The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I am in need of one or two springs from a Meltrope II sound box.
Doe anyone have or know where I might find them?
Thank you.

Virtually impossible to find! A friend who is a member here has a Meltrope II with one spring missing, and successfully used one from an HMV No. 2 soundbox.

Thank you Orchorsol,

I think I may have to attempt to make one /two in brass.
I guess that it should work as the replacements for EMG boxes offered on ebay?

It appears that Meltrope made very similar boxes using the same basic casting and springs for Dulcetto at least.

Did your friend pass any photos of the No 2 spring conversion. I would be interested to see the results.

Somewhere I have a Meltrope II with one spring I'll try a find find it , I;ve been trying to find another spring for years

flying500 wrote:Thank you Orchorsol,

I think I may have to attempt to make one /two in brass.
I guess that it should work as the replacements for EMG boxes offered on ebay?

It appears that Meltrope made very similar boxes using the same basic casting and springs for Dulcetto at least.

Did your friend pass any photos of the No 2 spring conversion. I would be interested to see the results.

20210108_191150.jpg

Brass is really not a good choice for springs, it doesn’t have too much in the way of springy properties and even when at it's hardest state really won’t do as good of a job as spring steel as spring steel won't deform and always returns to its original place which is very important in any form of spring, brass won't necessarily do this, it’s really got to be tempered steel (spring steel), someone is selling brass “springs” advertised for EMG, I would never put them on any of my sound boxes though

flying500 wrote:Thank you Orchorsol,

I think I may have to attempt to make one /two in brass.
I guess that it should work as the replacements for EMG boxes offered on ebay?

It appears that Meltrope made very similar boxes using the same basic casting and springs for Dulcetto at least.

Did your friend pass any photos of the No 2 spring conversion. I would be interested to see the results.

The attachment 20210108_191150.jpg is no longer available

That friend would be me! Happy to post a couple of pics baring in mind I refer to this as the "frankensprung" soundbox, as it is quite the visual bodge-job by appearance (feel free to giggle) and results in a very uniquely angled needle, but it's producing a sound I very much like at present so I'm happy with it! will add a YT clip of it in action at the bottom - hope this is helpful! Oh I should say there are tiny scraps of card between the spring and the shell which the picture just doesn't show up well due to my lack of shutterbugability but perhaps they give at least a smidge of an idea.

-Antonia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS6TDU_ ... v_&index=1

Voila! An excellent bit of improvising and a great result Antonia, given the need-must situation with unobtanium springs!

I completely agree with Alex, brass springs are not a good idea at all.

I believe that replacement springs could be relatively easily made using small clock spring as the stock. Cut and shaped by heating and un-tempering the spring, then re-tempering it after shaping to the correct form. Obviously, an original would be needed to make a pattern...

Someone please post a picture of an original with dimensions...

Curt,
Can you please tell me the procedure and colours to achieve when de temering / re tempering as I would like to have a go.
the dimensions from my sole spring are very badly described on the attached.
Jerry

To un-temper spring steel, heat it to red hot with a propane torch, then let it cool by itself. To re-temper, heat it to red hot and immediately drop it into a small container of motor oil.. This will also "blue" the bare steel, which acts as a rust preventative.

NOTE: I haven't done this in years, so you might want to experiment a little...