The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Here is a rather extreme but interesting example of how some Mazak (Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Aluminium, Tin, Cadmium and sometimes Lead, Iron and Nickel alloy, "pot-metal", "monkey-metal" etc) items can "grow" and distort over the years if incorrectly constituted. The original soundbox case was, in fact, circular but has changed shape to that resembling a square. It is fascinating to see how the four fixing screws have proved strong enough to restrain the rim which has been otherwise allowed to change shape freely.

That's fascinating. I hate the stuff and I have to deal with it regularly in a non-phonograph context. I've told you folks before my woes with it as a piano technician. Young Chang had a particularly vile concoction that they used for grand action frames in the early 1990's. Those pot metal brackets just keep growing and growing. I have clients who will NOT get them replaced for their own parsimonious reasons. Several have pianos with actions that now are virtually impossible to remove in order to repair. " But...but....it's a new piano!" they bleat. I've been telling them for ten years that they would eventually reach a point of no return, but who listens to their tuner?
JRT

I have Lionel Trains which have the same problem

In a similarly annoying fashion some old plastics have a habit of turning into either a brittle powdery substance or a sticky oily jelly- and these are distinct from Nitrocellulose which has its own problems.

Yes, the drive wheels of 1920s/30s Lionel trains are notorious for pot metal. Fortunately, high quality replacements are readily available and cheap.

I have a nice old 1940s National arch-top guitar whose plastic tuning pegs are slowly cracking and falling apart - just like pot metal. I've owned the guitar for about 30 years; when I got it only one peg was going bad. They're all deteriorating now.

George P.

Lenoirstreetguy wrote: Young Chang had a particularly vile concoction that they used for grand action frames in the early 1990's. Those pot metal brackets just keep growing and growing. I have clients who will NOT get them replaced for their own parsimonious reasons. Several have pianos with actions that now are virtually impossible to remove in order to repair. " But...but....it's a new piano!" they bleat. I've been telling them for ten years that they would eventually reach a point of no return, but who listens to their tuner?
JRT

I used to sell pianos around that time. The name Young Chang still gives me chills. We used to keep one in the store as an example of how NOT to build a piano. Thanks for the memories

Torjazzer wrote:

Lenoirstreetguy wrote: Young Chang had a particularly vile concoction that they used for grand action frames in the early 1990's. Those pot metal brackets just keep growing and growing. I have clients who will NOT get them replaced for their own parsimonious reasons. Several have pianos with actions that now are virtually impossible to remove in order to repair. " But...but....it's a new piano!" they bleat. I've been telling them for ten years that they would eventually reach a point of no return, but who listens to their tuner?
JRT

I used to sell pianos around that time. The name Young Chang still gives me chills. We used to keep one in the store as an example of how NOT to build a piano. Thanks for the memories

My parents used to have a Young Chang, my dad didn't like it & finally got a Steinway which he loves. I'll mention this thread next time we talk.