The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I picked up a Columbia Disc Graphophone for a great price. It’s a bit of a project. It needs the reproducer rebuilt and the motor is missing a few components. By looking at the pictures I have posted can anyone tell me what I need to complete the motor or can anyone post a picture of a complete one also what exact model is this machine? I’d also appreciate if anyone can point me to the direction to parts or a replacement motor. Who can rebuild the reproducer for me? Other than that I think it’s a solid machine.

It appears tp be a Columbia BI.

The motor is missing a lot of parts including the spring barrels... some old collector probably disassembled the motor to get the springs replaced and died before he got it back together...

The reproducer definitely needs rebuilding including a needle bar, it might be easier to find a complete one that's already rebuilt, since finding a needle bar might be a challlenge... Good luck...

You might be able to find a complete motor for it easier than accumulating the missing parts. Put a WANTED post on the Trader part of the forum and maybe someone can help... if you got this cheap enough it would probably be cheaper than totally rebuilding this one.
By the way, how much did you pay for it?

Curt A wrote:It appears tp be a Columbia BI.

The motor is missing a lot of parts including the spring barrels... some old collector probably disassembled the motor to get the springs replaced and died before he got it back together...

The reproducer definitely needs rebuilding including a needle bar, it might be easier to find a complete one that's already rebuilt, since finding a needle bar might be a challlenge... Good luck...

You might be able to find a complete motor for it easier than accumulating the missing parts. Put a WANTED post on the Trader part of the forum and maybe someone can help... if you got this cheap enough it would probably be cheaper than totally rebuilding this one.
By the way, how much did you pay for it?

Thanks for the info! I got it for $200

$200 is a bargain, the horn alone is worth more than that... You should get a complete motor and reproducer for this and you'll have a $1,200 or more machine...

Curt A wrote:...The motor is missing a lot of parts including the spring barrels... some old collector probably disassembled the motor to get the springs replaced and died before he got it back together...

...

I don't think it's that dire. Looking at what's lying on the bottom of the cabinet, I think some home tinkerer tried to electrify it, maybe because it had broken springs, and after getting into the project couldn't figure out how to mate the electric motor to the mechanical gear train.

That's an 11-panel horn, suitable for a larger machine: for what that horn is worth, you could get the necessary motor parts, and maybe even a good 9-panel horn...

- Bill

drh wrote:

Curt A wrote:...The motor is missing a lot of parts including the spring barrels... some old collector probably disassembled the motor to get the springs replaced and died before he got it back together...

...

I don't think it's that dire. Looking at what's lying on the bottom of the cabinet, I think some home tinkerer tried to electrify it, maybe because it had broken springs, and after getting into the project couldn't figure out how to mate the electric motor to the mechanical gear train.

Either way, the OP doesn't seem familiar with phonographs and is unsure how to rebuild the reproducer, so I'm just guessing that re-building the motor from parts is not an option. The electrical parts in the cabinet are worthless to consider for a restoration anyway...

Curt A wrote:

drh wrote:

Curt A wrote:...The motor is missing a lot of parts including the spring barrels... some old collector probably disassembled the motor to get the springs replaced and died before he got it back together...

...

I don't think it's that dire. Looking at what's lying on the bottom of the cabinet, I think some home tinkerer tried to electrify it, maybe because it had broken springs, and after getting into the project couldn't figure out how to mate the electric motor to the mechanical gear train.

Either way, the OP doesn't seem familiar with phonographs and is unsure how to rebuild the reproducer, so I'm just guessing that re-building the motor from parts is not an option. The electrical parts in the cabinet are worthless to consider for a restoration anyway...

I’m definitely a novice at best. This is my first Columbia Disc Graphophone so I’m not too familiar with these, I’ve also never tried rebuilding a reproducer before. I have however repaired a phonograph before because the motors are relatively simple. And yes those electrical parts were thrown away.