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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

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Old 16th Feb 2018, 11:45 am   #21
llama
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

My suggestion would be sewing machine oil.
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Old 16th Feb 2018, 5:13 pm   #22
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

I'm thinking of making a new drive wheel by gluing 5 x 3mm rubber washers together. There are loads on ebay that will give me the correct size.
The next question is, does anybody know the type of rubber that would be suitable ?
Examples on ebay are : Nitrile, Neoprene, EPDM and probably more, haven't finished looking yet
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Old 18th Feb 2018, 9:29 pm   #23
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

I've found some washers that I think will do the job.
The top of the 'drive wheel' is 27mm across at the top, so I think the original rubber may have been 1" diameter, so I've ordered 26mm. The depth is 12mm, so the replacements will be 2 x 6mm. Diameter of wheel where washers locate is 19mm, so I've ordered 18mm internal diameter, which hopefully will be a tight fit without making them impossible to get on.

One of idlers is a bit 'soggy' if anybody has or knows where I can buy a replacement 63mm idler (see pics), I would be very grateful
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Old 18th Feb 2018, 10:43 pm   #24
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

The motor idler 'rubber' is the fault that finished my 363. This was long before the internet and I struggled to find any way to fix it. The nearest I got was using a sleeve of appropriate diameter hose, however although it worked when the motor was cold the shaft would get very hot during use and the hose would start to slip.

Keep us posted on your solution!
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Old 19th Feb 2018, 9:41 am   #25
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

As has been said, the challenge is to replace the idlers. The rubber around the motor is always a headache, see here: from this thread

Perhaps old Video machine pulleys could be used for the spooling idlers.
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Old 19th Feb 2018, 5:20 pm   #26
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

Quote:
Originally Posted by djjones View Post
I've found some washers that I think will do the job.
The top of the 'drive wheel' is 27mm across at the top, so I think the original rubber may have been 1" diameter, so I've ordered 26mm. The depth is 12mm, so the replacements will be 2 x 6mm. Diameter of wheel where washers locate is 19mm, so I've ordered 18mm internal diameter, which hopefully will be a tight fit without making them impossible to get on.

One of idlers is a bit 'soggy' if anybody has or knows where I can buy a replacement 63mm idler (see pics), I would be very grateful
How badly do you want to restore this deck? You could ask Terry if he could rebuild your existing idlers if you sent them to him. Probably not the cheapest option but his service has been used successfully by many who are trying to get Series 7 Ferrographs going again:

http://www.terrysrubberrollers.com


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Old 20th Feb 2018, 12:14 am   #27
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

I'm not looking to completely restore/recondition it (see post 18). I have 5, 50+ years old tapes in the loft that I would like to try and play, looking to copy about 10 mins off one of them if still playable.
Then I will sell it - can anybody give me an idea how much it might be worth working, cosmetically very good.
Sending the one very bad idler off to Terry tomorrow, the others look OK so might get away with them.
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Old 20th Feb 2018, 12:23 am   #28
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

If you're only looking to copy ten minutes of audio, or check five tapes, and then sell the deck, it makes little sense in my opinion to spend thirty dollars or whatever per new idler (and there are three or four, plus the pinch roller is likely going the same way - my spare 363 one has!), as you'll never recoup that cost. The parts would cost far more than what the machine is worth.

I would look at:
a) asking if some forum member would do the transfer(s).
b) getting a better working machine of a more service-friendly design - there have been a few on the sales section here of late that would not only blow that Magnavox 363 out of the water, but would cost less than the price of one new idler!

Just my tuppence worth.
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Old 20th Feb 2018, 12:49 am   #29
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

Been there and done that with one of these machines years ago.

These machines are virtually valueless and I certainly wouldn't waste money on one if you're thinking of trying to sell it on. You still don't know what other problems this machine may have. Why don't you first just try to get it running with the repairs to the drive that you've already made and then decide whether to take things further?

Below are the pictures of the bodgery that I did with mine to get it running. It did run but it was a bit 'bumpety-bump' on the drive and I seem to remember that the biggest design fault with this unit is that the extreme heat conducted up the motor shaft will tend to soften non-heat resistant rubber.

I'm surprised that you can't remember this recorder, Ben, as you commented on the thread at the time saying you'd like to have the machine off me if you lived nearer!
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Old 20th Feb 2018, 1:05 am   #30
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

Ha! Yes, I last saw a 363 in the late 1980s, I had a couple from a defunct language lab and had many happy hours fiddling with them. But my recollection is a bit hazy now. I still remember them taking time to come up to speed and that one of 'em needed the motor lubricating as it was so stiff. Heads weren't great, brass or other soft metal? prone to wear.
One day I'll pick another one up as I like a bit of a challenge. But as I said before I would definitely not recommend this deck to the uninitiated, nor would I suggest spending much money on it.
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Old 20th Feb 2018, 1:18 am   #31
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

Absolutely, Ben. I actually had the chance of a good idler wheel for a fiver plus postage, but in the end decided that the machine just wasn't worth spending even that on, as even that wheel would probably end up the same as the original in a short time. Also, with the problem with the motor drive spindle heating up, it was never going to be a successful repair. There was a lot of debate at the time as to the make of the machine, which turned out to be a rare model made by 'Sound'. I actually still have the machine and it's buried under a load of clutter in the loft - I'm feeling a slight desire to dig it out again sometime and have another go at it as there can't be many, if any, that are left in working order. At the time I couldn't remember where it came from, but on thinking since, I seem to remember that it came from the same skip as all those language lab tapes that I rescued many years ago.
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Old 22nd Feb 2018, 12:20 am   #32
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

Rubber washers arrived today and fitted to drive wheel. They fit perfectly, but they are slightly tapered resulting in two high or two low points across the surface (see pics of them fitted either way around).

I'm thinking of another bit of bodgery, and putting the wheel in a drill and rubbing it down slowly with a bit of wet & dry to flatten the surface. Any better ideas appreciated.

Eager to see if I got any sound out of it (even though the idler on the take up spool is en route to Terry), I mounted a tape and ran it for a few seconds and was very pleased to hear music. Now have to wait for the missing idler before I can do anything else.
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Old 22nd Feb 2018, 12:32 am   #33
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

Strange to see the rubber tyres looking that way - is the metal surface below tapered?

You've probably nothing to lose by trying to file them down. If memory serves this rubber is just for spooling not for capstan drive - am I right? So probably not critical to have a perfect shape. But bear in mind they may not withstand the heat from the motor.
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Old 22nd Feb 2018, 1:15 am   #34
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

Tap washers?

I've got loads of them - available from Wilco etc.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this works out now you've decided to go ahead with getting the idler wheel refurbished.

I used layers of cut off rubber tubing to build up the motor shaft on mine, but I like the idea of tap washers and might have a go with that idea myself on mine. Running them in a drill and sanding them flat seems like a good idea to me. As I often say, if you can't get the part then you have to make it. There's nothing like a bit of bodgery when needs must!
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Old 22nd Feb 2018, 1:26 am   #35
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

Tap washers should be heat resistant.
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Old 22nd Feb 2018, 2:15 pm   #36
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Default Re: Power plug for Wyndsor Vanguard

Ben - You are right, just for spooling, and the 'drive wheel' (what's the right name for it ?) is not tapered. See pic of wheel arrangement before meltdown.

Techman/Regugee - Here's the link to where I got them from. They do a large range of sizes, so could be useful to know :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Pick-...72.m2749.l2649

Slightly expensive, but they say it's good quality rubber, which I googled, appears it's used for car hoses, so should be able to withstand a bit of heat.

Enjoying having a go at this, wish I knew more about about electronics, seems like a good hobby, my main interest is working on my 4 50 odd year old Triumph cars, so used to a bit of improvisation.
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