The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Those who know me will attest I'm a collector, not a fixer. I have read all about how to unfreeze a mandrel bearing on the Forum but I'd rather punt ang turn it over to somebody with experience. Great machine and it would be even better if it played. Bob Kolba

bobkolba wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 7:07 pm Those who know me will attest I'm a collector, not a fixer. I have read all about how to unfreeze a mandrel bearing on the Forum but I'd rather punt ang turn it over to somebody with experience. Great machine and it would be even better if it played. Bob Kolba

I took a rubber mallet and a screwdriver and slowly chipped out the old mandrel bearing bit by bit when I restored my Model E standard. Be careful and don’t break any iron castings.

I broke my Home casting doing this. I am sure it can be done this way…but isn’t there another way to do it?

David

Send it to George Vollema at Great Lakes Phonograph:

https://www.victroladoctor.com

Excellent work at a reasonable price.

I suppose it would be better to drill the bushing out with a drill machine, much softer treatment. But I also suppose the true center must be found first and marked on the casting, so to install the new brass bushing and drill its center true...

No need to drill anything on the Standard--It's really a matter of using penetrating oils to loosen things up a bit, and (with a rubber glove or something) getting the mandrel to turn enough to release it.

Then chipping it out with a rubber, rawhide, or wooden mallet & a screwdriver works. It is pot-metal so it's always more fragile than the iron surrounding it. Cast iron is very brittle, of course, but pot-metal can shatter on a crystalline structure so it's actually kind of fun to try to break it.

I could probably get it out for you. Where are you located?

I have found that after using penetrating oil to free up and remove the mandrel I use a hacksaw blade to carefully to make a cut through the bearing. It is then easy to knock out the bearing.

Rich Gordon

I'm located in the Phoenix area. I wish there were more phono collectors here. Thanks for your comments.