Your tips and tricks on rebuilding a Orthophonic Reproducer

[Victrolaman]

I wanted to check with fellow members and see what they use for tools and tips and tricks on rebuilding Orthophonic Reproducers. I have a bunch in my collection and I have successfully rebuilt them all but this last one. I am having a heck of a time centering the cross bar on the needled bar to be able to drop the ball bearings in the right way, just when I think I have one side done then in the last bearing falls through the bottom. At first I was thinking the bearings are a bit to small but they are the same ones I have been buying for years and from the same guy so I doubt it's that.
So I figured I'd ask onnhere and see what you all use when you redo yours to hold the pivot straight and center.mif younhave pics to of your process that would be great. I hear some people use a small piece of tubbing on one side to hold it center some use pins..
I'm sure a lot of members would enjoy knowing how to safely redo theirs. Thanks

[Orthophonic]

Rebuilding orthophonic sound boxes is one of my favorite repairs to do with a phonograph; not too messy or greasy! I salvage what parts I can from busted up pot metal ones and have pill bottles for dust covers, screws and such. Needlebars sometimes have different size pivot bars and if one is too little, I use a bigger one. If it is out of the same sound box, that is not generally a problem. I alsway use new bearings since I can get them in hardened steel. I wipe a little grease on the inside of the bearing race and on the pivot bar after centering it. I do it by using a piece of rubber tubing to hold it from the other side. Using plastic tweezers, I place in the 8 ball bearings. BTW, when centering the needlebar, it has to be centered from side to side as well. Next is a sneaky thing that I learned to do. I shave off the little rubber domes from off laptop keyboards. I place one over the needlebar pivot with its skirt down towards the bearings. The dust cover is then attached and the little dome's skirt holds the bearings securely in place with very little force; I have found them to be a much better alternative to using cut lengths of rubber tubing. Next, I do the other side. If the bearings are centered on the side I just did, this side will also be centered. I place the bearings as before using a thin film of light grease on the pivot and the bearing race. The grease needs to be thin; such as 1\2 or 1 grade since it is as much a rust preventative as anything. Do not pile it in there Place a laptop key dome on it as withe first side and install the dust cover; the needlebar should turn very easily back and forth with zero side play. If this is not true in all respects, the assembly is taken back apart to see what is wrong. Next I place a new very thin rubber gasket onto the shell followed by the diaphragm, another gasket and the back of the sound box. Then goes back the ring to hold it all together. I make sure the back is in proper alignment since many have their locating tabs broken off. I make sure that there are zero air leaks. Next, I push in the two small arms of the needlebar shaft that go into the diaphragm until the needlebar is straight (parallel to the diaphragm). Then I solder it into place. Last comes a new isolator for placing it onto the tone arm (taper tube crook) and it is done. I use original diaphragms with no dents or cracks or holes. The shellac on the little feet is removed with alcohol and replaced with tiny drops of superglue to reseal them; I don't want to take a chance with old shelac flaking off and making an air leak. The ols solder is removed from the diaphragm center and from the needlebar, cleaned and made ready for new solder when I put it all back together. One thing I am thinking of changing is to make my own isolators. I have some soft setting clear silicone that dries soft yet hard to tear. I'm thinking of making a mold to place the old brass isolator part in and remaking the rubber part so that it has the original soft rubber part that used to go over the crook of the tonearm to better seal it from air leaks, the new ones I presently use do not have this flange, they are more like ones you'd see on a numver two sound box. Anyway, this is some of what I do on rebuilding orthophonic sound boxes and I probably left a lot out...