The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Just bought a bunch of parts including a box of 5 NOS Thorens crapophone motors. In 1995, they were only $5.00 each.

Now I can make my own crapophones!

Cliff

Pretty neat.
I wonder what could be done with one of those motors? Seems like someone with a motor, a tonearm, time, and plywood could make something like a Consolette pretty easily, and have a good-sounding little machine. Or build a wood cased laptop powered by a generator and phonograph motors. Be ideal for logging on to the Forum!

Oh no 35 more crapophones on the way. Tom B

VanEpsFan1914 wrote:Pretty neat.
I wonder what could be done with one of those motors? Seems like someone with a motor, a tonearm, time, and plywood could make something like a Consolette pretty easily, and have a good-sounding little machine. Or build a wood cased laptop powered by a generator and phonograph motors. Be ideal for logging on to the Forum!

I once had a weird obsession with building a fishing trolling motor out of about 5 4 spring Victrola motors. Thankfully for Victrola collectors, I never did it.

I always thought it would be fun to take a medium-size or large old suitcase such as this one --
-- and turn it into a large portable phonograph, perhaps fitted with a very long -- five foot -- rigid but light weight internal horn with an exponential flare, along with an appropriate sound box and tonearm.

I was wondering, did your motors come with the speed control indicators and cranks?

OF

OrthoFan wrote:I was wondering, did your motors come with the speed control indicators and cranks?

OF

Each has a 5/16" winding shaft with pin, takes a slotted crank. Just motors, no cranks or anything else.

Cliff,

Do your motors have a governor with a tiny PLASTIC bull gear instead of a metal gear? My machine is in another location. It is an early craphophone (LOL), and it is actually very well built. It had a good MODERN wind up motor. Only problem was with the governor. The tiny gear on the governor was made of plastic, and split, and this makes the machine useless. I will try to find the governor and take a picture. I would sure like to fix it and get it on to a better home!! It is the best quality crapophone I have ever seen. American made--at least it looks that way. Even the reproducer was machined on a lathe!


Mike Sorter
Riverside, CA

gsphonos wrote:Cliff,

Do your motors have a governor with a tiny PLASTIC bull gear instead of a metal gear? My machine is in another location. It is an early craphophone (LOL), and it is actually very well built. It had a good MODERN wind up motor. Only problem was with the governor. The tiny gear on the governor was made of plastic, and split, and this makes the machine useless. I will try to find the governor and take a picture. I would sure like to fix it and get it on to a better home!! It is the best quality crapophone I have ever seen. American made--at least it looks that way. Even the reproducer was machined on a lathe!


Mike Sorter
Riverside, CA

Maybe the same guy who made this motor?

Cliff, You really hit the Mother Lode, and struck it rich, with a real Bonanza!!!!! You should sell these on ebay, so other collectors can get their crap-o-phones working. I'll bet you'll make a fortune selling these off.
Harvey Kravitz

That is one nice copy of an Edison Standard motor!!

Mike