Eagle Graphophone General Disassembly and Reassembly

[phonogfp]

The Eagle Graphophone was a brilliant design - the first to combine the motor of a talking machine with its playing mechanism as a single integrated unit.  Its apparent simplicity conceals certain refined design elements which made its efficiency possible.  A few of these elements can make disassembly and assembly of the Eagle a bit frustrating.  This guide is meant to save time and frustration for those who are restoring/maintaining these historic little talking machines.

Disassembly, cleaning, rebuilding, and reassembly of the governor and reproducer are not covered here since these are more generic devices and the techniques are more widely known.

 

STEP 1:

 

Step 1 for any project involves gathering the appropriate tools.  If you don’t have appropriate tools, do yourself (and future owners of the machine) a favor and stop.  Get the tools you need to do the job properly.  They don’t need to be fancy, but they need to fit.  A too-large or too-small screwdriver blade is an invitation for trouble and damage.   A long shank will come in handy when working on Eagles.  Also shown is an inexpensive set of jeweler’s screwdrivers bought at Wal-Mart over a decade ago.  They have served me very well - - and I’ve had to put some torque to them on several occasions.  The large, comfortable handle is far superior to the narrow, pencil-like jeweler’s screwdrivers.

In addition, you’ll need a 7/16” box wrench (you can use a crescent wrench or even an adjustable wrench, but the likelihood of slipping and scarring the machine is greater).  A pair of needle-nose pliers might also come in handy in Step 12…but we’ll get to that.

 

STEP 2:

 

Here’s what a typical cased Eagle Graphophone looks like with its key and reproducer removed.  Someone decided that this Eagle would look better with red governor weights, but we’ll fix that atrocity in due time.  Take a quick look around the mechanism.  Are the screw heads scarred?  If so, it’s a sign that an unskilled “handyman” has been here before you.  He may have left souvenirs of his ineptitude in his wake.  You may need to fix his mistakes.  Or, you may get lucky.  One thing’s for certain: the Eagle Graphophone sitting before you wants to run again, and it will do everything in its power to help you achieve that goal.  The machine is your friend.  You can save it.  Let’s get started.

 

STEP 3:

 

All Eagle Graphophones originally had belt covers.  However, they are secured by two tiny screws, and over the years legions of handymen have removed the belt covers, lost the screws, ultimately mislaid the belt covers, and proven themselves dolts because they didn’t follow Step 1.  You won’t do that, will you?  Unscrew the speed control (the knurled knob sticking out from the lower end of the belt cover), and remove both screws from the belt cover.

 

(Reassembly tip: When reassembling the belt cover to the motor plate, remember that gravity is your friend.  Hold the motor sideways, align the belt cover with the screw holes, and place the screws in the holes, one at a time.  I’ve used tweezers for this job, but I’ve also had screws pop off the tweezers and evade me for lengthy periods of time.  This is probably the most difficult step of the entire project.)

 

STEP 4:

 

Remove the belt and you should see something like this (except without the speed control).  Each of these pulleys is secured to its shaft by a tiny screw.  (Aren’t you glad you have those nice jeweler’s screwdrivers?)  You may need to remove some green grunge to find the screws, and clean out the slots before attempting to remove them.  Now remove both screws and slide the pulleys off their shafts.

 

(Reassembly tip:  The pulleys have a built-in washer on one side.  This should be lightly lubricated and installed toward the motor plate.  Not too tight – not too loose.  Install the belt.)

 

STEP 5:

 

In Step 5 you discover that the lower pulley is just that – a pulley.  But the upper pulley doubles as a securing device for the mandrel shaft!  Just slide the mandrel/shaft out of its sleeve toward the right side of the machine.  The Eagle cannot be taken apart without doing this first, but how many people would guess to start disassembly with those tiny belt cover screws?  Well now you know…

 

STEP 6:

 

In Step 6 we remove the mechanism from its metal base.  This is done by removing the three round-head screws at the ends of the three screwdriver blades shown above.  Alright, you can see only the middle screw in this picture, but you’ll find them.  Now you can remove the metal base from the wooden base and clean them.

 

STEP 7:

 

Did you notice that the screw securing the right-hand stanchion is longer than the other two?  It needs to be because it goes clear to the bottom of the wooden base.  In the picture above, the small screw behind the long screw has been removed.  Now you can remove the flat-head screw that secures the stabilizing rod to the right stanchion.

 

STEP 8:

 

In the picture above, we’ve removed the right stanchion, and I’ve finger-tightened the flat-head screw back into the stabilizing rod so I won’t lose it.  Now – making sure the carriage lift lever is pushed DOWN, we can slide the carriage right off the mechanism.

 

(Reassembly tip: It’s sometimes (but not always) necessary to hold down the spring-loaded half-nut in the carriage while sliding it back onto the mechanism.  A jeweler’s screwdriver works well.)

 

STEP 9:

 

In Step 9 we’ll remove the left motor plate by first removing the three screws indicated at the ends of each screwdriver.  Now GENTLY pull the left plate away from the shafts and gears.  Take special care of the governor (you know – the one with the red balls).  Support it as you remove the motor plate because don’t want the weight of the governor to bend the tiny pin at each end of the governor shaft.

 

STEP 10:

 

With the left motor plate removed, it should look something like this.  (I’m right-handed, so I supported the governor with my left and removed the plate with my right.)

 

STEP 11:

 

Remove the feedscrew drive gear by sliding it to the right.  You can pull the feedscrew and cover from the left motor plate, or (if it’s particularly stubborn) leave it in place while you clean the assembly. 

 

(Reassembly tip:  The feedscrew drive gear/shaft must be installed BEFORE securing the motor plates to the shafts.)

 

STEP 12:

 

About all that remains now is to remove the spring barrels.  Use your 7/16” wrench in the usual manner (righty-tighty/lefty-loosey).  If necessary, use needle-nose pliers to secure the mainspring arbor while loosening the nut. 

 

STEP 13:

 

In Step 13, we remove the mainsprings from the right motor plate.  This one required exactly one gentle tap with a small hammer.  I’ve had stubborn mainsprings that needed more force, but that’s fortunately the exception.  The spacer/pillar and stabilizer rod thread into each other.  Usually padded vice-grips will unlock these parts – just don’t allow any metal to contact them or they will be scarred.  For pads, I’ve used old rags or even a bit of paper towel.

 

(Reassembly tip: The mainspring drive gear should be close to the winding key.)

 

You have disassembled the Eagle Graphophone!

 

You may now gently use 0000 steel wool, metal polish, and quality lubricants (sewing machine oil or PTFE-infused lubricants).  DO NOT USE 3-In-One oil or other paraffin-based products or you’ll be doing all this again in a few years!

 

Reassembly is naturally the reverse order of the steps outlined above.  Be particularly aware of the following:

Step 13:  The mainspring drive gear should be close to the winding key.

Step 11: The feedscrew drive gear/shaft must be installed BEFORE securing the motor plates to the shafts.

Step 8:  It’s sometimes (but not always) necessary to hold down the spring-loaded half-nut in the carriage while sliding it onto the mechanism.  A jeweler’s screwdriver works well.

Step 4: The pulleys have a built-in washer on one side.  This should be lightly lubricated and installed toward the motor plate.  Not too tight – not too loose.

Step 3: When reassembling the belt cover to the motor plate, remember that gravity is your friend.  Hold the motor sideways, align the belt cover with the screw holes, and place the screws in the holes, one at a time.  I’ve used tweezers for this job, but I’ve also had screws pop off the tweezers and evade me for lengthy periods of time.  This is probably the most difficult step of the entire project.  Be patient, remain calm, and know that you can prevail where many others have failed.  The dolts.  Your efforts will be rewarded.  Have fun!

[melvind]

George, what a great article. It will come in very handy for those of us that have never taken an Eagle apart. Bravo!

[phonogfp]

Thanks Dan.  I hope it will be useful.

[alang]

George, great instructions and great pictures. Only one question: wouldn't it make sense to dismantle and clean the spring barrel and springs, since everything else is dismantled already?

 

Thanks for sharing!

Andreas

[phonogfp]

3 hours ago, alang said:

George, great instructions and great pictures. Only one question: wouldn't it make sense to dismantle and clean the spring barrel and springs, since everything else is dismantled already?

 

Thanks for sharing!

Andreas

 

Thanks Andreas,

 

If there are problems with the mainsprings, it certainly would make sense to address them while everything is dismantled.  I've worked on many Eagles, but have had to get into the mainsprings perhaps only twice.  Maybe I've been lucky, but I just haven't had problems with them.  Ron Sitko claimed that Columbia used either no lubricant or dry lubricant in these barrels.  I don't know, but they're so small I suppose it's possible.  In any event, I guess I'm not the one to address Eagle mainsprings because I've had little experience/problems with them.

 

Thanks again for your kind words, Andreas!

[Fran604g]

A very nice tutorial, George. Thank you. I have to believe that, especially for a first time collector, this is a great starting place that provides fundamental lessons that can be applied to understanding simple repairs on more complex machines.

[phonogfp]

Thank you, Fran.  I hope so - -

[AmberolaAndy]

Thank you George.  your thread is a big help. I got it all apart and soaking in simple green like Dyslexic Genius Hurt does.

Edited February 24, 2023 by AmberolaAndy

[AmberolaAndy]

And this is after I cleaned up the parts.

[phonogfp]

A big improvement!

 

George P.

[AmberolaAndy]

9 hours ago, phonogfp said:

A big improvement!

 

George P.

Now I’m having trouble Re-Assembling everything. Especially lining up the gears and the holes. Oh and one of the spring barrel holes have bad threads and won’t screw in securely.

Edited February 26, 2023 by AmberolaAndy

[phonogfp]

It's tricky.

 

Try holding the right-side plate (the one which secures the spring barrel with a nut) horizontally, looking from back-to-front.  Place each shaft vertically into its respective hole - and don't forget the shaft that holds the little feedscrew drive gear in front of the spring barrel). 

 

Once all the shafts are in place, take the left-side plate and position it directly over the vertical shafts, and allow it to rest on them.  Of course, nothing will be lining up, so start at the front with the spring barrel and the feedscrew drive gear/shaft.  If you can get them PARTIALLY in place, that's good enough at this point.  Now carefully work you way back one-by-one finishing with the governor shaft.  Once everything is lined up properly, you should hear a satisfying "clink" as the plate drops down fully onto the shafts.

 

Now put one of the spacers/pillars in place it (I recommend putting it in the top position near the mandrel's position) and finger-tighten the screw at each end.

 

Repeat for the remaining two spacers/pillars and you're practically in the home stretch.

 

Don't be frustrated, because this stage is tricky.  I've never been brainy enough devise a quick & easy way to assemble the plates and shafts.  Surely American Graphophone had a way to build around 6000 of these a month!  I wish I knew how they did it.

 

George P>

[AmberolaAndy]

31 minutes ago, phonogfp said:

It's tricky.

 

Try holding the right-side plate (the one which secures the spring barrel with a nut) horizontally, looking from back-to-front.  Place each shaft vertically into its respective hole - and don't forget the shaft that holds the little feedscrew drive gear in front of the spring barrel). 

 

Once all the shafts are in place, take the left-side plate and position it directly over the vertical shafts, and allow it to rest on them.  Of course, nothing will be lining up, so start at the front with the spring barrel and the feedscrew drive gear/shaft.  If you can get them PARTIALLY in place, that's good enough at this point.  Now carefully work you way back one-by-one finishing with the governor shaft.  Once everything is lined up properly, you should hear a satisfying "clink" as the plate drops down fully onto the shafts.

 

Now put one of the spacers/pillars in place it (I recommend putting it in the top position near the mandrel's position) and finger-tighten the screw at each end.

 

Repeat for the remaining two spacers/pillars and you're practically in the home stretch.

 

Don't be frustrated, because this stage is tricky.  I've never been brainy enough devise a quick & easy way to assemble the plates and shafts.  Surely American Graphophone had a way to build around 6000 of these a month!  I wish I knew how they did it.

 

George P>

I shall take my time to do it correctly. I’ll have enough time during the coming week.

[AmberolaAndy]

3 hours ago, phonogfp said:

It's tricky.

 

Try holding the right-side plate (the one which secures the spring barrel with a nut) horizontally, looking from back-to-front.  Place each shaft vertically into its respective hole - and don't forget the shaft that holds the little feedscrew drive gear in front of the spring barrel). 

 

Once all the shafts are in place, take the left-side plate and position it directly over the vertical shafts, and allow it to rest on them.  Of course, nothing will be lining up, so start at the front with the spring barrel and the feedscrew drive gear/shaft.  If you can get them PARTIALLY in place, that's good enough at this point.  Now carefully work you way back one-by-one finishing with the governor shaft.  Once everything is lined up properly, you should hear a satisfying "clink" as the plate drops down fully onto the shafts.

 

Now put one of the spacers/pillars in place it (I recommend putting it in the top position near the mandrel's position) and finger-tighten the screw at each end.

 

Repeat for the remaining two spacers/pillars and you're practically in the home stretch.

 

Don't be frustrated, because this stage is tricky.  I've never been brainy enough devise a quick & easy way to assemble the plates and shafts.  Surely American Graphophone had a way to build around 6000 of these a month!  I wish I knew how they did it.

 

George P>

What should I assemble first before getting to that part?

[phonogfp]

6 hours ago, AmberolaAndy said:

What should I assemble first before getting to that part?

 

Only the spring barrel and nut.