The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Jerry and Jeff hit it right on the nose. If you've got the right screwdriver you really won't need anything else. I bought a screw driver with a large handle and ground the tip down until it fit just right, nice and snug. Those little watch screw drivers are useless here, you can't get a good enough grip on them unless you grab the handle with a pair of channel locks. If you're going to be doing this often it's time to customize a screwdriver just for this type of work. Good luck and let us know what works!

Yes, a good hand grip is essential!

Thanks again for all of the replies. Haven't posted since I haven't been able to get back in the shop yet. Mabe today or tomorrow. I will let you know how I make out.

Dale H

It worked!

Heat with low flame from a propane torch, Kroil, rap with brass hammer, repeat. Both are apart now. The gasket in the #2 is surprisingly supple, but the ones in the exhibition are petrified. Mica in the exhibition is good, some delamination in the #2. Both will need new resilient mounting thingies and both of the springs in the #2 are broken.

Thanks, guys.

Dale H

Great news!

The other thing that wasn't mentioned here, is not to put so much force on the screw that it twists off.
I just dealt with a reproducer where a screw was twisted flush with the body _ a real pain in the ass to deal with.

Tell me about it, Jeff. A previous owner twisted off one of the screws on the #2 flush just like you said. I was going to ask if there anything that can be done or if I just need to live with it. But, since you brought it up, what did you do? Pretty sure I don't have an E Z out small enough.

Dale H

dale h wrote: Mon Feb 28, 2022 10:05 am Tell me about it, Jeff. A previous owner twisted off one of the screws on the #2 flush just like you said. I was going to ask if there anything that can be done or if I just need to live with it. But, since you brought it up, what did you do? Pretty sure I don't have an E Z out small enough.

Dale H

E-Z outs are a waste of time, they just snap off or strip them selves in the screw, even if you could find one small enough.

There is no easy way of dealing with a twisted screw, if you get it out, it's mainly luck.

I tried using a Dremel cut-off wheel to make a new slot, but the wheel was too thick and just made a mess.
I then tried centre drilling it, but the drill just wandered off to the side and went into the surrounding brass.
I let that happen and drilled another hole opposite to that one, I was using a number 57 wire drill, don't use drill bits from China.
It's becoming a challenge to find good drill bits.
I took a small punch with a blunt end and started to move the broken screw sideways back and forth, eventually it became loose enough where I could get a small pair of tweezers on it and work it out.

This left the hole a bit mangled, but it still accepted a longer screw, but I wasn't satisfied with the sloppy hole, so I got a new long steel or stainless steel screw, not brass.
Used a syringe to fill the hole with epoxy, I then took the new steel screw and coated it in Vaseline and screwed into the hole filled with epoxy.
I left it for a number of days so the epoxy will totally harden up, once it's set, I threaded the screw out, this leaves some descent threads to work with.
I cleaned them up further using a new tap, I could have just left it with out tapping though.

The other thing is to use a Helicoil, and they do make them that small, or in my case, I can make an insert on my lathe.
The problem with Helicoil's and inserts, is the lack of surrounding material on the reproducer rings, but there may be just enough to get the job done.

A drill press is a given to deal with stuff like this.

I once was able to drill a bit on the screw bolt, then insert a very small watchmakers' screwdriver inside the hole, and managed to extract it with no harm. I still keep the beheaded screw as a testimony for posterity...

Left handed drill bits help as well.