The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi guys,

I am trying to fix this Edison Standard B and I can't get the wobble out of the motor. I took apart and rebuilt the govenor and made sure all running surfaces were oiled... but the motor still wobbles. I have attached a video of what I think is the issue... Any ideas on how to fix this?

Cheers,

David

I couldn't get the movie to open (old computer). The two main areas I'd check are belt/belt tension roller and governor. If you have a copy of "The Compleat Talking Machine" there is a pretty good description of the process of spinning the governor weights into balance. When I have cleaned my motors in the past, every time I get a little lazy and don't disassemble the governor before cleaning, I've had to go back and do it properly. One particular governor gave me problems until I found that the face of the brass disc (where the pads ride) was not quite flat due to corrosion. Spinning that using 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper and a final polish smoothed it out nicely. As always, when working on the governor, make sure that your spring is wound all the way down so you don't damage the motor or yourself. Good luck.

Martin

I had A problem with one of my governors and I had not put the tiny washers on the screws that hold the springs on. Just a suggestion Tom

Thanks for the suggestions.

I will have to take apart the motor again and double check that I put the govenor together correctly.

Where can you get 600 grit sandpaper?

David

You can get the finer grits of sandpaper at auto parts stores in the bodywork section, or in some hardware/home improvement stores. 3M makes a "Wet or dry" paper that works very well for this kind of work.

While you're inspecting the governor make sure the springs and weights are identical. A spring that's longer or a weight that's heavier/lighter will cause the motor to run irregular.