The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello!

I'm new to the forum and new to photographs. I recently bought a Brunswick model 20 with quite a few records for $75. (I know- score!) The problem is- it didn't play.

I could tell that the crank wasn't connected to the spring, so I took the motor plate put and found that a gear had come loose. I put that back on among the very old grease and tested it out. It played pretty well, but there's more to do and I had a few questions.

1.) I want to clean up all of the old grease while taking care of the metal in the mechanism. Is it safe to put the gears and action in an ultrasonic cleaner?

2.) The tone arm won't move forward or backward, and the head that holds the needle won't pitch side to side. I've tried to use 3 in 1 oil to free them up, but that hasn't worked. I have the tone arm in the freezer now as I've heard that's a trick to free it up. Any other tips?

Thank you!

1.) Yes, an ultrasonic cleaner should be fine. However, don't just put the spring barrels in there as-is. If you mean to clean and re-lube the springs they should be removed first. (Others will sometimes differ on this) Removing springs can be very messy and even a bit dangerous. I believe there are some good YouTube videos on this.

2.) Can be a problem. Do not apply too much force. Some of the components are made of brittle "pot metal". If everything is now set up to play "regular" 78's it may be best to leave it alone. Post some pictures.