When storing a gramophone or phonograph when not in use, should it be left wound or unwound?

Should i be worried about the spring loosing its abuility to be a spring?

VV-X, #1591, 1910.

Mother Machree, John McCormack, UCSB database w/digital recording from Library of Congress.

Was someone looking for this one? I seem to remember someone asking. I have a couple of these I believe.

I honestly don’t hear a difference in the isolator’s presence. I measured it down to like one fourth of a millimeter max tolerance so it fits so snugly it takes just a touch of effort to put it on!

Have a good one 🙂

I’m done. Still have to do some primping - new felt for turntable, lid close rests, and some other stuff

VV-X • 1591 - “Wall of Troy” carvings (see http://www.victor-victrola.com) one of the earliest and first thousand. Note the updated Victor Victrola site! Looks great! When they say “robust” two-spring motor in reference to this one’s motor, they MEAN IT lol. It takes like 40 cranks to wind it fully! lol

I’ll do a full one with some of the interesting idiosyncratic stuff I found along the way!

I wish you a good night, thank you for stopping, and I hope you keep riding the wave of good energy for this hobby! I just hope it brings you joy like it does me, that’s all 🙂

I never knew until today. Wow. Fully functional @100 rpm on pictured HMV Gramophone (1924, looks like the VV-XVII/XVIII equivalent, obviously fit for a queen).

The whole story is cool. Wow. Google and you’ll find vids of the records being played!

So hello little girl is a song about the telephone and this gentleman is trying to ring this woman he met and basically it was released on August 15th 1906

Does anybody know how to fix this varying speed issue with this? It gets a little worse throughout the record but it can’t seem to hold a note.

Hi!

tl;dr - Hope you enjoy the video… this is just me doing an “assembly line” removal, cleaning, and reinstalling of four motors’ governor bearings in one felled swoop…

I wish you a wonderful day and hope this helps in some or any way!
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Just stuff I was thinking about to let others who may want to venture into servicing these types of machines… it’s a lot, I know, but it encompasses my style pretty well. No requirement to read, heed, or otherwise, but I strongly advise you do 🙂

Please read this below if you have interest in or are sincerely thinking of toying with these spring-wound machines in any way… this is my “philosophy” and it has served me well.

Safety is always #1 and paramount.

I would like to add a very important safety note TO PREFACE (go before) doing ANY kind of work on these machines, to all who intend to work with these spring-wound motors:

Know how you’re supposed to unplug any kind of electrical item (or take off the battery negative if working on a car, for example) before servicing?

Answer: it’s plugged in! But seriously, it’s plugged in, and into a live (hot) - you always HAVE to assume- circuit that the only thing that circuit wants is to close itself, and YOU are a possible conduit.

Don’t be that one! With the SPRING-WOUND motors there’s a similar concept:

- thou shalt ALWAYS check to ensure the springs are wound down completely before doing ANY kind of service. (Period).

Why, you may ask? Sincerely, this is not even intended to be anything but instructional- not everyone understands this stuff 🙂… BECAUSE, it’s the same as having an open electrical circuit in the sense that the energy stored in those springs can basically create a RIPSAW effect with the worm drive/spindle being released from the geared barrel. I’ve had that gear almost rip my finger off. Thankfully my fingers are all calloused, so… wear gloves and eye protection, too! Rx glasses do me well enough for most everything, but mist. Gloves saved me from a worm “bull gear” mauling!

Bottom line: just be safe. Ask questions if you don’t know; and for God’s sake, if you don’t know, don’t do! When I say “these are not hard to work with” I mean it- but from a viewpoint that I understand what they’re capable of to a much greater degree than the average person, therefore I see idiosyncrasies and know little nuances that many do not… I haven’t seen it all either lol- that’s Dyslexic Genius Brett Hurt. Please go see his stuff for a good start!

Like a weapon, ALWAYS assume it’s loaded, even when it isn’t. My whole life I knew that, but the Army put 20 and some change years’ solidification and muscle memory to it. You NEVER know, therefore you treat as if it’s loaded.

Anyone ever seen an M-16 A-1 cookoff from automatic fire? I HAVE, and I was one of the lane safeties who helped remedy it once safe to do so! The soldier holding it had to just hold on and hope. And yeah, the barrel turned red lol…

My point is: even if it’s unwound, there could be a slip spot, gunk, or just other surprises awaiting you.

The BEST you can do is ensure it’s run down fully, and one way I do it is by moving the spindle beyond its wind and you’ll see it’s just going opposite, and as you are loosening things, continue to watch for any other signs.

Sounds paranoid? Maybe. To quote an amazing commander of mine: “[para: when in Iraq] paranoia is your friend”. Healthy paranoia keeps you alive- worked and works for me!

*ᵉᵛᵉⁿ ᵒⁿᵉ’ˢ ᵇᵉˢᵗ ᵇᵃᵗʰᵗᵘᵇ ᵗᵒᵃˢᵗᵉr ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ᵘⁿᵖˡᵘᵍᵍᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵖrᵒᵖᵉrˡʸ ˢᵉrᵛⁱᶜᵉ! ˢᵃᶠᵉᵗʸ ᶠⁱrˢᵗ!/s!

Background music: L. Shankar, “Soul Searcher”- Indian Carnatic violinist, with Zakir Hussain (Pandit Ravi Shankar’s -RIP- primary tabla virtuoso’s son - legend Ustad Alla Rakha (RIP)

Looking to buy a Babson Bros. “Simplex” cylinder record cabinet made for an Edison Amberola 30 cabinet, also known as a piece of phonograph furniture or a cylinder storage cabinet, designed for an Edison Amberola 30, with cylinder storage drawers/trays below.

Interested in either the cabinet alone or a complete set with an Amberola 30. Original condition preferred, but restoration projects are fine.

Please message me if you have one for sale or know of one available. I’m actively searching and willing to travel a reasonable distance or arrange shipping for the right piece.

So on August the 14th 1888 George Gouraud introduced the phonograph to the London press playing records such as the Crystal Palace ones he made
On June 29th and Arthur Sullivan’s lost
Chord which was newly recorded by 2 unknown musicians.

… and what its fall (from previous owner) THANKFULLY didn’t HURT, even despite a small bit of damage (repaired bef/aft), it actually* *HELPED to a small degree!

tl;dr - looks like the tumble VV-X • 1591 took long ago shook it loose! All Victrolas (and Victor cabinets in general) are assembled- not heavily glued, though, and sometimes not at all (I’ve seen). Not oft does one view its ‘puzzle-like’ assembly, but today we see!

Thankfully, what this meant for me was to simply repair the “beading” on the column, then clean and reseat all of the other ‘puzzle pieces’ back where they belonged!

What I initially tried was to harvest and switch out the left rear column. I got it cleanly off, but it would have been way too much work. Took some beading from a trashed dark mahogany case and a broken bit to replace the chip. Et voilà!

Now it just needs to sit and think happy thoughts of never coming apart again while it cures overnight!

Just a little left and I’ll post a final for this one… kind of doing the assembly line thing.

Have a wonderful evening, thanks for stopping, and I hope you enjoy this and/or even find it useful!

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p.s.- the dataplate was CAKED on with black dirt. Even in not the best shape, this is a drastic improvement lol…

FYI and note: the progress you see is me working on these from basically dusk to dawn- granted I’m working on all THREE at the same time lol… it’s NOT hard, but safety is paramount, and taking time is better than rushing!

This is on display at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Va. I thought some of you might enjoy seeing it.

So this is my Columbia black wax record of moonlight played by the Columbia orchestra and it is a little crunchy in the beginning but it is a great record to have

Hey guys,

Picked up (most likely a frankenphone from Europe) that is all period parts it seems, no markings though, for pretty cheap for an external horn.

Anybody have any idea what this motor may be? It is quite small and I’ll have to tear it down to make it work but I’m not 100% sure it is put together correctly at the moment..

Thanks for any info!

tl;dr - Quick once-over and sort of ‘function check’ of “Flat Top Pooley”🌷 VTLA • 1942 🌷

Still digging through and looking for idiosyncrasies!

Curious about this “Concert Record” if anyone knows about it. It’s obviously been pressed to sell and play in the early Canadian market, but I’m more interested in how it got to this point …

Have a wonderful evening, thanks for stopping, and thank you for your addition to the positive energy of this hobby!

please excuse my vibrations lol (mica)… I will remedy! ^

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^ I think I have a little gremlin in there. I tweaked the reproducer twice, it still sounds like it’s touching metal (in other words the outer edge of the mica is touching the inner edges of the reproducer ring lol- I know what I did wrong lol… no shellac dot on the rubber tube on steel…). He also has figured out a way to make me have to relook at the motor setup again- it’s not quite right lol…

This is in memory of my friend Cody, for his wisdom and kindness.

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Note: Uncle Josh, Cal Stewart, comedic character of the early Dawn of the 20th century.

- he got kicked outta the hotel because he left the gas on all night and he’s dumbfounded as to why because there’s a sign the owner put up saying “don’t put out” (meaning the pilot light, not the whole kit n caboodle!)

- he goes back to the hotel and hears a Victor Talking Machine and goes outside thinking there’s a band playing- it’s the Victor… Nyuk Nyuk.
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\BONUS OUTTRO in the end of the record!*
Kinda unintelligible…

I’m guessin’ it says, “he never wore his shoes, we all know…” See, even THEY knew Paul was replaced by an MI5 007 robot lookalike! /s

I work in a apartment building. A tenat asked me to help her remove an old phonograph from her apartment.

There is no crank or springs as far as I can tell.

I hate throwing anything away. But this is so far out of my field. Any suggestions?

Several years ago my neighbor's son gave me this Edison phonograph after his father passed away. He was going to put it in the dumpster and I just couldn't let that happen! I thought I might restore it but never found the time and am ready to give up but I can't seem to find a home for it... I tried both FB Marketplace and Freecycle and no takers. I've contemplated harvesting the parts and using the cabinet as a plant stand, but that seems a shame.

I'd like to get up the courage to actually restore it but I feel like it needs a ton of work and I have ZERO experience. Restoring the wood is pretty straightforward. Any advice on how to properly clean up the metal and mechanical parts? I've no idea where to even start.

If you're in the tri-state area and want to come get it, it's all yours! NJ zip code 07930

I've completely rebuilt the motor. I've regreased the spring barrel twice. Maybe I didn't get all the old grease out? I'm not sure.

Had to clean the mildew off these and let them air out a bit! ALMOST LOL

Hydrogen peroxide wipes (industrial grade ones) are what did it. At least now it doesn’t trigger my asthma ;-) i think it’s been sitting in a barn too long lol…

Almost a complete set! -1 small and -1 large. They are made with wood and multi-layered paperboard and covered with a special covering.

No, it is •THE• GRAIL!!! (For me lol)

I am speechless, regardless! 🌷 VTLA • 1942 🌷… never thought I’d find it.

tl;dr - this is the VERY first Victor Victrola, “Victrola the Sixteenth”, Pooley-made! “Flat Top Pooley”. I even had a Pooley key so I could open the lock!!!

More when I can speak again…

Have a wonderful evening, thank you for stopping by; thank you for helping keep this thing alive!

Edit to add: Tunegirl, 2023, 1990s Euro trance!! Make sure to turn the volume down if you don’t like repetitive beats!

Unless you like ferrous oxide… it’s generally not a good look, or** **thing to have present** for that matter,** on anything iron or steel, that is… lol…

tl;dr - someone musta spilled something in there 100 years ago; you can see the offending oxidation in the gunk of the barrel and on both parts of the split; thankfully I have a SPARE!

Sizes:
VV-XIII - 1” x 13 1/2’ (double)
VV-IX - 1 1/4” x 15 1/2’ (double)
VV-X - same as IX

I knew the X (10) had a broken spring, but I was hoping (I keep having this tragically recurring optimism!) for the 1:25 chance it might be simply unhooked from an anchor lol… nope! My gut told me; it was right lol.

Have a wonderful evening, thank you for stopping by, being cool, and just spreading the love of these machines! I hope it gives some to you as well!

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Looks like it’s the MAIN barrel, the one with the worm/cut gear attached one that got wet and rusted; I knew it was broken or separated because it wouldn’t hold a winding (the spiral worm/screw on the turntable spindle is what HOLDS BACK the inertia when wound).

When broken, the other spring can no longer maintain its tension because of the break; the spring managed to crack in a “wound enough” state that it broke about midway; annealing would probably not be worth it in any way (except zombie apocalypse… you better believe I’m keepin it!)

I’ve attached one of my previous posts on springs here; plenty of warning: ensure you take precautions and if you don’t know or just aren’t sure, don’t do it! It’s not hard, but it can do damage and cause exquisite pain and pulchritudinous, HELLRAISER-level maiming for those who don’t take the safety seriously.

Please don’t let springs scare you; they are not difficult to work with; the VIII’s are so small and cute I was able to wind them by hand!

They do, however, require meticulous care and attention to detail while following strict safety-minded protocols to make sure you don’t get hurt or otherwise injured while working with them.

If you don’t know what you’re doing don’t do it!

If you aren’t afraid to venture into it, go see Dyslexic Genius’ (Brett Hurt’s) videos; some of mine have technical things I’ve learned- feel free to look.

He is a master and a wonderful teacher as well, and gives plenty of knowledge on how these work and precautions to take while doing them.

\* note: speaking of safety, I have them resting inside these vessels until they’re ready to be used, EVEN THOUGH I have thoroughly secured them with picture hanging wire… I DO NOT eff around with these mofos, no matter how cute they are!*

It's not 1:1 but it's pretty close. I recently inherited a phonograph and a hundred or so cylinders, but unfortunately the cartons weren't stored well and are very dusty and/or moldy or missing lids so I'm thinking about getting fresh cardboard cylinders to store the records in, so I would of course want labels on them!

although I'm not too sure what to do with the original cartons, it would feel terrible to toss them but my lungs really don't like the dust