The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I wonder what the life expectancy of reproducer gaskets is: a couple of my machines have replacement gaskets that are probably 25 years old or so...

Bill

I've found that the gasket material (specifically the white tubing) made around 20-30 years ago is starting to yellow and harden a bit, but who knows if it is the same composition as what we have today. I'd imagine changing the gaskets every few decades would be sufficient for optimum performance.

What I've discovered to help dried gaskets is let them soak for a bit. If you let them soak in a little tub of water for awhile and dry them a little, it really helps. I have some old gaskets because of this method.

Benjamin_L wrote:What I've discovered to help dried gaskets is let them soak for a bit. If you let them soak in a little tub of water for awhile and dry them a little, it really helps. I have some old gaskets because of this method.

I'm not sure what the benefit of saving old gaskets would be, aside from the needle, they are probably the cheapest part on a phonograph to replace, and have a huge impact on sound quality. I'd say just get new.

I'd imagine that reconditioning gaskets would be helpful for back flanges and unusual gaskets like the red ones on the back of the Columbia Viva-tonal reproducers. Also off-brand reproducers doesn't always use normal gaskets from what I've seen. But how much does soaking a gasket help and how long do these benefits last?
-Tom

I wasn't going to chime in on this, but Tom's comment on off-brand (off-size) gaskets put the spurs to me.

I too am at a loss as to how "soaking" old gaskets would help them - - if we're talking about water.

However, in 1998 I purchased a very unusual off-brand machine whose sound box uses large (thick) gaskets. Although they were slightly hardened, resulting in rattling during play, I was reluctant to remove them because I couldn't replace them. After thinking over the problem for a few days (a practice I've come to HIGHLY recommend!), I decided there was nothing to lose by soaking the gaskets in something that restores rubber, vinyl, etc. I removed the sound box, poured a few drops of Armor-All into the neck of the sound box, then held it in a vertical position. A little puddle of Armor-All was present behind the diaphragm, submerging the inner gasket for perhaps an inch or so. I slowly revolved the sound box in my fingers for a few minutes - - soaking the entire gasket inside the sound box. To my surprise, the puddle behind the diaphragm became smaller and smaller as I revolved it, until it disappeared. The inner gasket had absorbed the Armor-All.

Then I brushed Armor-All along the outside of the outer gasket. This too formed a puddle (although smaller) over the outer gasket and part of the outer surface of the diaphragm. By holding the sound box at a 45-degree angle and slowing rotating it while maintaining that angle, the outer gasket soaked up the Armor-All too. I let the sound box sit overnight.

The next morning, the thing played records just fine, and all these years later, it still does.

George P.

I would say that most gaskets probably last at least 30 years, but would say replace gaskets every 20 years, I recently replaced some in a Victrola that I rebuilt 20 years ago. I just figure that 20 years is a long time for something that just takes a couple bucks and minimal time to replace.