1955 Seeburg V Amlost Completed

But - Squeak-Squeal

Thanks to all for your assistance. Machine (Blue Selection Buttons and All) has been working well but we'll do some more playing in the garage before it is allowed in the jukebox room (Kind of like me before I can get into the house past Anna). A few more pieces to add on and it will be complete. It has developed a very high pitched squeal when scanning. It comes and goes as the mech moves along scanning. The Contact Plunger Block, if I apply a bit of up/down pressure, seems to be the source. Perhaps the ground contact plunger?

Thanks from the Geritol Ghetto!

Hi David,
Lookin' good !--sept I ainna so sure about the "purple "----???
Squeak like that after cleaning can be the plungers--test by putting a samll amount of "Seeburg oil", on the area they ride on.
Usually it is not that causing the squeak--Didja oil the chrome rods the pop meter uses ? That's often the cause, or the DRY carriage wheels underneath the mech can cause this too-- Ron Rich

Jeez, when I first saw that purple and blue buttons it reminded me of a local chroma oscillator and phase control failure in NTSC color TV, all color became turned and green.

David, in my experience that screech is always the grounding plungers on the center plate. A drop of oil on a finger run along the plate will shut that up...for a while. My preferred solution is to eliminate those plunger and run a wire from the plate through a fuse to a main chassis ground -not really needed for home use.

I see the typical sag in the middle of the keyboard casting. Some a-hole sat on it at some point.

i see you took the time to remove the side grills for repainting. Too often Gepettos just spray them in-place and it looks awful.

Purple aside, a nice job .

Rob

Hi Rob,
I have heard "that squeal" on SMC mechanisms--they do not have a Tormat, hence no plungers, of any kind, nor the pop meter rods. It is ALWAYS the carriage rollers under the carriage causing that squeal on SMC's, and IMHO, about 70% of the time on those mechs that are equipped with Tormats/pop meters-
Your "Geppetto friends" locally, used to cheat that problem by adding heavy grease to the side of the gear rack where two of the three rollers live ----
Ron Rich

Squeal is gone! I took the easy suggestion and put a tiny bit of oil on the Tormat plate where the ground plunger runs. When I did the "clean/wash-lube" mechanism I was sure I had lubed all the carriage wheels but I often miss stuff too. If it comes back I'll run the ground wire to the chassis. I had heard about that some time ago but have never tried it. I have one other Tormat equipped Seeburg these days. I suppose a low amperage fuse in that added ground wire would be best, maybe 1 amp? It seems like the oil might, someday, reduce conductivity between the plunger and the ground.

Yeah, I suppose the purple is a bit plum crazy! When someone had restored the machine previously they painted that purple in and the boss (Anna) thought it was a nice color so I duplicated it during restoration. I don't really care for those blue buttons but we've spent too much on this thing already. I had wondered why the button casting did not fit/look quite like it should now I know. Someone used it for a bench! Probably got the idea when someone said "Sit On It".

I appreciate the assistance very much!

David (Geritol Ghetto)

Hi David,
Glad the oil took care of it--I dono if you "domed" the pins that ride in the contact block (frog) or not, but I always do, as it seems to prevent the squeal from there--the oil, unless it gets "loaded with dirt" won't hurt, and after awhile, will not be needed. On the pin type blocks, I also put a very tiny drop of oil on the plungers, where they enter the bearing plate, top and bottom ( same was factory, done when new).
Frog height is also a LARGE concern, here. I set them at minimum upward pressure. Just enough space so that the pin stop does not hit the top bearing plate when the pin is off a rivet.
Question---what Seeburg 200 selection phono used those "blue buttons" (which I thought were green in the photo) ?? Ron Rich

Good job. Colors look great!

Ron,
I never even thought of kind of "doming" those plungers. I do remember the very flat faces with an almost sharp appearing edge. Perhaps I should take a look at that before I move the machine into its new home.

I keep thinking those blue buttons must be from Wico or somewhere. I have some old Wico catalogs in storage; I should look. They seem to be sturdy and good quality buttons but I haven't any idea of the source or machine they could have been used on.

Since this machine has been converted to one of those "press both buttons at the same time for a selection" and the latch bar solenoids are long since gone permanent free play would be OK? I really like being able to have the first button lock until the second button is pushed, using a "Ron Rich Freeplay Converter" but I don't think I want to even think about bringing it back to that state with my non-expertise. I think a Phoenix company called "Jukeboxes Unlimited" used to use the two button method for Seeburgs they sold for home use. I think they are in LA now or were.

I have been thinking about free play converter for my R that is on coin. Boss says it has to wait. Furnace went bad and by the time we had a big hole cut in the attic for a new one to fit in and also a new AC system I could have bought a whole mess of new jukeboxes 50 years ago. Could have kept warm, out here in the Geritol Ghetto, from the glow of the all those jukebox tubes and sipping on Geritol without any furnace. Thanks As Always!

David

Hi David,
Iffin you had read my "Seeburg Mechanism Guide" you would have thought to SLIGHTLY dome those pins--If you did not sip so much of that there stuff. Also--another thought--didja "snug" all of the Phillips screws, on that contact bar of the TMU ?
Latch bar sol--izzit there and dis-connected, or, izzit missing all-together ??
Yep--IMHO, the free play adaptor is a must -- that solenoid will not take "constant duty"- Ron Rich

Yep! Shudda read Ron's Seeburg Mechanism Guide (great book) a little more carefully! I missed that part on the pins and doming them. The book sure came in handy for all the things I was vigilant enough to read like cleaning and lubing! Wish I had it years ago as I bumbled along messing with clutch adjustments and probably making it worse than before I messed with it. Now, I don't touch em at all on any Seeburg unless the book says check them for some particular problem and so far have never changed one since. (thanks for the wisdom, about the best advice I ever got).

We used to have huge parties for work at our home. For the Seeburgs on coin I always left a big dish of coins for people to use and a note on the machine to play off all credits. That worked OK but a free play converter would have been a lot nicer. No more parties out here in the Ghetto. Mostly discussions about what is hurting or aching today and who went to the emergency room last night or the day before.

I don't remember if I snugged up the Phillips screws on the TMU - I'll check that.

Latch bar solenoid is missing as are the counters. That's why I think I'll skip the converter on this old V model.

I looked in Walmart, the other day, for Geritol and sure nuff they still sell (or have it, anyway. ) Geritol for tired blood!