The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Just called the glass shop. It’s done, BUT…

The center hole isn’t drilled to the correct diameter and needs to be enlarged. She’s going to tend to that today, plus do a concentricity test to assure everything is centered. So maybe we’ll be done tomorrow or Thursday.

Wheeeee.

Should we hold our breath? Wheeze...

Still no news at close of business Thursday. Sigh.

Annnnnd another week has passed. Called yesterday afternoon and the only notes on my ticket were concerning the center hole and that it needed to be enlarged, which we already knew.

A factor that is likely causing the delay is that the specialty work like this gets subbed out to a “factory” (their term) which is a good distance away. There would thus be complications related to drop off and pick up times.

I’m just biding my time. I like these people and trust that we will get it right soon.

It probably has to be remade, since it is difficult to accurately enlarge/reposition an existing hole, especially in glass...

I was in the neighborhood of the glass shop yesterday, so dropped in to ask.

They all have a terrible stomach bug, which has slowed matters.

They have sent the platter back to the “factory” where the special stuff gets done. Turns out that although an existing hole can be enlarged by just using a larger bit - operated under a constant stream of cooling water - after the glass has been tempered no changes can be made. Supposedly they will try anyway, and remake it once again if necessary.

So it’s supposed to be back, 4th try, on Friday.

…and then I got a call from them this morning! I went over there and picked it up, brought it home, put it on the phonograph, and…

Bingo, all set, finally! It fits right, looks great and is dimensionally correct.

So nice to complete a project like this, especially considering how long it took.

It looks great... nice restoration. I've always wanted one. Now for some multi-color strobe lights...

Way cool. Any chance you could take a video of it playing for us in this complete condition?

There is already one mov video in his post! The machine plays marvelously