Brunswick 106

Gents,

My latest just arrived yesterday-after a very looong delay. A Brunswick Panatrope 106 portable.



Unfortunately, it's not in working order as it was supposed to be. One of the governor springs is broken. I am hoping that with a repaired governor a rebuilt reproducer-if it's possible to rebuild it and a re-sealed horn I'll have a good solid "bang-about" portable to take anywhere.





I am curious about the pathway of the winding key, it goes right through the horn-with two large holes. I'm wondering if I should bother gluing some rubber sheeting with a cross-cut over the holes to reduce the size of the hole. Also anyone have a recommendation for sealing gaps in the horn? There are a couple of large-ish gaps. Too big for just glue. Someone I trust recommended caulk. Sounds good, I think.

Regards,
J.

I'm straining to see what you mean by gaps in the seams. Do you mean, where the sides of the horn meet the motor board, when it's put back in place?

(Also, what is the horn made out of? From the photo, it looks like the "bell" or mouth portion is made from stiffened cardboard. )

If there is a gap between the sides of the horn and motor board, perhaps the best fix would be to position some pieces of thin wood or heavy cardboard along the sides and glue them in place, so when the motor board is put back in place, that entire area is flush. Smearing some Vaseline or a thin bead of grease along the edge of the horn would probably create an air-tight seal with the motor board.

As for the hole through the horn to accommodate the crank, you may want to leave that as-is, since it should be close enough to the mouth to not impact the overall sound quality. Otherwise, your suggestion would probably work. Another would be to create a hollow tube out of stiff cardboard and run it through the horn so it is flush with the two holes on either side of the horn, and then seal around the edges with glue. When you insert the crank, it would run through this tube to the motor.

For sealing smaller gaps, where joints come together, caulk works very well. Another option is to use a hot epoxy glue gun, available at any hobby shop. (I think that Walgreens even sells them.)

JoeDS

The picture of the horn didn't come out very good-sorry. The whole horn appears to be made out of a thin wood. You can't make it out in the photo but there is change in height and a large-ish gap across the transition as well as the two sides leading up to the bell. If I put a flash light in there you could better see it. (I think the curved "reflector" at the bell of the horn is also wood covered in a leatherette.) The problem with the hole for the winding key is it's overly large on the "inside" on the motor side. The shaft of the crank itself doesn't fill the opening. The outside is fine as the escutcheon closes any gap. Thanks.

Regards,
J.

JoeDS,

I tried to get a better photo of the horn gaps:



I tried putting a flashlight in the horn, but it didn't show up, not bright enough I'd imagine. You may well be right about the hole for the crank being do close to the bell. Once I seal up these other gaps that may well be all that's needed.

I'm having a devil of a time getting the governor apart. Where on earth does one get the screwdrivers and other tools to work on these motors? I've always got a driver to small or far to large!

Regards,
J.

Neophone wrote:JoeDS,

I tried to get a better photo of the horn gaps:

...

I tried putting a flashlight in the horn, but it didn't show up, not bright enough I'd imagine. ...I'm having a devil of a time getting the governor apart. Where on earth does one get the screwdrivers and other tools to work on these motors? I've always got a driver to small or far to large!

Regards,
J.

I can see the seam gap in this photo pretty well. I'd recommend using clear silicone caulk. I prefer GE brand. Also, a bead of epoxy from a hot glue gun would work.

Looking at the previous photo, it almost looks like the top section of the horn is missing where you've drawn the three arrows. If that's the case, then you can probably make a patch out of thin wood which you can find at most hobby shops.


As for screwdrivers, I remember I bought some at Radio Shack a number of years ago. They came in sets of six or more--varying sizes, designed for working on circuit boards, etc.

JoeDS,

Yes it does look like the top is missing doesn't it! But it's there, that's it in the newer photo. For some reason the top piece of the horn sits on top of the sides until that end piece which is fitted between the sides.

I'll check out Radio shack. I have a nice set if the small drivers, but it can find larger drivers with narrow enough blades.

Regards,
J.

A universal screw driver set can be ordered from 'Brownells'.
This is a gun repair supply.
Currently, there is a Panatrope model 106 w/o cabinet @Dewey Street Mall in Sapulpa, Ok. for $40.00

Your phonograph was the first portable I ever owned.. Many people in those days didn't think there even was a mechanical panatrope.. Unfortunately mine didn't play well, the diaphagm had been damaged and I had no clue how to get it repaired.. Maybe today there are those that can disassemble them and repair such as the orthophonics. Although I have never actually heard a rebuilt one to know how successful the rebuilds are. I always like that phonograph though.. I am fond of brunswicks anyway in the vertical cut machines.
As to that hole in the horn, or for that matter leaks in the system.. My guess is that in such a tiny area of concentrated sound those leaks make little to no difference in overall sound. The best sounding portable I have had so far was one that didn't even have a horn short of the little stub of a shoot the tone arm attached too. I would have thought it would be awful sounding if I hadn't heard it. somehow the sound bounced around in the bottom before coming out the opening at the rear and had a fuller sound than most portables.. Unfortunately it was a somewhat poor overall design and I couldn't get the total operation up to par and parted with it.