The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Several months ago, my brother was going to craft some reproduction spindle gears for Heineman motors. As most know, the originals are fibre and many have worn down by now. He has been busy with so many projects in making fountain pens, duck calls and the like.

I have contemplated making some in resin, preferably in neoprene plastic. I am not certain what the interest would be in a replacement gear of this type? I do not wish to make too many as the demand may not be great. If demand is good, I would start the mould making process and so forth. I would anticipate my charge for this type of gear in neoprene would be $ 25.00 post paid, as time and supplies also cost.

Jerry

Can you post a photo of the gear you're referring to?

These things were made of the same thing that most circuit boards are made of; in fact the camshaft timing gears on Ford Model T's were also made of it. In the past I made some of plexiglass which I clamped between the two brass ends of the gear and filed the teeth into it using the brass gear ends as a template for a Rischell. It worked just fine.

Has anybody investigated doing these kinds of things on a 3-D printer? On the surface, assuming the material they use would be tough enough, it would seem to be just what the doctor ordered. Once an original was scanned and captured, they could be spit out at will at fairly low cost.

Clay

I wonder if laser cut billet aluminum would work as a replacement and be less noisy than brass?

I thought I read in Eric Reiss' book "Compleat Talking Machine", that Victor used some of these Fibre gears in their machines.

Again, can you post a photo????

Here is a photo of the fiber gear on the shaft.

Orthophonic wrote:These things were made of the same thing that most circuit boards are made of; in fact the camshaft timing gears on Ford Model T's were also made of it. In the past I made some of plexiglass which I clamped between the two brass ends of the gear and filed the teeth into it using the brass gear ends as a template for a Rischell. It worked just fine.

Does the plexiglass gears work smooth and quiet?

Jerry

It did, Jerry. Worked really well.