by zekezelenker »
Tue Aug 09, 2011 9:54 pm
Thanks for checking in. My "Gem" plays now. Ron pointed me in the right direction. So far the twist-tie from an old loaf of bread is working like a charm.
There is a broken wire in the cable bundle that runs from the selector to the motor. If the wires aren't the perfect angle, the motor won't go. So I try not to move it too much.
Still need doors for the front of the cabinet. And I need a new needle. I think I bought some bad ones on Ebay. That's what you get when you go for the lowest price.
One day, when I have the space, I'll clean all the parts, change out some capacitors, and maybe get into finding that wire, but right now, I can't. It's amazing how just having the thing able to play records changes your Lady's opinion of the jukebox. Now, she loves it. As opposed to earlier when it was 400lbs of metal, glass, cob webs, and silence.
I also discovered that Alabama Mud Daubers can lie dormant for 6 months, can survive freezing temperatures, and hatch in Spring. Just after Christmas, I drove my jukebox from Alabama to California. Across mountains, through snowstorms, and through the desert. In May, I noticed the dog was staring at something on the carpet. It was a dead wasp. Then I discovered a wasp under the glass where you insert the album's cards. I thought, no way these can be Alabama Wasps. Then two showed up by the coin mechanism. Armed with a can of Raid and a flashlight, I finally discovered the nest, grabbed it with my BBQ tongs and tossed it out. That was something not covered in my Maintenance Manual.