I have serviced more 1916 IX's than any other year, high production, and many have survived. They are a nice solid machine, not rare, but a great choice of Victrola to learn servicing on, and to play records on. The 1915 in the video was unfortunately refinished in a sloppy manner by someone. It's still on the shelf under my work bench to this day, and is available for anyone interested in a project. I would give a collector a great deal on it, the catch being that you have to come here and collect it in person, I am not shipping these. Kills my back trying to pack a 47 pound machine that size, and these days it's near a hundred bucks in shipping anything past a state or two away from me.
Great video! I absolutely love my collection of Victrolas! I just found a VV-IX at an antique store and am currently waiting on a part for the motor. I can't wait to get it running!
Appreciate the reply.. made my day.. Mine is together sitting on stand at moment. I am doing basement job and plan to have it down there as soon as I confirm humidity good. when I move going to take top off and see if it has the feet. I think it might be flat bottom with like felt bumpers underneath that have since deteriorated
Flat bottom it looks like a larger version of the VV-VIII, it would then be 1911-14. The other big change for the feet models was the addition of the isolated horn. Before this the horn was wood built into the case with the motor sitting in the middle of it. That system worked, you really couldn't hear the motor noise over the sound of the record playing unless you looked for it. Problem was the motor was wide open to dust coming in the horn opening, and the wood construction was time consuming as well as more expensive to build.
For most motors that I have done many times I remember rotation direction, but I still take a picture anyway . Digital cameras are a great tool for documenting what you are doing as you go along. Especially recommended for anyone taking something apart for the first time so you can go back and see how everything is supposed to go together in case something is forgotten. I scratch things on the barrels also. Take the springs in this VV-IX in the video, they are 1 1/4" x 17' each. The same motor is used in the smaller VV-VI, but that machine gets 1 1/4" x 9' springs. When I rebuild these for my own use I upgrade the springs to the 17' and scratch that on the barrel so I remember what I did.
Thanks for posting this. House mate just got one of these (she does flea markets / estate sales) and this is a great intro. The reproducer on hers will need overhaul, and the motor is quite noisy. Also, missing the front doors. (Hers is mahogony). Not sure I want to do any overhauling on it.
There are people who service these machines, you just remove the motorboard, and the reproducer, send them to George Vollema at Great Lakes Antique Phonograph. I have done business with George, great guy, helped me find some oddball springs. Either that or learn to do it yourself, 30 years ago that's exactly what I did and I didn't have the videos on youtube showing me how to take springs out and such. If you look for it you will find someone has a series of videos on here detailing the servicing of the exact two spring motor in your IX. The motor needs service, everything is dry and covered in ancient filth, the spring grease has turned hard and is making the springs slip and thump, the reproducer gaskets are like stone and causing air leaks, buzzing, harming your records, the needlebar is probably out of alignment. The IX was one of Victors most popular models from 1911-1924, you can find doors, hinges, any part you need on eBay, or from George. It's been a cold winter, and that trend continues so I am not spending much time in my unheated little shop. The IX is still on my bench, the motor is serviced as is the reproducer but that's as far as I have gotten, it will wait until springtime.
For some reason a few comments left aren't appearing here, only in my notifications. Someone asked if I had clips of rebuilding reproducers. No, this is somewhat delicate work and I have only a simple camera. None of the little folding tripods or other camera mounts needed for filming close up detail work. There are some videos on youtube showing the process. If you order the repair kits from Walt Sommers they come with a pretty good instruction sheet with pictures.
to restore a victor ID plate. Clean it well. Dry it, spray it over with black paint. Let it dry. Carefully rub it face down on 600 or finer grit sandpaper a few times. Because the letters, numbers and dog are raised, the paint will be removed from them, the background will retain it's nice black paint.
Thank you, I am aware of the method having used it on antique auto and equipment ID plates in the past. This machine requires a full cabinet refinish after someone put polyurethane all over it, and stripped off the nickel plating. The wood is good, as is the veneer, but I am not equipped to manage wood restorations like this. I conserve original finishes, and do minor joint gluing, or veneer repair. The plan is to sell this one off to someone who has the tools and supplies, not to mention the room to handle it. The motor has been serviced, but that is as far as I am taking it.
Thanks for this video.. i have this exact model in Harmony.. I also have a stand for it that holds the records. Slew of victor records for it. It was my Grandmother's and I would like to preserve keep in family. I now know that I have 2 spring version (and mine needs overhaul as well).. I also now notice my reproducer has the exact same gap as the one in video... I need to send out and the motor and reproducer addressed by someone who knows what they are doing... Thanks again for video
The Victor company made this model ( Victrola the 9th) from 1911-1924, in 1915 the case received the "feet" you see in this one, before that they were flat on the bottom. The motor is a common one that will be found in many of Victors mid price models, it also received some upgrades over the years. This one has two individual spring cans, late on they would put both springs in one big can. HMV in the UK would also use this motor under license from Victor I have it in two HMV colonial portable models as well as one early 20's tabletop. Parts are easy to find, so are springs should they be needed. There are places here in the states that will overhaul the motor and reproducer for you, or even the entire machine, figure they will charge you $200-$500 depending on what is done, and who does it. Don't forget to clean the tonearm, and lubricate it's mount as well as adjust the pin to remove up and down wobble on the tone arm. Good time to fix any stripped out screw holes also. I have this motor in at least seven IX's, including the 1919 I just bought last month, that one also has the custom made table fitted to it. I have it in the VV-X, VV-80, VV90, and a slightly smaller version of it in the VV-III's, and VV-VI's.
The darkness of many machines is decades of nicotine. When I reahab one of these I use an orange oil cleaner and it runs off almost black as it it cleans away the nicotine so I always put lots of absorbent stuff (old carpet with plastic sheeting beneath it) and we get down to the original finish. Lots of people smoked a lot in the last century so it takes its toll.
The problem with this 9's finish was some Bubba with sandpaper and a can of polyurethane. It could be stripped down and redone, but not by me. It still lives under my work table waiting for someone looking for a Victrola 9 project, it has a serviced motor in it, and all the nickel plating stripped off the hardware for reasons unknown. I use Kotton Klenser cleaner. wood feeder, and polish. The cleaner lifts that nasty black gook right out of the wood. It's amazing how nice an original finish can look on some machines that started out looking as if they came out of a lake.
Hello VICTROLA COLLECTOR! Do all of the arms and vic #2 reproducers have brass under the nickel or chrome plate? Do the door knobs have brass underneath? Sure do love Your videos on these marvelous machines!!
With Victors yes, the tonearms, and knobs are brass with nickel or gold plating depending on the machine. All Exhibition, Victrola No2, and a very few early produced No4 and No5 reproducers have brass body's with nickel or gold plating. Later No4a's were potmetal. Hinges, brakes, screws, auto stop's, tonearm mounts, turntables, winding handles are steel or cast iron ( tonearm mount on earlier machines before 1926) Speed controls can have some brass parts, as do governor assembly bodys, and one motor gear. HMV in the UK follows this pattern as well. On later HMV's you may find some Chrome plate , but this was not a Victor thing.
Wow, You are Amazing! Thanks for the fast response, and I hope Your New Year is getting off to a good start! Thanks for sharing your incredible knowledge!
I don’t really do much in the way of refinishing. Mostly, I try to preserve what’s there. When I get a cabinet, that’s finished wood I clean it and preserve it using the products from Kotton Klenser. Google the name, and the website will come up what you need is the cleaner, the wood feeder, and the beeswax polish. Follow the instructions, and you should have no problem bringing back what you can of the original. Anything else would involve trying to dissolve the original finish with alcohol and such Because it is shellac, and the results could be very questionable. I generally like to see the original age on the cabinet in the form of alligatoring, or darkening, as this tells me, the machine is unmolested, and original. I don’t expect my antiques to look like they were new anymore than I still look that way after all of my years. There is a point at which a finish is a complete basket case, And can’t be brought back. At that point a full refinishing is the only option, and I leave these machines to those who are equipped to deal with them better than I am.
Victrola the 8th, this model never got the " feet" that the 9 did after 1914. The cabinet would stay flat bottomed and only in oak. This model shares a motor with the VV-VI, and the VV-IX among others, but didn't get the 17' mainsprings. 12' I think.
I am not sure what you mean by one piece, are you referring to both springs being in one spring can rather than two individual ones like on the motor in the video? The VV-IX, or Victrola the 9th was produced for many years 1911-1924. During this time there were lots of changes, one of them was when the motor was upgraded in late 1916-1917 to the one piece spring can. They also made extensive changes to the cabinet over the years, and gave it the " fat" tonearm by 1919 along with the Victrola No2 reproducer. This machine was Victors most popular tabletop model in the years of it's production, changes small and large happened all along as new designs came along.
These were a top seller for Victor, the floor model version VV-XI, was the top selling model of all time for Victor. I like this model for playing records. They are all nice 1911-1924, but the later ones have all the upgrades. Fat tonearm, No2 reproducer, improved motors, after 1915 it got the isolated horn. 1915 was also the year the cabinets got the " feet". Just an all around nice tabletop Victrola, I have at least ten of them at any given time in oak and mahogany. Right now in the room with me I have four of them. 1919 mahogany with a custom lower cabinet, 1916 mahogany, 1920 oak, and HMV's version ( not sure the model number they used) in oak. Condition is everything so far as price goes. Attic relics in good shape with OK original finish needing full service, no veneer issues, $175-$250 on ebay or the flea markets. Figure if shipping is involved it's 47 pounds unpacked, 60-100 to ship inside the USA , more from coast to coast. Cleaned, fully serviced, ready to play, $425-$550. Lot of work bringing it back without any refinishing. Motor service and reproducer rebuilding are not cheap, the reason I learned to do it myself. Springs will be bone dry, but probably good, if not new ones can be had, figure another 140 for that.
Great videos. I have the late 1917 model. I have a question what would cause the turntable speed to constantly go fast slow fast slow just very slightly and constantly. With the RPM app on my phone i can see a constant fluctuation. Also what is the best grease i should use inside the spring motor. Any help would be Appreciated. Also if interested my RU-vid channel is full of 78 RPM record music for anyone interested.
Sounds like a governor issue, weak governor springs, governor bearing caps too tight, or worn, this is especially a problem with the bearing cap nearest the gear. Lack of lubrication over many years causes them to wear wide enough for the shaft to slop around while spinning. Mainsprings could be weak, or the motor needs a good cleaning. Check the friction leather and keep it lubricated. For new mainsprings I use the same high pressure grease I use to lubricate my truck front suspension, or the moving parts on heavy equipment costing a few hundred grand. For older, weaker springs I keep it to white grease as it's thinner. The old formula of Vaseline and powdered graphite still works, as will pretty much any light to medium consistency grease you might have around. The spring is steel, so is the barrel, modern grease will not harm any of it. I remember having that fast-slow issue with the speed on one machine. I traced it back to a set of too lightweight springs I used to rebuild the governor. Bought from some unknown supplier years before. I swapped them for heavier springs and the problem was eliminated.
@@Rockisland1903 Thank you for all that info i was thinking maybe the grease i used possibly to thick and a possible govner issue. I will try inspecting the governor and see if it has some end play maybe order new governor springs. Inspect the end like you mentioned also. Thanks again that is my new mechine in my profile picture i have bin refinishing the exterior.
The governor shaft is supposed to have a little endplay, what it shouldn't have is side to side movement at either end inside the bearing cups. Easy way to tell is pop out the governor, and the caps, remember the one with the groove in it goes on the gear end of the shaft and the outer one is the adjustable side. Slip the cap back on the shaft and see how much side to side slop there is. A small wiggle is normal, more than that isn't. Mostly this will be on the inner bearing by the gear. I am assuming you tested the speed without a record playing as worn records can cause speed issues also as the needle hits a worn area down in the grooves, then passes into clean grooves again. A weak mainspring with thick grease could cause a lack of power, but speed up and slow down issues are unlikely to be caused by this since there are two mainsprings in the barrel. What you would get from that is a slowdown before a couple sides are played. The springs are weak from age and use, they just can't power on with anything holding them back, thick, cold, grease can act like glue.
@@Rockisland1903 i usually wind the player 30 cranks than 20 more before playing the other side and 20 cranks before the next record side. I usually go by how much tension i feel on the handle. I try to avoud making the springs get to tight. Is that a good way to do it or should i be doing it differently? Thanks again for all your replies. Thanks for all that useful information on working on the governor.
I inspected the governor and re lubricated with sewing machine oil. It seemed to have a very slight end play and no side to side on any end.I found a small washer missing on one of the hold down screws for one of the governor springs and found the screw loose. I could not find a small washer so i just tightened the screw and i think the speed is more steady. So i tried a record and it sounds better i think to me. With phone app just very slight variations in RPM
This particular machine? It's been refinished poorly and needs a total do over, all the nickel plating was stripped from the brass. I serviced the motor, that part of it is good. It's in good condition except for the refinishing, I would sell it for $150 without the rebuilt No2 reproducer, $225 with it. The No2 was an upgrade after 1919 that many Victrola owners took advantage of. If I hadn't done the motor already the price would be a little bit less. This being a 125-225 buck service if you had to send it out.
