The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi Everyone,
I received my feed nut for my Home 2/4min Model B, and have finished putting everything back together again. Now, in 2 min mode, the phonograph works perfectly; it plays through a record beautifully. In 4 min mode, however, the phonograph either feed nut skips (the carriage doesn't move, so the feed nut is lifted up out of the feed screw threads) or the carriage advances but the motor bogs down and stops. With no horn (I'm using a 14” witches hat horn) the carriage advances properly in 4 min mode.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Benjamin

Benjamin,
The 2,4 minute clutch can be the most aggravating thing in the Phonograph to get right. If you do a search in Machines you can find Wyatts help on this. What I can tell you is that the collar, that piece that sits on the left on the mandrel bearing has a dimple on the shaft and it has to be aligned correctly. Keep messing with it and sooner or later you will get it.

Thanks, I had seen that dimple but had just thought that it was from somebody overtightening the set screw, and didn't think that the shaft was made like that.

Here are the instructions from Wyatts. It will help.
http://www.wyattsmusical.com/2-4mech.html

Thanks so much for your help amberola! The phonograph now plays excellently in both modes, with or without a horn. One other question I had: how much can you wind a phoograph? I'm guessing that the spring will be tightly coiled and you will no longer be able to wind when it is fully ound. Is it advisable to fully wind a phonograph?

benjaminh wrote: One other question I had: how much can you wind a phoograph? I'm guessing that the spring will be tightly coiled and you will no longer be able to wind when it is fully ound. Is it advisable to fully wind a phonograph?

You can fully wind your phonograph as long as you don't force it once it's fully wound. For a Home B, you should be able to go about 35 crank revolutions from a fully unwound mainspring.

You might enjoy this article (and others) on the Antique Phonograph Society website:

http://www.antiquephono.org/basic-antiq ... onal-tips/

George P.

Turning the crank "x" number of times will vary for different machines and will only work consistently to prevent overwinding if you start from completely unwound.

After a while you acquire a feel by torque for how much to wind up a spring and can tell when the resistance suddenly becomes much greater, signalling that you have wound it completely to the breaking point. I typically wind up a spring 80-90% rather than test the spring's absolute limits. In nearly 50 years, I have lost only two springs, and those were while the record was playing, rather than while the machine being wound.

Benjamin,
Glad you got her running.What was the problem?
Ronnie

It was the alignment that was the problem; I followed Wyatt's instructions, and lubrictaed the inside of the feed screw, and it's working just fine now.

Again, Thanks so much for your help!