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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 24, 2009 7:33:27 GMT -5
Teasing, no biggy
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 23, 2009 22:22:23 GMT -5
Great photo Diggr! I think this thread indeed presents a great deal of Amberola 30 data, perhaps more than most wish to know, haha. I ordered new governor springs from Wyatt's so hopefully (fingers crossed) this solves the problem.
I stripped, removed as much rust as I could, primed with rust converter, and then added two coats of flat black paint to the horn today. I sanded and stained the case yesterday and added a coat of orange shellac this morning. It was sanded down this evening and a new fresh coat added.
Against conventional logic, I decided to leave the veneer chips as is. They do not bother me that much and even though they will stick out with the new stain and finish, I wanted to leave them to show the machine's age, just as I am leaving the original finish. Being I have no experience with veneer, I didn't want to start on this Amberola, haha.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 23, 2009 15:15:49 GMT -5
Ugh, don't yall remind me...I still have to attempt to reassemble the lid!
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 22, 2009 22:09:50 GMT -5
I removed the springs from the governor to measure them. Both springs arch out when laid weight side down.
I'm at a loss as to what to do. No parts are grinding or dragging. I have adjusted the governor every which way. Judging from the photographs in this posting, the the springs on my governor appear to bulge out considerably more than those of two other amberolas. Having exhausted other adjustment options, I'm going to order two new springs from Wyatt's (assuming these are new and not used) and see what, if any difference they make.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 22, 2009 17:23:19 GMT -5
I measured the springs and each is around 2.25 inches long when flattened on a ruler. Argh....now what?
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 22, 2009 13:01:18 GMT -5
I have been thinking the springs may be the culprits. I'll disassemble the governor and measure them. Right now I'm polishing up the reproducer (while I wait for new gaskets and diaphragm). The horn was rusted up, so I cleaned off the rust, resoldered the post at the front and put a coat of rust converter on it. The plan is a single coat of flat black and it will be ready to reinstall.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 22, 2009 10:31:07 GMT -5
Hi Martin,
Small world, haha, I just found these this morning while hunting for possible answers. I hope this can help some other folks as well!
Cheers, Frank
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 22, 2009 8:33:59 GMT -5
Howdy Bill,
What I mean is the brake (on/off) pad, when engaged with the fly wheel is pushing the fly wheel forward when at rest, thereby flexing the governor springs. On my standard, the brake pushed the fly wheel away from the weights (as opposed to towards them on the amberola). I just wonder if the governor springs have been flexed enough to cause them to become stretched.
I gotta hand it to Edison's laboratory...whenever they would simplify a part to save a few cents, they did.
Cheers, Frank
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 21, 2009 23:21:16 GMT -5
Should I look into getting new governor weights and springs, springs with greater tension? They clearly have hit the knife edge before over time, and they seem to be flexed out more than normal. The brake pushes the fly wheel forward, and I'm wondering if this has caused the springs to expand and flex more than normal over the past 80+ years (crazy theory I realize).
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 21, 2009 22:24:22 GMT -5
Bill, I was not able to remove the mandrel shaft at all when I worked on this. The nut came off, but the rod won't. I was afraid of taping the end with a rubber mallet to pop it free. Will it slide off if I hit the threaded end first? Also, I currently have the governor assembly pushed as far back/forward (note, the non-worm side pushed literally as far back, ie. close to the metal cast post) as possible, and have the bearings tight enough to avoid the governor from wobbling or being noisy. The horseshoe with the friction pads doesn't allow much in terms of movement. I've moved it every way I can imagine and the weights hit the knife edge every way possible unless the speed knob is adjusted to keep it slow. I tested the speed early with the paper (I used sticky document tabs) and the absolute fastest I can get it after adjusting the governor is 134 RPMs. I just can't get it any faster than this. Regarding the governor's current location (in regards to the fastest I can get this player to run), here are some photos of it.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 21, 2009 13:06:48 GMT -5
Well, I made a video of the unit playing. Hopefully this can help clarify the issue:
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 21, 2009 12:39:18 GMT -5
How can you move the actual friction plate without shifting the bearings? The only screws on it are to hold the springs on to the brass section. If I remove the screws, can I slide the plate farther back?
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 21, 2009 11:53:52 GMT -5
Well, after more tinkering, adjusting bearings, etc. I just can't get this thing to play as fast as my Standard B. It flies along while the Amberola is substantially slower. I have the speed knob adjusted as far as I can before the weights begin to hit the guide rail. The mandel bearing/lock nut is loose at the end to allow the mandrel to spin without interference. I lubricated all the bearings, have all the gears adjusted and yet it just won't go as fast as the Standard B. Should it? I thought all Edison ran around 160 RPM. I'm guessing the Amberola is still around 30 - 40 RPMs too slow.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 19, 2009 21:27:50 GMT -5
Diggr, I disassembled the entire unit today, degreased the motor, and reassembled it. Unfortunately, it's running slow. This seems to be the case after every cleaning I do and it drives me crazy. I'm using sewing machine oil, WD-40, and 3-in-one Oil. I didn't think they would slow things down but somehow they must be. Argh. In response your inquiries, here are photos of the speed adjuster. I hope these help. My bedplate was mounted with screws and nuts to the case with no dampening material present. There is a token "5" on the top part of the reproducer body that I found. The bedplate is EASY to disassemble, but a pain to put back together, as a few parts must be inserted at once and nothing tightened before everything fits in place. I did not pull the spring out of the can, but it is still a strong one from what I can tell.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Mar 18, 2009 22:36:29 GMT -5
Judging that the number is under 100,000, I'm guessing it's one of the early models, in particular with them using up the Edison signature decal. I'm bidding on one of those metal grills, but if I lose out I would be happy to buy yours
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