The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Regarding the tonearm, you could try and put the whole tonearm assembly with elbow and all into the freezer over night, this sometimes helps to get it moving a bit again. be very gentle, the pot metal crumbles very easily, and then you will need to find a replacement part. I also had good luck soaking it with Liquid Wrench Teflon spray. I prefer it to WD40 because it creates a dry film that permanently lubricates. Once you get the tonearm assembly moving you'll have to decide if it is "loose" enough or if you'll have to completely disassemble and sand down a bit were it's been stuck. Again, all that VERY gentle, takes a lot of patience to get it moving without breaking.

Usually needles that came in the machine have been used already and should be discarded. Every steel needle should be used for only one side, maybe two, but not more. If you only play acoustically recorded records from pre-1926 then you can use Loud, Medium, or Soft tone needles. If you also want to play electrically recorded disks then I would only use Soft tone needles, because they are more flexible and don't blast that much. Fiber/bamboo or thorn needles are another options, but they are expensive and only work well on very good records.

Don't use standard craft store felt for the turntable, that's too thin and looks cheap. Use quality "un-felted" 35% wool felt. A good source is http://www.etsy.com/shop/oneoftheflock, but I'm sure there are others as well. A good color is the "Moss Green" 35% woll felt, but specify that you need it unfelted.

For cleaning the wood you can use products like Kotton Cleanser, or also non-pumice GoJo or GooP hand cleaner. Apply with brush or 0000 steel wool, then after a few miutes wipe of with a soft cloth. Afterwards you can use Kotton Cleanser Protective Wood Feeder or Howards Feed & Wax.

Good Luck
Andreas

I would also buy some timber moulding with a similar profile as pictured below, to attach to the underside of the cabinet, and stain it to match. This will give the cabinet a more professionally finished look where it was amputated, and will stop the timber from chipping and splintering when moved around.

Honda_Kitty wrote:Any other general maintenance?

Besides buying new needles and cleaning up the cabinet, you should lubricate the motor gears. You could buy a tube of light moly grease at an auto supply house for a few bucks. Also, put a drop of sewing machine oil on the felt friction pad that controls the governor (that spinning thing with 3 or 4 weights), and you may find the machine runs longer and smoother.

It would be nice to know what the motivation was for cutting off the record cabinet. The appeal behind an upright would be the fact that one got record storage and a phonograph without sacrificing much floor space. With the record storage gone, it actually takes up more floor space since it would have to sit on a table.

Any possibility that this machine was ever in a flood that would have damaged the bottom beyond repair? What are your mother's earliest recollections of it? Just asking out of curiosity and just plain nosiness.

bbphonoguy wrote:It would be nice to know what the motivation was for cutting off the record cabinet. The appeal behind an upright would be the fact that one got record storage and a phonograph without sacrificing much floor space. With the record storage gone, it actually takes up more floor space since it would have to sit on a table.

Any possibility that this machine was ever in a flood that would have damaged the bottom beyond repair? What are your mother's earliest recollections of it? Just asking out of curiosity and just plain nosiness.

No where my grandfather ever lived was effected by a fire or flood, I'm not sure about his mother's house but unfortunately he passed last Christmas so that information is lost for now and my grandmother has Alzheimer's ...

I want to believe that when he came home from the war he decided to either bring it from PA to his new home in OH, or have it put on the rail and cutting it up made it easier to transport. That's my romantic view of it at least...

I had success with the arm. I took it off, WD-40'd it (it was all I had in the house) and then chucked it in the freezer for a bit)...tried it out on a beat up record and I get sound but the needle is a disaster so I didn't push trying to play it long.

I conditioned the cabinet after cleaning it lightly with some wood soap and it's a 110% better. Ordering needles this week

I found a full cabinet a few miles from where I live on Craigslist cheap...tempted to buy it but the real appeal to this piece, for me, is my family so I don't think purchasing a complete cabinet would make me any more happy at this juncture...maybe one day

Honda_Kitty wrote:
I found a full cabinet a few miles from where I live on Craigslist cheap...tempted to buy it but the real appeal to this piece, for me, is my family so I don't think purchasing a complete cabinet would make me any more happy at this juncture...maybe one day

You have discovered one of the many joys of antique phonographs. It doesn't matter how it looks, it only matters what it means and the enjoyment you derive from it. Enjoy!