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Commonwealth Electronics restoration

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Re: Commonwealth Electronics Finished!!!!!!!!

Postby hags » 17 Oct 2011 18:27

Wow, that looks great and I bet it sounds great too.

No rumble though? There has to be some....

I thought I read you were/are disappointed in the low frequency output, that's odd because my Russco TTs put out some tremendous low freq.
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics Finished!!!!!!!!

Postby cafe latte » 18 Oct 2011 00:49

hags wrote:Wow, that looks great and I bet it sounds great too.

No rumble though? There has to be some....

I thought I read you were/are disappointed in the low frequency output, that's odd because my Russco TTs put out some tremendous low freq.

No not me :? My low freq output is stunning. I wonder if you are thinking of when I built my speakers? I had some issues then, but since I replaced my passive preamp recently with a DNM series 2a that sorted that out.
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CL
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby cafe latte » 29 May 2012 00:48

After a PM on how the motor is hung I decided to post the pics here as a pic speaks a thousand words..
22139
This pic also shows the punch on the spindle that was drilled out and tapped with a grub screw. after the puch is drilled out and the rotor is held in a vice with wood the spindle will unscrew allowing access to the top bearing.
You can also see the holes were the transport screws were that must be removed.
22138
Regards
CL
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby satanfriendly » 29 May 2012 02:50

I am very impressed with your level of restoration CL and more so from what most of us would probably have rejected as being 'beyond rescue'. I need to show my crew the photo's of what can be made from a rusting lump of metal.

The Morch is a very nice arm, but apart from trying to get your mitts on one, the next question would probably be 'how much?'. To keep in taste I thought something down the lines of an AT1005 (picked up cheaply enough) might be the order of the day. Also note on E-Bay UK there is someone down Oz way selling one or two 'vintage' arms. Sure he was here on VE for a while.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Micro-Seiki-M ... 2ebe1c9183

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Piezo-PU402-S ... 19d0896923

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Micro-Seiki-M ... 2ebe1c9183

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GRACE-G-840-F ... 2ebea76c4d

Sire you've probably seen them though, but just in case....
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby cafe latte » 29 May 2012 03:55

satanfriendly wrote:I am very impressed with your level of restoration CL and more so from what most of us would probably have rejected as being 'beyond rescue'. I need to show my crew the photo's of what can be made from a rusting lump of metal.

The Morch is a very nice arm, but apart from trying to get your mitts on one, the next question would probably be 'how much?'. To keep in taste I thought something down the lines of an AT1005 (picked up cheaply enough) might be the order of the day. Also note on E-Bay UK there is someone down Oz way selling one or two 'vintage' arms. Sure he was here on VE for a while.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Micro-Seiki-M ... 2ebe1c9183

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Piezo-PU402-S ... 19d0896923

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Micro-Seiki-M ... 2ebe1c9183

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GRACE-G-840-F ... 2ebea76c4d

Sire you've probably seen them though, but just in case....

Thanks for you kind comments :) I have had a Jelco 12 inch arm fitted for quite a while now as this is an old thread. Here is a link to the turntable completed..
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=40784
I was lucky that the motor was working and that the white metal in the main bearing was undamaged and the spindle shaft was only lightly pitted in one area but mostly perfect.
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CL
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby Carolus » 29 May 2012 15:55

cafe latte wrote:..... Here is a link to the turntable completed..
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=40784
......CL

Hi CL,
I discover your (old post) Commonwealth restoration,
A real challenge on a master piece, good professional knowledge & skills .....
Congrats ....
Chapeau bas, tres bas .....
Enjoy the music ....
Best regards,
Karel
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby cafe latte » 29 May 2012 23:13

Carolus wrote:
cafe latte wrote:..... Here is a link to the turntable completed..
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=40784
......CL

Hi CL,
I discover your (old post) Commonwealth restoration,
A real challenge on a master piece, good professional knowledge & skills .....
Congrats ....
Chapeau bas, tres bas .....
Enjoy the music ....
Best regards,
Karel

Thanks Karel, You give me too much credit :) I was happy it worked so well when I finished it. I am rather pleased with it though.
Regards
CL
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby Coffee Phil » 30 May 2012 21:12

Hi CL,

I looked through this string for all the stuff about the motor with no luck. It must be on an other string. I'm trying to help the guy in San Francisco with his selection of a motor for his Commonwealth. I need to refresh my memory. Can you post the link.

Thanks,

Phil
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby kaputt » 30 May 2012 22:07

Hi everyone!
I got a Commonwealth 12D3 today in ok condition. The only thing absolutely NOT right is the plain screw at the bottom of the platter bearing. In the manual there's a "thrust ball bearing housing" which my 12D lacks. Could anybody provide me with a picture of that part and also of the top of the thrust screw?
Thank you very much!
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby cafe latte » 30 May 2012 22:09

Coffee Phil wrote:Hi CL,

I looked through this string for all the stuff about the motor with no luck. It must be on an other string. I'm trying to help the guy in San Francisco with his selection of a motor for his Commonwealth. I need to refresh my memory. Can you post the link.

Thanks,

Phil

Hi Phil,
Here is a couple of things I found re the motor when it was running a bit slow. It is still fixed thankfully :) viewtopic.php?f=18&t=40339&hilit=commonwealth+motor
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=41506&hilit=+commonwealth+motor
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby cafe latte » 30 May 2012 22:19

kaputt wrote:Hi everyone!
I got a Commonwealth 12D3 today in ok condition. The only thing absolutely NOT right is the plain screw at the bottom of the platter bearing. In the manual there's a "thrust ball bearing housing" which my 12D lacks. Could anybody provide me with a picture of that part and also of the top of the thrust screw?
Thank you very much!

gallery/image_page.php?image_id=16217
This is a pic from my reso which shows the screw and lock nut in the middle of the bearing housing. Inside in a cup in the spindle of the platter is a ball bearing and the screw sits on this ball bearing, there is a slight slight cup on adjuster the screw if I remember correctly to help the ball locate.
Regards
CL
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby kaputt » 30 May 2012 22:27

Thanks cafe latte. I thought it might maybe be a screw like the one for adjusting the motor bearing, just for a 1/4" ball. I would have bet these were available as ISO/DIN norm parts, but no luck yet.
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby cafe latte » 30 May 2012 22:39

kaputt wrote:Thanks cafe latte. I thought it might maybe be a screw like the one for adjusting the motor bearing, just for a 1/4" ball. I would have bet these were available as ISO/DIN norm parts, but no luck yet.

I think the ball bearing will be available off the shelf. I split with an angle grinder a car gearbox bearing and the ball was the correct size, but I imagine a bike shop would have the correct size ball. It is a screw and lock nut like on the motor, but maybe yours does not have the adjuster as the adjustement is not really nessary IMO and maybe later models did not have it?
Regards
CL
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Re: Commonwealth Electronics restoration

Postby kaputt » 30 May 2012 22:51

cafe latte wrote:I think the ball bearing will be available off the shelf. I split with an angle grinder a car gearbox bearing and the ball was the correct size, but I imagine a bike shop would have the correct size ball. It is a screw and lock nut like on the motor, but maybe yours does not have the adjuster as the adjustement is not really nessary IMO and maybe later models did not have it?
Regards
CL

Well, the ball itself is not the problem, i even have these in my drawer. It's just the bloody screw with the cup that takes the ball...
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