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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 24, 2009 11:36:57 GMT -5
Nooo! I bid on a recording of the Manhattan Beach March, and instead I got what sounds like a very young girl...several in fact, singing badly. It is so high pitched I have trouble understanding what they say. What do I do with this thing now? I wanted something nice to listen to, and now I have a poor home recording. At least the tube it came in is really nice, haha.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 22, 2009 17:24:37 GMT -5
It very easy to use, and gives great results. After reading Diggr's post, I realized I hadn't done the thumb screws on my 30, so I took a before & after shot. These two weren't too bad to start with, but it does the same job on the worst of them. To give you a better idea, here's a badly rusted lid stay I've started doing. It eats away the rust, but not the metal. Wowsers! I gotta try that once I finish the current two I'm working on, haha.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 22, 2009 10:00:49 GMT -5
Dang, this sounds more like more up my alley than a fine wire brush and WD-40, haha.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 20, 2009 8:27:48 GMT -5
Told you it was fun I take tons of digital photos, and grab them off ebay for reference. Ziplock bags are always handy to have as well. I had some success cleaning up the original finish with Formula 409 and gentle use of 0000 steel wool. After cleaning I'm using basic Turtle Wax to polish up the bedplate and seal the metal (to an extent) from surface rusting.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 19, 2009 23:15:20 GMT -5
I'm waiting on the carriage from the jeweler, and have been busy with the rebuild. I have the bedplate as clean as I can get it...some of that grime just refuses to come off. I disassembled the motor completely, cleaned all the parts, relubricated them and reassembled the motor. One rather odd quirk was found...the brass tensioner pulley has been frozen for so long that the belt has worn a groove in the brass! No matter how much cleaning I did the darn thing just don't turn...and the groove is a good indication that it hasn't turned in a LONG time.
As for the case, I am using a junker bottom and bedframe. I call it a junker since it was so battered I never intended to use it...and well, now it's the nice one. I wanted to ask what to do about screws that refuse to hold. I just dabbled wood glue on the screws and then inserted them in their respective holes this way to try and get them to "lock." I wanted to ask what you all do to make them hold.
The other annoyance is that the lid support has a bend in it and despite the best of pliers, it just won't straighten out. I realize a good vise would probably take care of this, but for now it will be the way it is. I guess this player is just getting cleaned and left in the antique look, rather than a "like new" appearance. So long as it plays well, this is ultimately all that matters.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 16, 2009 13:37:16 GMT -5
No to that then. I slotted the end and tried to unscrew it from the back, but to no avail. I'm taking it to this jeweler with a micro laser welder to have him see if he can weld on a tiny post and a nut to the nub on the inside of the ring, so I can remove it this way.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 15, 2009 23:17:12 GMT -5
I rebuilt the bedframe, sanded it down and stained it. I'll get a photo up tomorrow, but it didn't turn out that badly I don't think. The lid will take longer, but in the meantime I'm going to degrease the bedplate, gears, and disassemble the motor. All the metal parts are DIRTY! I'm going to try basic engine degreaser on the gears and top parts to see how well it cleans off the old crud.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 15, 2009 23:14:49 GMT -5
Ahhh, gotcha I went ahead and put two coats of shellac on the spare Standard D case I fixed up for my sister. I'm going to apply the decal, then just apply one more coat and rub it down with 0000 steel wool to give it a nice satin finish.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 15, 2009 20:30:41 GMT -5
I am going to play Rodney King and say "can't we all just get along?" I'm no expert...heck, at times I feel like my work will be belittled by any and all. However, a dear friend restores all sorts of things and his philosophy is "if I like it, then that's what matters." Well, I try to restore with historical accuracy in mind, but also so that the end result is attractive, functional, and enjoyable.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 15, 2009 14:46:55 GMT -5
Most interesting Mike. I put the decal on my Standard on the wood before the shellac, as this was the way I found it before...ie. on the bare wood. I was thinking of putting one of two coats of shellac on the one D case I'm cleaning up for this other Standard D (I fortunately had a spare case body to replace the one smashed up).
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 15, 2009 14:45:06 GMT -5
Welcome Diggr...haha, nice to bring you over from GE. I think you'll enjoy it here as I have
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 15, 2009 9:33:13 GMT -5
Gorgeous work. So you are applying the decal between layers of shellac? I place mine right on the wood before applying the shellac to the case. Either way, it looks great!
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 15, 2009 9:31:45 GMT -5
Great photo! The two Ds I'm working on (yes, double Ds...hehe) are not for me. The one is for my parents, the other is a gift to my sister. I'm going to pursue building an Amberola 30 so I can collect Amberols. My sister wants a diamond disc player, so knowing this about the echo is mighty handy
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 15, 2009 9:29:39 GMT -5
Here are my two plans to extract the screw. First, I'm going to heat it up red hot to loosen it up...blast it with penetrating oil, and try to extract it this way. If this fails, I know a jeweler with this intense miniature laser welder, or something along these lines for jewelry work, and ask him to weld on a tiny rod or some to the end inside the carriage ring, so I can extract it this way. He's fixed cracked pistol magazines for me before and his work is top notch.
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Post by tarheeltinkerer on Feb 15, 2009 0:08:02 GMT -5
The mandrel doesn't appear to be damaged. As for the screw...there is a tiny bit of it sticking out the back (ie inside the carriage ring). the top broke off just inside the carriage, so I'm at a loss to try and remove it.
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