Victor "fat arm" - gooseneck modification ?

[De Soto Frank]

I was playing my 1918 Victrola XI this morning, and really noticed today the narrow angle between the needle and the groove as the reproducer moves across the face of the record. ( Looking down on top of the platter )

In a perfect world (?), the plane of the diaphragm should be parallel to the grooves when the needle is about ½-way across the face of the record.

At least one member here has made a custom bayonet mounting bushing, essentially "twisting" the reproducer with respect to the gooseneck, so that the angle is improved.

Has anyone tried to "spread" the arms of the U-tube / gooseneck to improve the tracking angle ?

I am wondering if the tubing could be heated, and carefully bent open ?

[Curt A]

I have been pondering that exact same thing... An approx. 15 degree angle would accomplish this and be more like a modern turntable arm and cartridge. Along with that, a movable balance weight on a rod (which was pictured in a previous thread), would reduce the drag on the record. Both mods are (in my mind) easy to accomplish, but the proper way to spread the U 15 degrees has eluded me so far. I'm afraid that heating the gooseneck and trying to re-bend it without some type of reinforcement would result in a creased/collapsed bend. I was thinking of using a spring of the same inside diameter to fill the tube before bending to avoid collapse, which might be possible or filling the tube with sand... anything to put pressure from the inside during bending to prevent creasing or collapse might work...

The other choice would be to fabricate a replacement tube using brass tubing of the correct diameter and initially bending it to the correct angle. Making the slot for the reproducer would not be hard, nor would drilling the hole for sound on the other end, but not sure how to get the correct internal thread for fitting the cap.

[Lucius1958]

I would not advocate altering an original part such as a gooseneck. Perhaps a skilled machinist could fabricate a replacement with the improved offset: I know Eric Reiss mentioned this possibility a long time ago. Otherwise, the best way is to re-engineer the flange or isolator on the soundbox.

Bill

[De Soto Frank]

That's why one of my first steps is to ask... to see if anyone here has already trod this primrose path...


IF I do go experimenting, I will be doing so with a spare part, hopefully one already with issues...

I am pretty sure that any heating significant enough to facilitate bending will also be enough to damage the nickel plating...

Also need to be careful not to buckle or tear the gooseneck where the metal is being re-formed.


I may take it to one of the fellows who repairs band instruments locally and see what he thinks.

The metal is MUCH thicker than that used in a trombone or tuba...


Little by slow...