Gramophone spring removal & installation*See Description

[blazeracer1]

I just got a Gramophone yesterday. The motor starts dragging after one record plays to where the weight of the needle will make the turntable stop. Will cleaning out the spring give it a longer runtime?

[kirtley2010]

how do you clean off the old grease, i am struggling to do that with one of my motors

[Valveman11]

Thanks for the video! I've used this method several times now and have never had a problem. The key is to take it slow and steady, and make sure that you have a good grip on that spring at all times! I tried gloves, but I feel that I get more control over the spring with my bare hands. I've actually found larger springs to be easier... There're more places for you to hold it!

Now if I'm going to replace the spring, I won't hesitate to stick the barrel in a heavy burlap sack and yank it out!

[meyiyiyi55]

you made that look easy!

but im kinda scared of this.

[RollaArtis]

You are making hard work of all this - and spiral springs are more likely to break if the edges are marked or damaged as has occurred here. Why not use a clock mainspring winder to take it out? As used by the manufacturer I'm sure, much safer and easier.

[gramophoneshane]

@RollaArtis To each their own I guess. I just dont see the point in spending $100-$200 (or more) for a spring winder when you can do any spring by hand in a couple minutes. That's the price of another machine or two :)

If I was doing this for clients on a regular basis, it would be a worthwhile investment, but I only do a spring or two every few months.

BTW: What edge damage are you refering to? The spring in this demo wasn't broken or damaged.

[RollaArtis]

@gramophoneshane Although the spring can be removed and replaced by hand they can be unwieldy if not to say messy. With a spring winder one can avoid all this and remove it without distorting the spring in any way. When removing it free hand the edges of the spring will rub against each other and are liable to mark the edges to some degree, and introduce stresses which are outside its natural form. Having said all that it's a very long and thin spring so in practise it doesn't really matter.

[husbondensrost]

Hi!

I have a question regarding gramophone sound box or pick-ups. The rubber on my His Masters Vice portable model 97 c sound box has become hard and I am thinking of replacing it, also the aluminium diaphragm has a crack in it and need to be replaced to in order to produce better sound. I thought you might have some experience with restoring sound boxes and wonder if you might give me a five tip on how it is done. Thank you!

[gramophoneshane]

@husbondensrost If you google "nipperhead", they have a section on rebuilding reproducers. The site is undergoing upgrades, but if you click on "old nipperhead pages", then on reproducers, at the bottom of the page you'll find rebuilding a victor exhibition. All soundboxes follow the same basic rules of restoration so it should help. Parts will have to come from USA & I'd recommend George Vollema of Great Lakes Antique Phonographs. He should have replacement diaphragms......cont....

[gramophoneshane]

@gramophoneshane but you'll need to tell him you need an aluminium diaphragm for a "Columbia No.15 soundbox". If you say "HMV" to any American parts supplier they'll say they dont have parts for HMVs, but a Columbia 15 & your HMV no.21 soundbox are basically the same thing. George will also have the rubber diaphragm gasket tubing. I dont know of anyone making the rear rubber flange gasket that hold the box on the arm for the 21, but I've made my own using black silicon sealant

[ballabing12]

Great vid! Any experience with Decca 50 spring? Need to repair mine, but cant seem to get the barrel open...

[gramophoneshane]

@ballabing12 Musta missed the email 4 this. I've never done a Decca 50, but the covers of barrels are usually held on in 1 of 3 ways. A circlip, small screws, or the lid is jammed tightly into the barrel. For these, you need to remove the centre arbor from the barrel (the thing that winds the spring from the centre) and insert a wood or metal rod in the hole at the bottom. Insert on an angle so the rod rests against the inside of the lid, and gently tap the rod on the ground to force lid off

[TriangleIsland]

Hi i have a His master's voice Gramaphone, mine is a Number 4 in a very good shape, i had an accident i had turned to strong the spring and now if i want to listen to it i need to turn the crank all over the time what does it means, is it broken. How shall i do or proceed.Thanks. Help me please any advise are welcome.

[ilovecollecting]

I have several Gramophones, and although I'd never attempt what I've just seen (Springs terrify me!) it was very interesting to see! Thanks for Posting.

[UzumakiYodaime]

fuking oil

[peppoj]

Lubricant is your friend ;)

[JoshuaIn1927]

Thanks for this video. I've got a few gramophones, but always worried about opening the barrel thinking the spring would jump out at me.

I did as you suggested, and did a small portable yesterday. It was easier than I expected. I wore gloves to remove it, but ditched them to put it back, finding they got in my way. I'll be cleaning all my springs in the near future. Thanks again for taking the mystery out of this simple operation.

[gramophoneshane]

Thanks Joshua.

Just remember the bigger the spring, the more powerful & dangerous they become.

The large springs are better (and safer) if the barrel is clamped in a vise. That way you have two hands to deal with the spring alone.

And as I've stated in the side box, always concerntrate & be careful.

Good luck!

[Loadfaster]

Lets say I wanted longer play time for a gramophone. Could a person replace a spring qwith a bigger spring and get a longer play time?

[edisonphonographs]

What machine did this spring barrel come out of ?

Thanks

[gramophoneshane]

It was from a Rexonola/Thorens motor.

[freeride1200c]

I did my own main springs. what do you use for grease old edison formula #2 graghite and vasoline or lithium grease i used lithium grease seems to work well

[scaramangaix]

wow!

[ainamen]

Great video. I just got a portable phonograph, remove the motor, but couldn't get the barrel opened. Do you have any tip on how to do it?

[gramophoneshane]

There's a few ways the barrels were held together. Some by small screws, or two barrels that slot together. Others can have a spring wire which holds the cover on.

Others just have the cover fitting very tightly into the barrel. With these, you need to insert a screw driver or piece of dowel on an angle, in the barrel hole on the opposite side to the plate.Then by tapping the screw driver it will force the plate out of the barrel. PM me if you have trouble, as theres not much room here4detail

[fwdstuck]

The best way I done to get the spring out. Is to dump it into a 5 gallon bucket. It is alot safer that way. It won't bust out and cut you.

[gramophoneshane]

I used to do it a similar way, but as the spring flies out of the barrel at high speed, it can get tiny knicks along the edges of the spring which can eventually cause breakage.

They've also been known to break across the pear shaped hole where it attaches to the barrel because of the force excerted on the spring & rivet.9 times out of 10 it will at least bend the spring here,which weakens it across the hole. Regardless how you remove the spring, you still have to wind it back in anyway.:-)

[fwdstuck]

The ones i've removed have been broke anyway.

[gramophoneshane]

Yeh, I guess there's not much point in being gentle with removing a broken spring, although they can be repaired pretty easily if they break within the first few inches of the outer end.

Removing a good spring for cleaning & regreasing is probably best done by hand though. I've been doing them this way since I was a kid, so you don't really need a lot of muscle power, as long as you take it slow, concerntrate & keep the spring under control.

After the first 2 or 3 it's dead easy.

[HartfordTommy]

It's such a perfect demo video, of the correct procedure, you do it all so well and also prove by logical words the truth of the best method. Thanks very much!

[gramophoneshane]

No.. Thank you! :)

I should have mentioned above that the inside of the spring can also be repaired, but it's a pretty difficult job & often not worth doing if the break is more than an inch or so past the original hole- particularly on small single spring motors. Shortening the centre coils often has a drastic effect on the efficiency of the motor & results in the machine slowing down before finishing one side of a record. Double spring motors fair better, as do very large heavy gauge springs.

[onehundredthree]

Kudos to you, man, for having the patience and persistence to do this kind of work. You make it look easy!

[antiquekid3]

Shane, great video! When I have taken out springs before, I stick the barrel and the spring inside a cardboard box, clamp a vice grip onto the end of the spring, tie some string onto it, close up the box with the string coming out, and pull on the string as hard as you can. This way, there is 0% chance of you getting hurt, and it comes out within a matter of seconds!