Does anyone know how to repair turntables?

[Diane Sudduth]

Somewhere around 1978 or so a new record/radio/8-track player came into the house.   Mom still uses it as a radio/record player, though the few 8-tracks we've had are, I think, long gone.    She would love to continue listening to her old LPs but she says, "The turntable turns so slowly that a soprano sounds like a baritone".

Is there anyone here with knowledge/willingness to take a look at it?    I'm entirely willing to learn if you want to point and tell me what to do, but I've never had one open before and wouldn't have the foggiest what I was looking for.  

Thanks!

Diane  <*>

[Deech]

New turntable and radio combo runs about 40 bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000UVKE2I/ref=pd_aw_sim_e_2?refRID=0J2S2EFS7J27TZZN6RAM

Odds are good the motor is just old and can't get up to speed anymore.

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[Keith Rogers]

Can you send pic / model number?  Might just need a new belt... Also, some record players of yesteryear are selling for big bucks so don't toss it out right away.

[EschewObfuscation]

Turntables typically used synchronous motors, so they're not vulnerable to failures of a speed control circuit; a given number of windings and a given line frequency implies rotation speed, and Bob's your uncle.

So when they deviate from designed speed, one of two things are most likely at fault, both pretty simple.

Some motors use a "run capacitor". Without getting into the theory, the short form is those can dry out with age, so if your has one, replacing that just in case is not a bad approach.

But the most likely fault is the belt is probably slipping. There are substances touted as "rubber renewer", intended to make dried out, slippery belts and rollers more sticky. Those usually work to a degree, and temporarily. But long run, the fix is to replace the belt. You can use rubber renewer as a test, or anything else to make the belt and its capstan a bit more sticky as a test, to see if you need a replacement belt. 99% chance one of those is the cause of your fault.

[EschewObfuscation]

Um, with materials readily available at the space, if you can't tell by eyeball if the belt is slipping, you could wet a bit of paper towel with a bit of non-diet soda, run the belt across that so it's wetted along its length, let it and the capstan dry. The sugar-sticky will improve friction a little bit and may answer the question.

[Diane Sudduth]

I know it's a Zenith.   Looks like this.   I can get a model number on Sunday.    



Mom loves this one because she can and frequently does stack up to 6 LPs so they play in sequence.   They keep her company while she sews and since there are 6 of them she doesn't have interruptions every 15-20 minutes to change a record.   The stack lasts just long enough for her to get a lot accomplished and ends about the time she needs to stop and take a bio/coffee break.   

Diane  <*>

[Diane Sudduth]

I would absolutely love assistance in taking it apart to see if it's a faulty/old run capacitor and/or it needs a new belt.    I am not comfortable enough to take this apart by myself.   Will you help me, please?   It sounds like you know your way around the inside of these things...  :-)  

By the way, who is this?    I get so confused by the nicknames on posts.   Not that I've met everyone and not that I can remember everyone's name, but I'm working on it...


Diane  <*>

[EschewObfuscation]

We've not met. Travel to the space is a financial strain for me, so I'm typically there in the flesh only when I've accumulated enough work for an 8-10 hour session in the shop to justify the travel cost, so people tend to see me only when one of those sessions overlaps a general meeting. Now that my keys don't work, the next one will have to begin during a scheduled activity (ie nighttime work session rather than daytime), or I'd have to make a special trip just to swap keys. And I'm not crazy about parking my truck in that neighborhood overnight. So no idea when I'll next be there in person.

But there's no shortage of people competent to help you inspect your turntable; Keith is one such. Good luck, you'll find it's not that hard, now that you have an idea of what you're looking for in there.

[Keith Rogers]

Di - I'd be happy to help if I can get down to the space.. I don't think we've met.  I haven't made it down in quite a while.  When would you be able to bring the turntable?  -Keith

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[EschewObfuscation]

Oh and one last thought: if dry caps and dry rubber prove to not be the culprit, another common possibility exists: motors past a certain age often experience oxidation and hardening of the oil in their bearings. Usually the symptom is full out inability to get moving at all, but slowing is a possible possible effect. In effect, too much of the motor's power is going into fighting the hardened grease, not enough left over to do the job. In that event, even though the manufacturer usually didn't plan on it happening, it's usually practical to partially disassemble the motor, clean out the old lubricant with a solvent, apply fresh oil, and you're good for another 30 years' service. :)

[Diane Sudduth]

Keith,

Thanks so much!     I should be able to pick up the turntable this Sunday but even if I get up to Arch Reactor on Sunday I won't be able to stay long, and I'm leading the Pysanky/Ukrainian Eggs event on Tuesday the 24th.    Sunday the 29th would work, if you're available...    Or we could pick a non-Tuesday and non-Friday weeknight the week of March 30.   I do need to spend some time up there using the laser to make a few things for First Friday on the 3rd.   (My life is too insane)

What is your schedule like?

Diane  <*>

[Keith Rogers]

Diane - I couldn't make this weekend work but I can try and stop by sometime this week or next weekend.  You can shoot me an email direct off list and we can try to coordinate.  I need to get to the space to see the status of the lathe and inventory what I might need to bring to do a short lathe class.  -Keith

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[Keith Rogers]

For those who are curious and for future internet surfers trying to fix a Zenith Mini Wedge (I think), we discovered that the spinning platter is driven by an idler wheel which is in turn driven by a motor with an extended shaft of multiple diameters.  All is friction drive and the speed selector basically changes the idler wheel location on the motor shaft and along an inner rim (which has a slight taper), resulting in a single speed motor driving three record formats... so no belt after all (and at varying gear ratios and torque).  In the end, the main culprit was hardened / gummed up grease between platter center bearing and the main shaft.  Some 3 in 1 oil loosened things up and although the music sounded very strange, it seemed to be consistently at nominal pitch.