The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have this slotted crank and it has broken. I was thinking could it be welded back?

With the right person, anything can be fixed!

It certainly could be mig welded, or done with a nickel rod. A good welder would bevel the edges, align it together very rigidly before welding, then very carefully grind, file and sand the welded joint down. I've done this countless times with antique car parts.

WOW you got a strong arm Amberola

I fixed one like that before by drilling 2 or 3 small holes (across from each other as closely as possible), then using a paperclip, or other such material, and cutting to fit in the holes, and then using some JB weld, putting it together and letting it dry thoroughly!! This keeps the originality of the crank (you don't have to repaint anything after welding and grinding). That would be my first avenue of repair. If it didn't work or broke, then I could try the other way listed above....

Mike Sorter

This guy does really nice work. I've had him repair some stove parts for me on my baseburner and when he's done and it's re-painted, you cannot tell where he's been. He is kind of expensive, but the stove has been heating my house now for 4-5 years now and it looks just as good now, as the day he did it. He mostly does antique car manifolds, but will repair about anything that's in his "line". Very nice guy and really likes working on pre-WWI Buick engines of all things. Good luck with it now. You'll probably have to remove the bail as he bakes cast iron (or at least he did on my stove parts) as part of the welding process.

http://www.castmetalwelding.com/

A patient search for a spare might behoove you

gsphonos wrote:I fixed one like that before by drilling 2 or 3 small holes (across from each other as closely as possible), then using a paperclip, or other such material, and cutting to fit in the holes, and then using some JB weld, putting it together and letting it dry thoroughly!! This keeps the originality of the crank (you don't have to repaint anything after welding and grinding). That would be my first avenue of repair. If it didn't work or broke, then I could try the other way listed above....

Mike Sorter

That's not a bad idea. It is a clean break. When it was shipped, they left the crank in the machine? When I unpacked it, I had 2 pieces.

Must have been an Ebay seller - we all know here to remove the crank when shipping as well as tonearms, etc.

brian,
It would be fairer to say "Must have been an unknowing Ebay Seller". I say that because I know there are many Sellers who are phonograph collector's, and I believe they would know enough to remove the crank for shipping.