The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I just picked up an Edison C-19 needing some TLC and the diamond disc reproducer is not coming off. The lock ring is not moving at all. The reproducer guide pin is stuck half way in the lock ring. Last night I sprayed some PB Blaster penetrating oil around the front and back of the joint including the area around the guide pin and tried to turn the lock ring this morning with no luck. I sprayed some more penetrating oil around the joint and will let it soak until I get back to it this evening.

Is it okay to grab the lock ring with a pipe wrench or vice grips to try and turn it gently? I just don't want to break anything.

I would appreciate any feedback with regard to this issue.

Thanks!

AR

I would use a strap wrench, but nothing with metal jaws or teeth. I would also use a plastic screwdriver handle and tap around the collar and see if that breaks anything loose.

Try wrapping a heavy cloth, like a damp wash cloth, (damp so easier to grip) around it and try to twist back and forth with your hand. I've had the same problem and loosed them up that way. If you once get it slightly loose, you can keep turning it back and forth so it slowly becomes free.

If you use some sort of wrench directly on the ring you'll chew it all up and also risk breaking that brass ring loose from the neck loose from the neck.

Heat it with a good hair dryer, that might expand it a little to loosen it.

If you wrapped some heavy leather or thick canvas around the ring first you could use a small pipe wrench. But don't go nuts with it! You don't want to rip the neck off the horn. Just be reasonable in the force you use.

Something I do that seems to work a lot is take a can of 'computer duster' type spray, turn it upside down, and spray the heck out of the stuck parts. This super-freezes the metal and causes it to shrink. This tends to separate the stuck parts somewhat. Wait until the metal warms back up to room temperature then try to take it off. Hope this works!

BE SURE NOT TO TOUCH THE SUPER-FROZEN METAL UNTIL IT WARMS UP A BIT. It will cause freeze burns that are just as painful as heat burns.

Cliff

Two of my three Edisons with the larger horns had that issue. Don't know why? It seemed that the arm was just too tight. Once you get it loose use some very fine black finishing sandpaper to work around the reproducer end and some inside the horn connection. That hopefully will free it up to go in and out but sometimes that lock nut still is difficult. When mine does that I put a dab of Three in One oil on the two parts and usually it will go on and off pretty easily then. I would say that on one of the machines the problem is with the to pieces fitting together, but on the other it seems the lock nut it self is just not working easily. Over time that has gotten a bit easier but still resist turning after several years use at times.

SUCCESS!! I just got the lock ring to finally turn and was able to remove the reproducer by using my father in law's HDX universal strap wrench. It worked great!

Thanks JohnM and everybody else for the suggestions!!

AR