Columbia Q Running in Reverse

[mattrx]

I recently purchased a Columbia Q in really nice condition.  Bed plate looks very nice, as does the pin striping and plating.  It winds and runs quietly, but it runs backwards.  I removed the spring barrel and opened it up.  The spring appears to be wound in a counter clockwise direction.  Everything is very clean, and so I believe someone "serviced" the machine before it came to me, it is just too clean.

 

Can someone please give some advice as to what might possibly cause the machine to run backwards?  I should be able to figure it out, but I'm evidently less mechanically inclined than I thought I was.  I will gladly provide any pics someone might need,  but hopefully someone else has experienced this and can tell me what I need to change/adjust.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[Jerry]

Sounds like a fun machine! I think someone installed the spring backwards, but also must have installed the winding ratchet backwards as well.  

[mattrx]

Jerry,

 

Below are photos of the spring barrel and winding gear.  Do they look backwards to you?   I watched a couple of Brett Hurts YouTube videos and they looked the same to me.  I held off completely reinstalling the spring in case is was indeed backwards, but it is wound in the same direction as the ones in Brett's videos, or appears that way to me-this is the first spring I've actually uninstalled/reinstalled.  I've spent a lot more time on wood and finishes.
 

Thanks!

 

Matt

 

 

Edited November 5 by mattrx

[Jerry]

The spring and the ratchet look correct.

 

Aside from possibly running the belt in a crossed, figure-8, fashion, I can think of no other way to make it run backwards.

Edited November 6 by Jerry

[CurtA]

I agree with Jerry... I can't think of any way to make it run backwards...  That  being said, it should run in the direction of the photo below: 

(The cylinder plays from Left to right - 2 minute cylinders only - no 4 min Blue Amberols)

 

 

Edited November 6 by CurtA

[mattrx]

I will reinstall the spring as it was and put the machine back together.    Maybe it will run correctly.  The belt is not crossed.  I will post pics/videos afterward.  Maybe just the breakdown and re-assembly with fix the problem.  One can only hope.

[mattrx]

So, last post this evening.  These two gears were installed in the opposite positions from what you see now (upper in lower and vice versa) and that caused the machine to run backwards.  I just needed a working one to show me the error.  I put them back the way they should be and tomorrow when I reinstall the spring, I’m betting it will run correctly.  Glad to know (or at least suspect) I haven’t lost my mind.  Whoever worked on this motor prior to me had swapped these two particular's gears, causing the issue.

 

Hopefully solved,
 

Matt 

Edited November 13 by mattrx

[Jerry]

Wow!  Studying the gear train closely, I believe I can see how that could happen, but it's nothing you would expect could be the case. I can't imagine the leadscrew gears could have meshed, and I'm surprised that the drive gear for the pulley did.

[mattrx]

With the spring re-installed and the gears swapped, the machine runs exactly as it should.  Whoever worked on it before simply swapped these two gears.  It was unfortunate, but an easy fix once you figure it out.  Hopefully this thread will be available if anyone has this problem in the future.

 

Thanks to all that gave advice,

Matt

[Jerry]

Thanks for the follow-up! What a bizarre thing to happen.