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Newbie with a Columbia Grafonola
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JohnM
- Victor VI
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Re: Newbie with a Columbia Grafonola
WD-40 is a poor lubricant. It is actually a rust-proofer. If you want to use a penetrating oil, try something intended for the job such as Kroil or Liquid Wrench.
"All of us have a place in history. Mine is clouds." Richard Brautigan
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alang
- VTLA
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Re: Newbie with a Columbia Grafonola
Welcome to the forum Bob.
Yes, your machine sure looks like an Eclipse, which at some point also was called a Model 25. Columbia changed names for models quite frequently and during that time naming a model by its price seemed to have been popular with other phonograph manufacturers as well.
Be very carefull with the tonearm, pot metal crumbles easily. The reproducer is supposed to turn around so the needle bar points upward for loading a new needle. Then it is supposed to slide off. Yes, the little pin is spring loaded, but in your case most likely the pot metal has expanded there as well. I didn't have much success with WD40 and pot metal, sometimes I even had the feeling it made things worse. What helps sometimes is really soaking it in Liquid Wrench dry silicone spray for days. Also putting the whole tonearm assembly into the freezer over night sometimes loosens up the parts. Once you get the parts separated carefully sand or grind off a bit of the swollen pot metal until the parts move freely again. You can find reproducers and even tonearms quite frequently on eBay, most of the time without the elbow, because that is the part that breaks most of the time. There are some part suppliers on the Internet who sell reproduction elbows made from brass and even inserts for the tonearm where it connects to the elbow, but those parts are quite expensive, I think $130 or so.
Can't help you with those specific rubber feet, I've never seen those as replacement. You may have to become creative and rebuild one yourself - or replace all four with similar new parts.
Good Luck!
Andreas
Yes, your machine sure looks like an Eclipse, which at some point also was called a Model 25. Columbia changed names for models quite frequently and during that time naming a model by its price seemed to have been popular with other phonograph manufacturers as well.
Be very carefull with the tonearm, pot metal crumbles easily. The reproducer is supposed to turn around so the needle bar points upward for loading a new needle. Then it is supposed to slide off. Yes, the little pin is spring loaded, but in your case most likely the pot metal has expanded there as well. I didn't have much success with WD40 and pot metal, sometimes I even had the feeling it made things worse. What helps sometimes is really soaking it in Liquid Wrench dry silicone spray for days. Also putting the whole tonearm assembly into the freezer over night sometimes loosens up the parts. Once you get the parts separated carefully sand or grind off a bit of the swollen pot metal until the parts move freely again. You can find reproducers and even tonearms quite frequently on eBay, most of the time without the elbow, because that is the part that breaks most of the time. There are some part suppliers on the Internet who sell reproduction elbows made from brass and even inserts for the tonearm where it connects to the elbow, but those parts are quite expensive, I think $130 or so.
Can't help you with those specific rubber feet, I've never seen those as replacement. You may have to become creative and rebuild one yourself - or replace all four with similar new parts.
Good Luck!
Andreas
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briankeith
- Victor IV
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Re: Newbie with a Columbia Grafonola
Welcome Bob. I have the same machine (different decal though) with the same broken tone arm, except mine is broken inside of the black steel mount which is bolted to the backside of the case, so I just leave it alone since it plays just fine as is. BUT every time I move the machine the darn tonearm falls out of the mount because of the broken pot metal and pin. I hate pot metal more than paying taxes! Brian Keith.
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phonogfp
- Victor Monarch Special
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Norfolkguy
- Victor O
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Re: Newbie with a Columbia Grafonola
Hey Bob, how did your phonograph turn out? It's a beauty, I've always wanted one like that. I just got a Columbia c-2 from one of the members on this forum, and it's awesome. I always had Victor's and an Edison, Columbia's don't turn up here very often. Hope you are loving the hobby as much as I do, it is addictive!
Pat
Pat