors include the same guide.

Thanks for posting your Columbia 239 Andreas. You dont see a lot of Columbia consoles, and it's nice to see any Columbia without those darn louvers lol. It's always great to get a look at the motor & horn design too. You seldom get to see those unless you actually purchase a machine.
I really like the No.6 soundbox. I used to have a UK table model with a 6, and I dont know if it was my imagination, but I always thought my Columbia acoustic (and even early electric) records sounded better on the Columbia than on any of the similar sized machines I had at the time.

As for the mouldings, I would cast them in plaster of Paris. As long as you add the plaster to water, and not the other way around, you should get a smooth hard casting that can be stained and shellaced easily to match the originals. If you leave the mixture very slightly on the runny side, and pour it into the mould slowly , you shouldn't have any problems with air bubbles getting trapped etc. Just give them a day or 2 to dry thoroughly before staining/finishing. I've come across quite a few phonos & sewing machines that use plaster for the decorative mouldings, although some appear to have had some sort of additional hardener/binder added to the mix. Perhaps a few enquiries at a place that restores decorative antique picture frames, or google, could help there, but in my limited experience, plain old P of P works fine & lasts.
I've had success using plasticine to make a mould, by pressing it onto the original & peeling it off, but with multiple medalions to make, it may be worth visiting your local craft store & getting a latex rubber designed for the purpose, although you still might need to use plasticine (or sand) to support the mould while the plaster sets.

Thanks gramophoneshane.

I often wondered why Columbia went back to doors instead of louvers on these consoles. Probably cheaper to make? Definitely makes it look much nicer.

I agree about the Columbia #6 reproducer, it has a great sound. I think it probably has to do with the larger mica diaphragm, compared to the Victors. The Victor #4 reproducer had the largest mica with 2 ⅛ inch diameter. That is the same diameter like the Columbia Concert Grand had 10 years earlier. The Columbia #6 has a 2 3/16 inch mica, which should result in better sound I think. Most electrical recordings I have sound reasonably well on this reproducer.

Thanks for the tips with the Plaster of Paris, I'll give that a try. I have a friend back in Germany who is a master frame maker, mabe she knows about "secret ingredients".

Thanks again
Andreas

[phonojim]

Nice machine. I had a similar one for a short while about 40 years ago. Nice machine but no place for it then. Plus, at time open horn machines were all the rage and no self-respecting collector wanted a cabinet machine unless it was a Credenza, Edison DD or one of the rare and exotic high end Victors or Columbias.

The louvers were originally designed because Victor rattled their patents at Columbia and I suspect that Victor's patents for sound controlling doors had run out by this time. And that little funnel that guides the crank into place. I wish Victor had used something like that but they probably would have been hauled into court for it.

Those No.6 reproducers are excellent and will play electrically recorded records very well. One reason is the large diameter mica, but I think the thing that makes the most difference is that the needle bar is pvioted on 2 adjustable needle points which gives far less resistance to movement than Victor's spring suspension does on the Exhibition and No.2. I think they took a look at Columbia when they designed the No.4. I love Victor machines but I can't understand why they didn't design a replacement for those primitive Exhibition and No.2 reproducers years before they did. I think they could easily have been building something like the No.4 by 1910 at the latest.

Jim

[alang]

Those No.6 reproducers are excellent and will play electrically recorded records very well. One reason is the large diameter mica, but I think the thing that makes the most difference is that the needle bar is pvioted on 2 adjustable needle points which gives far less resistance to movement than Victor's spring suspension does on the Exhibition and No.2. I think they took a look at Columbia when they designed the No.4. I love Victor machines but I can't understand why they didn't design a replacement for those primitive Exhibition and No.2 reproducers years before they did. I think they could easily have been building something like the No.4 by 1910 at the latest.

Jim

Thanks Jim.

Makes sense that the needle bar connection also makes a big difference. That was probably also covered by Columbia patents, because they already used this same system in the teens for the Concert Grand reproducer. On the other hand, Victor enjoyed such great business growth that they maybe didn't feel the pressure to improve their reproducers dramatically? The same was true for the Gramophone Company in the UK, they still sold new machines with Exhibition soundbox well into the twenties. By that time even the #2 was not really cutting edge anymore. Success makes complacent.

Thanks again
Andreas

[Tinkerbell]

Thanks. I know that consoles are not being held in high regard by collectors, but the fact that it fits right in makes approval by my wife a lot easier.
Andreas

Yes, we women can be fussy like that, and not always easy to understand. Not only a nice phonograph, but a functional piece of furniture to boot.

In the same vein, perhaps this quote sums us women up best:

"To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all." - Helen Rowland

[alang]

[quote="Tinkerbell"To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all." - Helen Rowland [/quote]

Thanks Tinkerbell.

Yes, after 30 years of marriage I learned to be happy to follow my wife instead of trying to understand her.
She on the other hand must love me a lot, because I'm sure she does not understand why suddenly phonographs are muliplying like rabbits in our house.

Andreas

[Tinkerbell]

Thanks Tinkerbell.

Yes, after 30 years of marriage I learned to be happy to follow my wife instead of trying to understand her.
She on the other hand must love me a lot, because I'm sure she does not understand why suddenly phonographs are muliplying like rabbits in our house.

Andreas

I believe that is where the "understanding him a lot" comes in... She doesn't have to agree with it, or even like it, but she understands you.

[Valecnik]

Thanks. I know that consoles are not being held in high regard by collectors, but the fact that it fits right in makes approval by my wife a lot easier.
Andreas

Yes, we women can be fussy like that, and not always easy to understand. Not only a nice phonograph, but a functional piece of furniture to boot.

In the same vein, perhaps this quote sums us women up best:

"To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all." - Helen Rowland

Alan, it does fit right in. It looks like it was designed for that space. I'm forever torn between the pros and cons of having one or two phonos tastefully displayed in an appropriately decorated room and displaying dozens side by side for easy comparison.

Tinkerbell, I don't know Helen Rowland. I assume she's not a phono collector but nevertheless she's incredibly insightful!