Repair Edison Standard D

[paloaltomark]

I recently acquired an Edison Standard D that needs some attention. It was improperly shipped to me arrived with damage.  The central problem is that the there's something impeding the rotation of the mandrel.  I can get the mandrel turn, but not with sufficient power to play a cylinder.  To get the mandrel to turn, I need to first give it a small push.  Once pushed the mandrel will turn and gain speed in a few seconds, but it doesn't have enough power to play a cylinder.  I'm hoping the experts here can help me with a checklist of things to debug the source of the problem.  I've already done the following:

- Replaced the broken carriage assembly with the same part found on ebay.
- Re-greased the large gears under the bed with lithium grease and the governor, small gears, rods and threaded carriage assembly transport with machine oil. (I did not fully disassemble or clean the parts, just cleaned them up a bit and. re-greased)
- I also replaced the loose drive belt with a new leather one, following instructions from the seller (Wyatt Markus- EdisonDiamondDisc.com)

How do I de-bug the source of the problem and get the mandrel spinning at the right strength? Any help would be appreciated.

[lucius1958]

Have you cleaned and re-greased the mainspring? Old, hardened grease can often rob the motor of power. If, after cleaning and re-greasing, it still lacks power, it might just be that the mainspring is tired, and needs to be replaced.

Another point to consider is the mandrel bearing: the later model Edisons, without an endgate, used a pot metal bearing for the mandrel shaft. This can sometimes swell with age: since the mandrel does turn, you might not have to replace the bearing, but could polish it slightly with rubbing compound. See if that helps.

BillS

[paloaltomark]

Thanks very much Bill. I'll have a look at both areas you suggest later this morning starting with the mandrel bearing. I have a buffing wheel and compound so I might give this a try if the bearing seems to be the issue. Otherwise, I'll have to go into the main spring. I suspect that's a more elaborate and difficult process so I'll have a look on Youtube to see if anyone has published instructions. Have a good day.

[paloaltomark]

Hi Bill, I think it's the mandrel bearing. I just ordered a brass replacement. I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again for your help.

[lucius1958]

You're welcome.

BillS