The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Energ15 wrote:Does the small wheel underneath the carriage have anything to do with it? It has a flat spot which causes it to not roll.

If you are referring to the wheel on the tensioner, that certainly could be an issue as it is meant to spin freely as it keeps tension on the belt. You may have to replace it if you can't free it up and smooth out the flat spot.

Bill

Is there a belt tensioner on a Model A Home? I'm too lazy to go down in my basement to look but I'm thinking there is not one on the early series of machines. Jerry

Amberola 1-A wrote:

Energ15 wrote:Does the small wheel underneath the carriage have anything to do with it? It has a flat spot which causes it to not roll.

If you are referring to the wheel on the tensioner, that certainly could be an issue as it is meant to spin freely as it keeps tension on the belt. You may have to replace it if you can't free it up and smooth out the flat spot.

Bill

No the tensioner is fine. I'm referring to the very small wheel that the carriage rolls on when lowered onto the record.

Energ15 wrote:

Amberola 1-A wrote:

Energ15 wrote:Does the small wheel underneath the carriage have anything to do with it? It has a flat spot which causes it to not roll.

If you are referring to the wheel on the tensioner, that certainly could be an issue as it is meant to spin freely as it keeps tension on the belt. You may have to replace it if you can't free it up and smooth out the flat spot.

Bill

No the tensioner is fine. I'm referring to the very small wheel that the carriage rolls on when lowered onto the record.

To be truthful, I have no idea what that little wheel is. I don't have one on my Mod. A Home carriage eye or any other Edison cylinder machine here.

Bill

Energ15 wrote:Does the small wheel underneath the carriage have anything to do with it? It has a flat spot which causes it to not roll.

I'm not sure how much that might contribute to the problem; but it may have something to do with it......

Bill

Does the machine work properly without the carriage lowered?

I just got finished cleaning up a suitcase Standard which was missing that little wheel. It had the same problems as yours. I put on a different carriage that had the wheel and it worked much better. I believe when your carriage is sitting on the flat spot, the weight of the carriage is pressing on the feed nut/bar. You need a good wheel so that the carriage is supported on the rail by the wheel in front and on the carriage rod in back. The feed nut/bar should not have any pressure on it. I would replace the wheel. It is screwed on. The screw has a large head and a very narrow slot. I use a carpet knife blade and a pair of pliers to unscrew them if they are stuck.

Steve

I never realized that post was supposed to turn as a wheel. I always thought it was just intended to ride on the knife edge on it's polished radius. That is why I said my HOME A didn't have a wheel. It appears from Energ15's pic, the wheel/post is bent.

This is supposed to spin?

It should spin but is usually stuck because that is a place where lots of oil had been applied and dried over the years. It would not be needed if it didn't spin because Edison could have designed the part below the carriage lever to slide on the rail.

Andersun wrote: It would not be needed if it didn't spin because Edison could have designed the part below the carriage lever to slide on the rail.

And apparently, Edison did just that as evidenced by the way the carriage comes in contact with the knife edge on the B and subsequent models. Perhaps as a cost reduction, he eliminated this feature and went with the simpler polished bottom on the carriage eye. Even though mine is frozen, it never presented a problem while playing as I always kept the bottom of that wheel polished with 0000 steel wool.