The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I ran across an oak Edison A100 Diamond Disc project at a good price at a local auction. Save for a little veneer loss on the lid to be patched the cabinet is all there and good, including one of the aftermarket record storage drawers. No sawed off legs on this one!

However, much of the metal work is rusted. As a result of that I am replacing (among other things) the reproducer lift lever mechanism. After removing the pin and taking off the rusted metal piece where the lever pivots I notice that there is a spring sticking out of a hole in the rod that runs down to the horn below. (See photo.) So far I have not found a diagram of this assembly. Was there a steel ball or anything in the end of the spring to make it slide easily along the inside of the metal housing?

Clay

Frankly, that does not look like any DD lift lever I have ever seen...

As the A-100 was introduced in 1915, it would have, despite the nomenclature, used a standardized Type B motor.

Bill

Bill, the picture is not of the lever. It is what is under the lever, which most people never see. The spring provides tension to make the lever rotate smoothly without play. You can not see it until the lever itself is removed. My hope is that someone else has had the occasion to replace the lever and can let me know if there should be a bearing ball at the outer end of the spring.

Clay

FloridaClay wrote: After removing the pin and taking off the rusted metal piece where the lever pivots I notice that there is a spring sticking out of a hole in the rod that runs down to the horn below. (See photo.) So far I have not found a diagram of this assembly. Was there a steel ball or anything in the end of the spring to make it slide easily along the inside of the metal housing?

Clay

Hi Clay, here's a picture of one disassembled. There's a metal plug on the end of the spring to give you the tension on the lift lever.
This is a pretty strong spring. It may be possible when you took yours apart the plug came out, with out you noticing it. Maybe its laying around your work bench.

Larry Crandell

Thanks Larry!! It probably went flying off when I pulled off the lever mount -- to that secret place missing bits we drop go to hide. If I can't find it, it should be fairly easy to find something to substitute.

Clay

A small screw with the head ground flat should work just as well.

FloridaClay wrote:Bill, the picture is not of the lever. It is what is under the lever, which most people never see. The spring provides tension to make the lever rotate smoothly without play. You can not see it until the lever itself is removed. My hope is that someone else has had the occasion to replace the lever and can let me know if there should be a bearing ball at the outer end of the spring.

Clay

I see now. The photo looked to me like a wooden knob...

Bill

hearsedriver wrote:A small screw with the head ground flat should work just as well.

That's what I was thinking.

Clay