The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

AlanD wrote:Got it all back together and I was winding the main spring when suddenly there was a loud bang, but thankfully nothing flew apart. Now the spring won't tighten, so apparently the main spring is broken, right?

That is what it sounds like, a broken spring. Springs don't break that often, you just got lucky. Ron Sitko sells nice springs for the best prices you will find. You can search for his name on this website to find his phone number.

Ron Sitko
56 Church Hill Road.
Waterford NY 12188
Telephone (518) 371-8549

Be aware that Ron closes his business every year from Thanksgiving through Christmas.

George P.

I called the number today and got no answer or machine, so he must be closed like you said.

I see Wyatt's has the spring for about $35 (I think), and I've seen the whole spring gear in ebay for about $60.
I'm at a point where I'm wondering if I should continue working on this. I have many antique radios but this is my first and only antique phonograph.
If I continue, I know I will still need a new stylus and horn.
Before the spring broke, I couldn't get the mandrel to spin on its own. I had to keep spinning it by hand. So there might still be work needed on the shaft.

AlanD wrote:Well its been quite a while since I started this thread. Would you believe I've been trying to aquire an affordable reproducer during all this time. Well I finally got one, which needs work in itself, and so I've started reassembling this old barn-found Model D.

Got it all back together and I was winding the main spring when suddenly there was a loud bang, but thankfully nothing flew apart. Now the spring won't tighten, so apparently the main spring is broken, right?

That can happen. The metal just gets tired. I once bought a nice Standard Model D and the spring gave way with the first wind after I got it home.

Hang in their. You are well on your way to having a very nice machine.

Clay

Have you taken the old spring out? A lot of times they will break close to one end. If so, you can cut the broken piece off, and make a new oblong hole if it's at the beginning where it attaches to the spring barrel. If the pin is broken at the barrel, you can use a nail a little larger than the hole, then grind off the access. All you will need is a Dremel. I had the same problems you are having on this one, but finally got it.
Before, After,

Thanks for all the advice and support.
I took the main spring apart but before I got it off the motor frame and apart I noticed it seemed to get tight or tighten if I spun it in one direction ( I think that was backwards) but not in the other direction - if that makes sense.

When I got it apart, it appears that the spring just came disconnected from the center shaft because it just slipped right off.
And the center of the spring doesn't look right to me to attach to the center shaft.

How is it supposed to go and what should it look like? Should the curl in the center of the spring be big enough to accept the center shaft, or should it be that tight?
Thanks for all the expert help!

Alan

The curl should fit the shaft. What you have is too small and you need to reshape it with some pliers. I use two of them, one from each side to form the shape.
Dave

Well it was hard to do, but I bent the curl out enough to let the center shaft fit inside it.
But now I see that the oblong hole that catches the arbor pin is split.

So do I have to release the spring (take it out of the housing) to dremel the end off and make a new arbor hole?

AlanD wrote:Well it was hard to do, but I bent the curl out enough to let the center shaft fit inside it.
But now I see that the oblong hole that catches the arbor pin is split.

So do I have to release the spring (take it out of the housing) to dremel the end off and make a new arbor hole?

Well: that's possible; but you'd have to anneal the end a bit more, which would make the spring shorter and decrease its power. In my humble opinion, your best bet is to replace the spring.

Bill

Lucius1958 wrote: In my humble opinion, your best bet is to replace the spring.

Bill

Roger that.

You can send the entire mainspring & barrel to Ron Sitko after Christmas and he will remove the broken mainspring and install a new one - greased and ready to put in your machine - for around $40-$45. A bargain.

George P.