VV1-70 restoration question?

[Mitchell_5898]

Hey everyone! This is my first post on the forum, so first off, just wanted to say hello and thanks for having me! This is the first Victrola that I own, got it from my grandparents. Their house burnt down in the late 70s-early 80s and this VV1-70 was smoke damaged, but thankfully was left mostly unscathed. I have mostly completed the restoration since receiving it.

I was just wanting to ask everyone where I could find a cloth fabric for the front grille? I'm sure no one is out there making/selling original factory cloth. But anyone out who has restored one of these machines, any recommendations? As far as I can tell, the original color was a gold/copper?

Lastly, I have bought new gaskets and diaphragm flange for the 4"A" reproducer, which is luckily in pretty good shape still, but am in search of a new ring ( I believe that is the right term? The silver outer ring that holds the mica) as mine is cracking, but still usable for the time being.

Thanks everyone, sorry for the long winded post! Happy to have gotten into this hobby

Edit: attached are some pictures of the restoration so far, the screenshot one is of it when I first got it, but forgot to take a better picture (oops )

[EdiBrunsVic]

That is a nice model to own! Do you have Victor records to go along with the machine?
PM also sent

Don

[JerryVan]

I had the same grill cloth issue. I bought a grill from a larger Victor Orthophonic and harvested the cloth from it. Any existing cloth will be extremely delicate. Handle it with care and do not try to clean it in any way. My donor grill/cloth was from an Orthophonic 4-40, found on eBay for minimal cost. Here's a possibility, although fairly dirty... https://www.ebay.com/itm/186118257086?i ... R9Kv-dfqYw

Some of the #4 reproducers were made of brass. Yours is made from pot metal and the degredation you have is very common. The goal is to buy a brass one, if possible.

[Mitchell_5898]

That is a nice model to own! Do you have Victor records to go along with the machine?
PM also sent

Don

Yes I do! Had a whole crate of records come with it. Some single sided 78s still I'm their sleeve, although warped. Some red Vocalions, and other odds and ends

[Mitchell_5898]

I had the same grill cloth issue. I bought a grill from a larger Victor Orthophonic and harvested the cloth from it. Any existing cloth will be extremely delicate. Handle it with care and do not try to clean it in any way. My donor grill/cloth was from an Orthophonic 4-40, found on eBay for minimal cost. Here's a possibility, although fairly dirty... https://www.ebay.com/itm/186118257086?i ... R9Kv-dfqYw

Some of the #4 reproducers were made of brass. Yours is made from pot metal and the degredation you have is very common. The goal is to buy a brass one, if possible.

I would like to find a brass ring if possible, preferably a good condition 4 to replace the one I currently have. I'm hoping the cracks won't effect the sound too much after I replace the gaskets, flange, and mica. Thankfully, only the ring has cracks, and not the reproducer itself

[JerryVan]

Thankfully, only the ring has cracks, and not the reproducer itself

The ring pretty much is the reproducer itself. Show some close up photos of the ring. Some light cracking can still be okay. FYI, I don't believe a brass ring will necessarily fit with a pot metal back plate.

By the way, it appears that you're doing some really nice work.

[Inigo]

Be aware, fortunately, that the ring is only doing a mission of supporting the needlebar balance pins, and the diaphragm in place, so only mechanical missions. The actual soundbox from the point of view of the air column starts behind the diaphragm. So the only air leaks that should worry us were those in the diaphragm, in the gasket behind it, or in the backplate, soundbox neck, etc on the air column behind the diaphragm.
Cracks in the ring may be as large as you want, provided it still can hold the supported elements in place.
Even the front gasket may have leaks, it's only mission is to hold the diaphragm firmly against the back gasket. The air chamber starts in the diaphragm, between it, the back gasket and the back plate.

[Mitchell_5898]

Thankfully, only the ring has cracks, and not the reproducer itself

The ring pretty much is the reproducer itself. Show some close up photos of the ring. Some light cracking can still be okay. FYI, I don't believe a brass ring will necessarily fit with a pot metal back plate.

By the way, it appears that you're doing some really nice work.

Thank you for the compliment! It's been a surprisingly fun restoration. I'll make sure to keep that in mind moving forward!

[Mitchell_5898]

Be aware, fortunately, that the ring is only doing a mission of supporting the needlebar balance pins, and the diaphragm in place, so only mechanical missions. The actual soundbox from the point of view of the air column starts behind the diaphragm. So the only air leaks that should worry us were those in the diaphragm, in the gasket behind it, or in the backplate, soundbox neck, etc on the air column behind the diaphragm.
Cracks in the ring may be as large as you want, provided it still can hold the supported elements in place.
Even the front gasket may have leaks, it's only mission is to hold the diaphragm firmly against the back gasket. The air chamber starts in the diaphragm, between it, the back gasket and the back plate.

That makes me feel a bit better at least. The biggest cracking is happening around the edges, almost like the top and lower layer are separating, but if all that ring is doing is just holding things in place, then it's still doing its job hahaha