The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I need to replace the castors on my Magnola Talking Machine. They are rusted tight. Where should I get them? What type? Tools needed and are they easy to change? I never did these before.

Casters are usually very simple to replace, popping into a metal socket, which is part of the caster assembly, set into a hole drilled into the bottom of legs. If you are lucky yours will be of a type still made and readily available at hardware store. What I do is put one of the originals in my pocket and take with me for comparison at the store. Secondary phonograph makers would most likely have used common, off-the-shelf castors, so they may be out there. There are some types, like Feltoids, that are no longer made though.


If you are looking for originals, you might want to add a picture of the ones that you have in a wanted post in the Yankee Trader section here.

Clay

I found some casters at Menards Hardware....they look right size, but say they hold 40 lbs. I am not sure if these will work, if that is they would hold up 160 lbs with four.

Very often you can find buckets full of vintage casters to sort through at architectural supply stores. A machine like yours probably used a common (at the time) off-the-shelf caster. I would go that route first (if you can) because old ones will look more correct on your machine. Be glad you don't have an Amberola 1A. Those use a special type which go for about $150.00 for a set of four when you can find them.

Jim

I have had good success in restoring rusted casters, mainly because I like the originals and they are made of good steel - much better than modern. To avoid a bunch of differences of opinion, if you would like to know how to do it, PM me...