The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Since this repair is a slightly complicated one......I thought I would put the question out to the members as to where a good place to go to have this back bracket repaired to an almost invisible state would be.

There is a crack and three holes that would need to be "restored". The holes can be filled. The trick is recreating the pattern in order to blend in.
Does any member know a person that specializes in this kind of welding??.
Of course the material in question is "cast iron" with a nickel plate.

The key here is, keeping this bracket as original as possible.

My own thoughts are to add two steel pins "internally" to provide tensile strength. However, lining up the pins is crucial and could be difficult. Any info would be appreciated. You can even PM me.

I don't think you'll like this answer, but I would leave it as-is...

Even though it is broken and repaired, the repair is very old, and pretty darned well-done... an example of the blacksmith's art.


If it were my machine, I would leave this alone, and search for an undamaged back-bracket.


That said, Mica-Monster seems to have had some success repairing broken cast-iron with some sort of nickle-alloy rod...


My 2-cents worth...

I too would suggest leaving it alone. The chance of ruining it irreparably would be too great. It's part of the machine's history. Anything more that's done to it will only remove more original surface finish and material.

I agree. Someone in the past took a lot of trouble over that repair.

I suppose it wouldn't be cheap, but there ought to be a foundry somewhere that could make a sand casting using the pieces as a pattern for the sand mold.

Ditto all advice so far. That very neat repair is much stronger than the original casting (cast iron is brittle!). Notice how the artisan matched the curvature of the bracket, rounded over the edges, and used flush rivets---all indicative of a mechanic who really "knew his stuff."

I would have to agree with keeping it as is for now and looking for an original replacement bracket. Maybe someone on the Yankee Trader section will offer one.