The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I'm rebuilding one of these reproducers. What is the best way
to melt the wax in order to seal the front and back of the junction where the needle bar meets the mica? Thanks

Bill K

Victor instructions say to heat in the flame of your handy workbench Bunsen burner the tip of the special tool, which looks like an ordinary awl, and touch it to a little ball of wax which you have previously prepared for the purpose and placed at the diaphragm end of the needle bar. You should do this front and back, by the way. Lacking the special tool and the Bunsen, you could use the flame from a lighter and an awl. Preferably use brown beeswax, which may be available at craft stores or from local sources like beekeepers.

Thanks Henry. I actually have a ball of bees wax from years ago. Hope my nerves are steady enough to avoid putting another hole in the mica.

Bill K

A "pencil"-type soldering iron will also work - 25 watts or so. Wipe hot tip with damp paper-towel to remove any excess solder residue.

Pencil soldering is my method as well. I form a small circle with the wax (like a tiny pie) and I make one slice from center to edge. I then slip the slit down over needle bar/mica. I then use the solder tool and just tap, tap, tap on the needle bar, do not keep steady heat on it. With the tap method you will see it melt out in a neat circle.

a12548 wrote:Pencil soldering is my method as well. I form a small circle with the wax (like a tiny pie) and I make one slice from center to edge. I then slip the slit down over needle bar/mica. I then use the solder tool and just tap, tap, tap on the needle bar, do not keep steady heat on it. With the tap method you will see it melt out in a neat circle.

Thanks, my wax job leaves a lot to be desired, not uniform as I would have liked. Guess I will pick up a pencil iron and practice. Cheers

Bill K

When I rebuilt my Exhibition, I must have used too much beeswax, as the melted stuff formed a larger circle (about 5/16" x ⅜" diameter) than I had envisioned; the wax also migrated through the center hole and settled nicely around and over the tiny screw in the back. All this turned out to be serendepitious (is that a word?? what I mean is "favorable by chance/dumb luck"), as the sound from this box is really alive and present. I believe that the larger circle of wax transfers the needle bar vibrations to the diaphragm more efficiently than a smaller blob would have.

Well that worked out well for you. That is what happened to me, too much wax even though I was careful. I tried my rebuild on a machine with the same reproducer and it sounded the same as the one I replaced. Of course at 75 the quality of my hearing has diminished somewhat. Wonder how it was done at the factory... Have a good week.

Bill K