Edison Home Slows and Stops

[JerryVan]

Can you show us a photo of the cone/horn? Or, at least give us some dimensions of it, such as diameter at the "big" end and overall length?

Maybe he is trying to use a larger horn with no crane?

Yup. That's my thought too.

[jchawner]

Thanks for all your replies. My delayed response is simply because I don't work on my Edison too often.

Also, sorry about cone vs horn. It is the horn. And I think it's the original that came with the phonograph.

Photo is attached.

It just seems to me that its weight is putting a drag on the reproducer and then onto the cylinder which brings it to a halt.

Thoughts?

[paradroid1793]

Maybe it's the motor springs- but when I had a similar problem on my Amberola 30 I went through and removed all old/hardened oil & grease on the motor gears and mainspring. After that I applied motor oil- straight 30 Penzoil.

[Lucius1958]

Let's review: Mandrel end bearings too tight?
Half nut pressure okay or not?
Shafts & straight edge smooth?
Old grease/weak spring?

- Bill

[JohnM]

One thing that I haven’t seen mentioned is that the half-nut has to be aligned to the feedscrew (not “lead screw”). Slightly loosen the two screws that secure the half-nut to the half-nut bar. Lower the carriage so that the half-nut contacts the feedscrew. Gently press down on the half-nut bar to ensure that the half-nut and feedscrew are fully engaged and re-tighten the two screws. Also, while using a Zoom-spout oiler is a great idea, using Zoom-spout oil is not. Zoom-spout brand oil is not very highly-refined. Go to a sewing/quilting store and find sewing machine oil packaged in a Zoom-spout container and use that. Sewing machine oil is highly-refined and won’t oxidize rapidly and become gummy like the Zoom-spout brand oil. It’s the handy oiling container that you want, not the oil,

[JerryVan]

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[Jerry B.]

The half nut adjustment is a very fine adjustment. A quarter turn of the adjustment screw is a HUGE adjustment. I suggest you back the adjustment screw off a bit. Next slide a cylinder on the mandrel. Next start the machine and lower the carriage with reproducer down to the cylinder. It should play a few groves and start to repeat them. Next lift the carriage and turn the adjustment screw clockwise a tiny amount, Repeat this process until the carriage, in the lower position, starts playing the cylinder more than the few groves where it skipped.

(I did not carefully read all the above helpful comments. If I am repeating someone else's advice please forgive me. )

Jerry B.

[jchawner]

Maybe it's the motor springs- but when I had a similar problem on my Amberola 30 I went through and removed all old/hardened oil & grease on the motor gears and mainspring. After that I applied motor oil- straight 30 Penzoil.

I am trying to avoid doing anything to the mainspring as it seems to be a complex operation. I did clean and regrease/oil the gears.

[jchawner]

Let's review: Mandrel end bearings too tight?
Half nut pressure okay or not?
Shafts & straight edge smooth?
Old grease/weak spring?

- Bill

I have already adjusted the mandrel end bearings so I don't think they're too tight. A cylinder will play all the way through as long as the horn is not on the reproducer. Add the horn and the thing slows to a halt within 30 seconds or less.

I believe the half nut pressure is OK based on the ability to play w/o the horn.

I believe the shafts and straight edge are smooth (and oiled).

I cannot judge the strength or weakness of the spring. It probably has old grease because I didn't open its case simply to keep this project simple.

[jchawner]

One thing that I haven’t seen mentioned is that the half-nut has to be aligned to the feedscrew (not “lead screw”). Slightly loosen the two screws that secure the half-nut to the half-nut bar. Lower the carriage so that the half-nut contacts the feedscrew. Gently press down on the half-nut bar to ensure that the half-nut and feedscrew are fully engaged and re-tighten the two screws. Also, while using a Zoom-spout oiler is a great idea, using Zoom-spout oil is not. Zoom-spout brand oil is not very highly-refined. Go to a sewing/quilting store and find sewing machine oil packaged in a Zoom-spout container and use that. Sewing machine oil is highly-refined and won’t oxidize rapidly and become gummy like the Zoom-spout brand oil. It’s the handy oiling container that you want, not the oil,

Well, too late on the Zoom-spout oil/oiler thing. I probably misunderstood the previous advice and that's the oil I used.

I'll take another look at the half nut and lead screw. It seems like a black art. It's worth noting that the cylinder plays find as long as I only use the reproducer. As soon as I set the horn on the reproducer it won't play for more than 20-30 seconds.