The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

well i have several inquiries, so i will kill several birds with one stone. first, can anyone recommend any reputable phonograph restorers, also how do you disassemble/remove the turntable from the phonograph? Is that task rather difficult? My last question is can anyone recommend any good cleaning solutions for the wood part, bolts an screws, an the the aluminum elbow?

Hi:

Perhaps some of the other members can recommend a good restorer in your area; but if you want some good, basic info on restoration, you should look at Eric Reiss's The Compleat Talking Machine. He covers basic disassembly, repairs and cleaning, as well as more specialized topics. My old copy has stood me in good stead over the years.

-Bill

Thank you sir,
Ill check it out. Im somewhat apprehensive of doing anything on my own because i dont want to damage or mess up the phonograph

The best aluminum cleaner I've found is toothpaste. This came from an old Bob Villa 'This Old House' show.

hillndalefan wrote:The best aluminum cleaner I've found is toothpaste. This came from an old Bob Villa 'This Old House' show.

Toothpaste worked for me too...
Thanks

I think we may need to drop back and punt here. First, welcome to the board and to the hobby! When you say "Remove the turntable" do you mean remove the entire motor from the cabinet? The 'turntable' specifically is the metal plate that the record sits upon. Most turntables are simply friction-fit onto the spindle shaft and just pop off if you lift it evenly by pulling straight up on the rim of the turntable with both hands. Some turntables may be held in place by a spindle (the part that protrudes from the turntable that goes into the spindle hole in the record) that is threaded and must be unscrewed for the turntable to be removed. These are obvious because they have a slot across the top to receive a screwdriver. Removing the turntable will reveal screws or bolts on the motorboard that will allow access to the motor. The motor should be removed, disassembled, cleaned, repaired (if needed), reassembled, lubricated, regulated, and reinstalled.
I usually send all my motors to George Vollema in Michigan because I travel for a living and that is simply the most convenient and expeditious thing for me to do. He does great work, reasonably priced, and with a quick turnaround time. His email is [email protected] or just google his name or Great Lakes Antique Phonograph Repair (GLAP). There are any number of other repairpersons, but I use George.
I'm wondering if what you are calling 'aluminum' is not die-cast metal (aka pot metal, or white metal). This is an inexpensive alloy used extensively in the teens and twenties that is non-ferrous and has a nasty reputation for some formulations of it to swell, crack, crumble, or otherwise disintegrate.. While toothpaste may work because of the fine abrasive, you'd probably be better served to use a purpose-made metal polish such as Happich 'Simichrome' polish (often available at auto parts stores).