The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

So I take apart my motor clean her up regrease, reoil it. Put it together runs go so I thought. Went home yesterday played a couple of albums sounds beautiful then I put an album on and it slows down and stops. Rewind it doesn't play so I change albums and it plays. Put that album on dead. So my question is weak springs,did I possibly mix the springs up are they the same or just don't play those albums on the ix.Thanks in advance for the help
Chris

There are some records that just don't like to play. Aside from the obvious late vinyl records I also found early shellacs that have this problem. My theory is that they got stored too warm over the decades and maybe the groove walls flattened a bit? Maybe they were stored in a large stack and got too warm? I have been able to "fix" mine by only using soft tone needles (thinner) and playing them on a strong motor. They still may not play on a weaker single spring machine though.

Andreas

That can happen when you play records made in the late 40's or 50's. They seem to be made from a softer compound that drags on the needle enough to bring things to a stop. It's not good for the record... Try playing records of the same era as your phonograph.

By the way, when discussing an individual 78, it's referred to as a "record". The binder that they're stored in is an "album".

Not trying to be chastising, just explaining.

WD40 ? 3. Some 78s get dirty with age and can slow down the motor of your gramophone. This is often put down to weakness of the spring, but is often just drag caused by dirt. I find that cleaning the record surface with WD40 usually solves the problem like magic! I know some experts say that you can cause damage to some of the materials used to make certain 78s, but I have never found this to be so. Use very little WD40 and wipe off thoroughly before playing. You will see that the needle becomes clogged with the embedded grime which can easily be wiped off. Another bit of good advice is to "soft" needles which cause less drag and wear

http://www.windupgram.co.uk/hints.htm

Perhaps just properly cleaning the record first with some mild detergent and slightly warm water and a rinse with distilled water would be less harmful than WD-40. I wouldn't let that stuff near anything. It takes 2 minutes to clean a 78. Let it air dry for at least an hour after "drying" and most or all the "grit" and dirt is gone...

Sean

OrthoSean wrote:Perhaps just properly cleaning the record first with some mild detergent and slightly warm water and a rinse with distilled water would be less harmful than WD-40. I wouldn't let that stuff near anything. It takes 2 minutes to clean a 78. Let it air dry for at least an hour after "drying" and most or all the "grit" and dirt is gone...

Sean

The only thing you shouldn't get on to shellac 78s is alcohol ie LP cleaners as it dissolves shellac , water as you say is ok but I would think petroleum based products which I would guess WD40 would do no harm

I think we've had the WD-40 debate before, and it never comes to a resolution. Personally I use nothing but water and rags to clean my 78s and I rarely see any dirt on my needles. WD-40 smells awful and I wouldn't personally use the stuff other than to free up rusty parts as it was intended to do.

The real issue at hand here is that I suspect that the cleanliness of the record is most likely not the cause of the machine stalling. I've played every one of the thousands of pre-1930 discs in my collection and I've never had one stall. More likely, something is out of adjustment, robbing the motor of power. Make sure everything is lubricated adequately, and investigate issues under the turntable, not on top of it. Most properly adjusted Victors should be able to play a slice of tree trunk without stalling.

I totally agree can't be the albums o well back to the drawing board thanks for the help guys Chris (o sorry records )

One thing that comes to mind is the adjustment of the governor shaft. There should be just the tiniest bit of back and forth play in the shaft. If the end bushings are even a little bit snug it will rob significant power from the motor. Another issue that could rob power is the little steel ball bearing in the seat at the bottom end of the spindle. Sometimes that bearing will fall out and not be noticed. Last, be sure the governor brake pads are well oiled and the face of the governor wheel is very smooth.

Good luck! Cliff