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I'm having trouble with figuring out how to disassemble the motor on this phonograph. I've attached a picture of the motor (just taken from the web). I've let the motor run down, and have removed the governor, but can't figure out how to get any of the other gears out.

This is the first Columbia motor I've worked on, and it's just not put together like the Edison's I'm used too...

Any help/directions?

Although not the same motor, there's an excellent slide show on the Antique Phonograph Society's web site showing the complete disassembly of a BK(T) Graphophone. 104 slides, done by Fran Pratt. You can access it from the "Videos" tab on the APS home page, or here:

http://www.antiquephono.org/videos/

Hope this helps.

George P.

Thanks George, that answered all my questions. I would have never guessed how to do this dissasembly...

Benjamin

You're welcome, but don't thank me - thank Fran and the APS!

George P.

Thanks for the kind words, George!

Benjamin, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me. The gear-train/governor section of the two motors (my BKT and your BF) look very similar to one another; if not identical.

Best,
Fran

Thanks Fran, will do. I think that the gear train is identical. Once I had seen how to remove the intermediate gear and spring barrels by driving out that long rod, everything was pretty obvious from then on. It was just that one step that I couldn't figure out.

Benjamin

benjaminh wrote:Thanks Fran, will do. I think that the gear train is identical. Once I had seen how to remove the intermediate gear and spring barrels by driving out that long rod, everything was pretty obvious from then on. It was just that one step that I couldn't figure out.

Benjamin

Did you go to the very end of the slideshow to see the correct procedure for adjusting the governor after re-assembly? I probably should have placed that section at the very beginning...

Best,
Fran

Yes, I saw that.

Another question: when I wind this four spring motor, after about every 10 cranks, the center two springs spin about one rotation. Is this normal?

Benjamin

benjaminh wrote:Another question: when I wind this four spring motor, after about every 10 cranks, the center two springs spin about one rotation. Is this normal?

Benjamin

As you can see, the center two spring barrels are connected so those two mainsprings will act in concert. If either or both mainsprings have slightly hardened lubricant, the connected spring barrels will behave that way. About one rotation of inertia isn't bad, and with use it may well improve.

George P.