S19 new owner

[lizbee]

Hello,
I got this S19 at an auction for $75. My husband has been wanting one forever, and I read about them here on this forum (a fantastic resource!) prior to bidding, confident we could restore it, obtain parts (I looked through ebay and am confident about this) and get it into working order. I was pretty happy with the price. 

I have not gotten fully into this yet, but I do know two things right off - the 78 adapter that came with it needs repair, as it is completely broken. Is it worth epoxying or soldering this back together? This item is important to us. We are experienced with delicate repairs such as this, though if an expert is recommended I'm up for that as well, though I'm not having luck finding anyone who works on them here in Richmond, VA. 

I have read through a number of threads here and feel well prepared for what we'll need to do next, and I know I'll be back as I delve into those things, but first I'm wondering about the reproducer. 

This came with 6 Edison discs, but no fabric in the grate, and that brings me to my second question: How do I choose fabric that will be appropriate for it? The pictures I've seen online seem to have randomly chosen replacement fabrics, though I haven't looked deeply into that. This is, of course, later down the road, but these are the two things that jump out at me prior to a more careful evaluation of the mechanism. 

I have learned so much already, and learned most of it here on this forum while I was watching the auction time draw down, lol, making sure I wanted to delve into this. I know it isn't particularly rare, but is a unique item for our music room, and it is in pretty good shape considering how old it is, so if we can get it working I know we'll enjoy it. 

I appreciate any assistance!

[lucius1958]

Congrats on your purchase! $75 is pretty cheap for a working condition S-19.

First of all, the lateral adapter is made of pot metal, which is tricky to work with: age makes it brittle and crumbly. Repair, especially at such a crucial point as shown, is very difficult: it would probably be cheaper to find a replacement on eBay, or such sites as the Talking Machine Forum. The reproducer looks fairly good: if it can be removed from the adapter, you might have it restored.

The mechanism will need to be thoroughly cleaned and re-lubricated; and you'll have to check the Edison reproducer: at the least to replace the gaskets, and make sure the pivot moves freely. You should check the stylus under high magnification for any signs of wear or damage: fortunately, a new company is making some excellent replacements (Google "Bruce Stylus").

As for the case: it has obviously been stripped, as you can see from the dark patch around the decal. The mahogany would originally have been finished in either "semi-gloss" or "English brown". If you want to get back to something closer to the original, you may have to sacrifice the old decal and refinish the case entirely. Gregg Cline makes excellent reproduction decals.

You might get some hint of the original grille cloth if you examine the backside of the grille. On mahogany machines, they often used a sort of olive green, or else a dusty rose material: both were a very thin silk fabric. (It is possible that some very late models may have used a fine diamond-patterned material, as found on radio grilles of the period).

I hope this information has been of some use to you. Enjoy!

BillS

[lizbee]

Thank you so much, BillS - this is great info. I think you're right about the adapter, since that is the point that will take the weight, and it will never be as strong. I'll start looking around. I'll see if I can have the reproducer itself restored, since this particular part is important to us. The pivot moves extremely freely, rather smoothly, and we took great care in moving it upright, though I have no idea how it had been moved prior to our taking it. We'll examine the stylus and see what we find as we carefully clean and lube everything, and see what the condition of the winding mechanism might be. I appreciate your help, and I'm sure I'll have more questions!

[alang]

Congratulations on your new Diamond Disc Phonograph! My first machine was an Edison DD Console and there was no stopping afterwards. Bill gave you great advice already and he also mentioned the Talking Machine Forum. You may want to check that out as well, because it has way more traffic than this forum. Here is a link to the Edison Disc Motor manual on the TMF: forum.talkingmachine.info/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=476 and here is a link to a user manual: www.nipperhead.com/old/ddisc.htm

It is probably a good idea to simply look for a complete 78 adapter instead of the broken one. I have the same Perfection reproducer. You should be able to remove it from the broken parts and use it with another adapter or on another machine. Of course you need to replace the old hardened and broken gaskets first. I used "Victor Exhibition" gasket material that you can find on ebay or with phonograph parts dealers.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby
Andreas

[lizbee]

*Update* I just wanted to post an update, and again thank all for the support and information. The player worked beautifully right away, first crank, before I even oiled it or anything, and since then we've oiled and adjusted a few things and it plays like a champ. Apparently it had been stored indoors, properly, all these years, and other than the unfortunate refinishing job it works like a champ and we're loving it.

The spring does make a few light "clunk" sounds as it is wound, indicating that a spring job is in our future, and we already know this is probably a bit much for us, so we're investigating local resources for assistance.

I found a local vintage vinyl shop that had 10 Edison discs for $20, none of which we already had. We are looking for another tone arm or complete 78 adapter, since my husband is confident about the gasket replacement, and otherwise the reproducer itself looks good.

Here's a quick one-minute vid of the first day in our parlor (Rosy Cheeks): www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuCPJIqUMlg

Next I'm installing some grille fabric. We'll check out the talking machine forum, and thanks again. I am SO glad I bid on this!