The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi,

I am having a couple of issues with the Edison Business machine I recently acquired. I have never seen these before and this is my second one this year.

Referring the pictures below:

1 - Mandrel - The larger diameter shaft that is closest to the end of the mandrel fits in the casting in the bedplate and is held with a set screw. The small diameter concentric shaft passes all the way through the mandrel and is held in place with a set screw on the other end of the mandrel. I believe that the mandrel is supposed to freely rotate on the larger (former) shaft. It is frozen solid. There is no evidence of there being any pot metal, however, I don't know what is inside the mandrel.

Any ideas how to free this up?

2 - Large pulley. The large pulley appears to be frozen to the shaft that it would spin on. This shaft is anchored into the bed plate casting on the other side of the pulley. Between the casting on the other side and the casting for the gear engagement lever, the pulley/shaft cannot be removed while they are together. I am nervous about busting the bedplate casting if I attempt to drive the shaft from the pulley.

Any ideas how to separate them?

I am not sure how rare these machines are and what the prospects are of getting replacement parts (thoughts>). I may have to just clean it up, put if back together and make it a show piece.


?????

Not to state the obvious, as I'm sure you've thought of it, but Kroil or PB Blaster works great for this stuff.

I went through this with my Business machine a few months back. They are difficult to take apart. You'll find out how hard it is to reassemble soon I would get some good oil, and just leave it be fore a while as it soaks around the frozen parts. Also, I have found, that for the mandrel as an example, that sometimes if you throw it in the freezer, it will contract enough to allow for you to take it apart. But be aware of moisture.

George Vollema helped me complete my machine, you could try contacting him. He seems to have at least one of everything. He may even have a brass fly wheel that can replace the doomed pot metal fly wheel.

Thanks guys,

I was able to separate the large pulley from the shaft. I was was able to get it to turn on the shaft, however, it took a fair amount of torque. I spent about 3 hours trying to twist it off the shaft, but was getting nowhere. What I ended up doing was drilling a hole in a scrap piece of 4x4 and setting the bedplate casting on the 4x4 with shaft in the hole. The with a rod and small hammer, I was able to drive the shaft out of the pulley. The bedplate casting sat on the 4x4 with the pulley on the casting, so there was no force applied to the bedplate.

Once I got the pulley out, it is clearly pot metal and has expanded.

I have been meaning to try Kroil, and this will be an opportunity to do so on the mandrel. I fear, however, that there is an expanded pot metal piece inside the mandrel, and even If I can loosen it, I won't be able to get it back to satisfactory since it is sealed inside. If there is a way to open the mandrel, I would be interested.

Now, off to find out who sells Kroil.

They usually have Kroil and PB Blaster at automotive supply stores.
Good luck!
Andreas

My mandrel was a skeleton style, so it was openwork, but it had no potmetal if it helps.