The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have a Standard Talking Machine X2 and someone is interested in purchasing it. This takes the larger spindle size records. I thought I read somewhere that someone makes a platter to fit these machines that has a standard spindle hole for regular 78's. I dont remember where I heard or saw it, or even if one exists. Anyone point me in a direction?

- Jim

I'm not aware of anyone making a replacement turntable, but the Columbia Type AU Disc Graphophone is the identical machine with a normal spindle. I don't advocate modifying a machine by switching turntables. These are historical artifacts and should be treated with respect.

Somewhere I have a large, standard talking machine size spindle that you can set over the small spindle on a regular victor or columbia so you can play the standard discs. A machinist made some up and gave me one a long time ago. I don't know where it is and I have not missed it much as the standard discs don't sound great anyway.

Anyway, that would not help you, you need a smaller, not larger spindle.

John, Im not trying to permanently modify the machine, only give the new owner an option to play other records if he wish's to.

Valecnik wrote:Somewhere I have a large, standard talking machine size spindle that you can set over the small spindle on a regular victor or columbia so you can play the standard discs. A machinist made some up and gave me one a long time ago. I don't know where it is and I have not missed it much as the standard discs don't sound great anyway.

Anyway, that would not help you, you need a smaller, not larger spindle.

I know Darrell Lehman had some adapters on his website for a couple of bucks a piece, but I dont see his website up anymore. He may have moved it somewhere else by now. I was always going to pick a set up from him.

- Jim

Victor78 wrote:John, Im not trying to permanently modify the machine, only give the new owner an option to play other records if he wish's to.

Yes, but the turntable and spindle-shaft are one piece on those machines which would necessitate some surgery to switch turntables.

Im not sure lifting the turntable off would be to serious.

Hello all, hope I'm not butting in here, but I was just browsing through the old topics on the board and this one interested me as I've thought about getting a Standard Talking Machine as a starter external horn machine, but am concerned about the esoteric spindle size.

I don't think you'd really need to modify the machine in any way, if I were you I'd take a thin piece of wood (or whatever material) cut to the same size as the platter, create some manner of standard-sized spindle (you could even use a screw or something if you're not being fancy) to glue to the center, and maybe use a router to make a cavity in the underside of the new platter to accommodate the old large spindle. Line the new platter with felt and rest it on top of the old one, to accommodate "normal" records without compromising the historical integrity of the machine.

At least, I can't see anything wrong with that so long as you don't mind undertaking little projects like this that require a bit of handiwork and creativity. So that's my two cents, hope it gets somebody somewhere!

-Ronny

I've even heard of stacking several large hole records on top of each other to make a surface flush with the spindle, then gluing on some sort of ¼ inch shaft (wooden dowel perhaps?) on top of the existing spindle. Your normal-sized hole record goes on top of the others.

Does anybody know the height of the portion of spindle, that sits above the turntable on the Standards?
Provided it's not too high, I cant see why you couldn't find a cheap off-brand tt (sheet metal, not cast) of the same diametre as the Standard, remove the spindle mount/casting from underneath, and solder a brass pipe or ring that fits over the large spindle to the underside, as pictured below . A metal or wood spindle of the normal size could be attached to the top side of the tt, and it could be placed on top of the original Standard tt just like a record. You dont have to remove the original tt from the machine then, & risk bending the spindle/tt shaft. The brake would still activate on the original tt as well.
I guess even if the Standard spindle was higher than the depth of the second tt, you could attach 3 or 4 legs to the spare tt to bring it up to the right height and make it stable. As long as it was centalized & pretty evenly balanced, it shouldn't have any adverse effect on the motor & it's performance.
It will of course alter the angle of the needle in the groove being higher, but I guess if the soundbox is a firm fit on the tonearm, the soundbox could be turned slightly to adjust the needle angle & it shouldn't move on the arm while a record is played.