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Post by neophone on Mar 8, 2008 2:37:30 GMT -5
Folks, A very big THANK YOU goes out the Bill and Sean for their patience and their generosity with their time, knowledge & supplies. I am the proud pappa of a new bouncing baby Exhibition Sound-Box! ;D Did it all myself. All I need to do is add the wax-gotta get a soldering iron Monday. I'm sure it needs an adjustment or two, but it sounds pretty darn good. I think it's just a tad "muddy" compared to the one I usually use. Now the important message: IF I CAN DO THIS ANYONE CAN!!!!!! IT'S EASY!!!!! I'm not that bright , so if I can handle this anyone can do it. Next stop-MAIN SPRING-VILLE! Stand Back! ;D Regards, J. P.S. In case anyone missed it-my first was the new gaskets in the Deutsche Grammophon reproducer. ;D
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Post by maroongem on Mar 8, 2008 10:14:56 GMT -5
Looks real good John. Nice tight join. If you don't already have any, you can get beeswax at a fabric/sewing store. Seamstresses use beeswax to stiffen their thread and it usually come in a small plastic holder with slots cut it the case for running the thread through. It's a 2 piece affair that separates and you can remove the round block of wax.
Bill
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kevan
Junior Member
Over Hill and Dale
Posts: 87
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Post by kevan on Mar 8, 2008 12:24:58 GMT -5
Look great John.
I know how you feel. I too would be lost without Bill and Sean's help.
Kevan
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henry
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by henry on Mar 8, 2008 13:24:55 GMT -5
Looks terrific, John! A word of caution in re: soldering iron. I recommend a 25 watt (no larger!) iron; the reason is, you don't want to alter the qualities of the needle arm by overheating it, changing the temper, so be careful not to leave the iron in contact with the needle arm any longer than necessary, if at all. You probably know that Victor instructions say to use a special instrument for the purpose, heated in the flame of a Bunsen burner, then to apply that heated tip to a small blob of beeswax which you have previously prepared and placed at the end of the needle arm where it touches the face of the diaphragm.
After this final step, that box should astound you!
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Post by neophone on Mar 8, 2008 14:38:29 GMT -5
Bill,
Thanks, I have a little dollop of bee's wax ready to go, but I'll check one of the fabric stores downtown for more. I'll need it eventually. Thanks.
Henry, I had figured the most basic/smallest iron would be best for the job. I hadn't thought of the heat affecting the temper on the needle bar, but had been concerned with damaging the mica.
Kevan, yup they're great guys! ;D
Regards, J.
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Post by neophone on Mar 11, 2008 2:24:13 GMT -5
Folks, I had been talking to Sean about replacing the isolators on my No.2's. Well those old ones don't like to come out. Someone, I can't remember who, had mentioned heat guns. Well I have one and gave it a try. AMAZING! I don't even think I heated it a whole minute. The screws loosened right up and the rubber softened up enough to dig it out fairly easily. That's tape holding the set screws for the isolator on the No.2 on the right I had been worried about the pot-metal of the Ortho-but no problems. I have a professional grade heat gun for paint stripping, it may take a bit longer with a consumer grade gun. A few tips: -Good leather work gloves, the Sound-Box gets hot and stays hot for a good long time. -Wave the gun across the reproducer rather than down the throat. -Watch the wax seal on the needle bar, keep the reproducer level for a moment or you'll get bees wax running all over the mica.... -Before you start digging at the rubber, but after you use the heat gun! lightly push a piece of cheese clot or the like down the throat of the Sound-Box to keep bits of old rubber out of the reproducer. The new isolators happily & tightly installed I think that covers it. I'm sure most of you know all of the above, but to paraphrase The Great Leslie.... " We'll place it here for those who may follow" ;D Regards, J. ;D
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ultona
Full Member
It's Not Easy Bein' Green
Posts: 164
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Post by ultona on Mar 11, 2008 11:12:53 GMT -5
John, I hereby crown you "soundbox rebuilder extraordinaire" ;D
Seriously, I told you once you "got it", you'd be into it. I meant to mention to you about the soldering iron, what Henry says is the truth, I use a really cheap little thing for these.
At any rate, you can also heat up the point of a nail using a candle flame to melt the beeswax, it takes some time, but in a pinch it works!
Sean
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Post by maroongem on Mar 11, 2008 16:08:01 GMT -5
If I might interject. The temp. of the soldering iron is quite immaterial. The beeswax will soften and melt long before you start to disturb the temper properties of the needle bar so don't go out and buy a special wattage iron to do this, it is quite unnecessary.
Bill
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henry
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by henry on Mar 11, 2008 18:22:35 GMT -5
For that matter, you could use a hot glue gun; just be sure to purge all the glue out of it first, or better still, buy one for the purpose and never insert a glue stick in the first place. I have a small glue gun (you can get very inexpensive ones at craft places like A.C. Moore) that would be perfect, but I also have a low-wattage soldering iron that I use for the purpose.
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walt
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by walt on Mar 19, 2008 18:54:25 GMT -5
Someone, I can't remember who, had mentioned heat guns. Well I have one and gave it a try.
I was waiting for someone to see how well the heat gun method works... (I was the one who mentioned this on Dan's board) Pot metal is extremely easy to damage because of the lead it contains (not to mention pretty nasty to breath when heated). Just back the heat gun off a few inches and take more time. I've done 13 of them in the past 5 days - no casualties.
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walt
New Member
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Post by walt on Mar 19, 2008 19:14:13 GMT -5
If I might interject. The temp. of the soldering iron is quite immaterial. The beeswax will soften and melt long before you start to disturb the temper properties of the needle bar so don't go out and buy a special wattage iron to do this, it is quite unnecessary. Bill A soldering iron (regardless of wattage) is intended to reach temperatures usually between 400 and 600 degrees or thereabout. You could let a soldering iron lay on the steel needle bar forever and it would not even come close to the point of annealing (i.e. changing the temper of) it. The wattage of a soldering iron is a factor to consider though. Wattage equates to heating capacity. On simple reproducers like Exhibitions and No.2s just about any wattage soldering iron will work. But on reproducers like the Orthophonic where you are actually using solder (not just melting wax) you will want to use something in excess of 40 watts because the aluminum spider under the rivet as well as the needle arm dissipate heat very efficiently. If you use a (too) low wattage soldering iron you can wind up with a massive solder ball in the rivet that might eventually stick to the needle arm, but it will look real nasty. My recommendation is to use a 100 to 150 Watt soldering gun on the Orthophonics. Radio Shack has one on close out right now for about $7 but you can pick them up for usually $12. They heat up very fast, reaching 500 degrees in 10 seconds or less. Because of the higher wattage the joint only takes a couple of seconds to make and there is absolutely no chance that the components will dissipate that much heat. Just don't leave it sit in there too long because the spider will get very hot and the lacquer, shellac or whatever you sealed the spider to the diaphragm with will literally fry completely off.
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Post by neophone on Mar 20, 2008 6:58:39 GMT -5
Someone, I can't remember who, had mentioned heat guns. Well I have one and gave it a try. Just back the heat gun off a few inches and take more time. I've done 13 of them in the past 5 days - no casualties. Walt back it off from where? More than a foot? ;D BTW thanks for the idea!!! Regards, J.
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walt
New Member
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Post by walt on Mar 20, 2008 20:08:55 GMT -5
Just back the heat gun off a few inches and take more time. I've done 13 of them in the past 5 days - no casualties. Walt back it off from where? More than a foot? ;D BTW thanks for the idea!!! Regards, J. That is, hold the gun so that the nozzle of the heat gun is maybe 6 or so inches away. It depends a little on the heat output of the particular heat gun you have. When I heat brass I hold the nozzle less than an inch away. Take an old unusable pot metal back and hold the heat gun right on it for a good minute or two at least. That way you will get to see first hand what can happen when it overheats. If you turn the heat gun off after you get the back insanely hot (800 to 900 degrees F) you will be able to hear it writhe in pain as blisters form and copious amounts of pure lead bubble out... Oh yeah, so do it outside. If the heat gun doesn't impress you, a propane torch probably will, and if that doesn't do it, try MAPP gas. You can nearly vaporize pot metal with MAPP. I am pretty sure that my dad probably taught me about the technique of loosening rubber gaskets using heat.
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Post by neophone on Mar 20, 2008 21:01:23 GMT -5
Walt, I think you can pretty much vaporize nearly anything with MAPP gas! ;D That stuff is bottled Perdition! I held my heat gun about a foot away. I doesn't seem to take much heat at all. I was very pleased with myself. ;D It's very rare that everything goes according to plan in my life, so it's a very pleasant surprise when it does. Regards, J.
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ultona
Full Member
It's Not Easy Bein' Green
Posts: 164
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Post by ultona on Mar 21, 2008 10:18:28 GMT -5
I know I'm a little late here, but I was telling John last night that the hair dryer works like a charm to remove isolators. I did two #2 isolators the other night in about five minutes for the two. The new ones seem to slide in better while the metal from the reproducer is still hot. This was just a cheapie hair dryer I've had hanging around from my days of having a flat top haircut! ;D
Sean
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