help finding parts and fixing my edison phonograph

[gdann34]

hi, this is my first antique phonograph. it is a edison diamond disc H 19 Hepplewhite, so far i am in need of a spring for the motor, and the gear on the shaft that the crank screws in to has come off, i have the gear and some washers a spring and spring retainer that i am not sure how it is so posed to be assembled or if i have all the parts, or if something broke to let it come apart in the first place. the motor spring is broke, it looks like it may have been wound backwards. maybe that is why the gear has come off the crank handle shaft. anyways so far i am having a lot of fun working on it. the cabinet is in pretty good shape . i have also noticed that the string is broken on the reproducer , so i will need to do something about that. i think it is worth fixing it up i have only ten dollars in it so far. any help or advice will be very appreciated. thank you in advance. gary

[gibsonj]

Hey Gary and welcome to the board

Here are some links to phonograph parts suppliers:

www.antiquephono.com/

www.victroladoctor.com/

www.phonophan.com/index.html

www.wyattsmusical.com/

There are others as well.

As for your reproducer issue, a broken silk link is a common problem. The gaskets insulating the diaphragm are likely dry and brittle after all these years. So, a reproducer re-build is recommended. Take a close look at the diamond stylus under a jeweler's loop or magnifying glass, and see that it still has a distinct sharp point. If it's rounded, flat, or otherwise fractured, then a new stylus is a must. You'll ruin your diamond discs otherwise. Speaking of which, I'm sure you have discovered that you should only play Edison Diamond Disc records with your Edison reproducer on this machine (that's the 1/4 inch thick records). The recording method used by Edison was a vertical, hill and dale technique, whereas competitors (i.e., Victor) used a horizontal recording technique. Adapters were made to allow playing competitor 78s on Edison machines, but don't try it with your Edison reproducer.

See a PM to maroongem on this board if you need reproducer help. He's done good work for me.

Finally, here's a link to a thread on another board that contains a reprint of Edison diamond disc motor repair and maintenance. It has diagrams and lots of details to help you understand the principles of operation:

forum.talkingmachine.info/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1133

Good luck with your project, and ask questions as you need to. There are lots of very knowledgeable folks here to help.

John