KB Tunetime- skip find! vandalized!

[slidertogrid]

Hi This KB "Tunetime" record player is my latest skip rescue. I was prowling round my local car boot sale last summer when towards the end I had a wander over to the skip at the back of the car boot sale where a lot of unsold items end up ! I did not see this record player for sale at the car boot, otherwise I would have bought it. Before dumping it the owner had opened the lid and stamped on the auto changer ! This had forced it through the motor board. I don't know if the knobs on the auto changer had been pulled off and binned separately, but they were missing and a search around the skip proved fruitless.
I returned home with my prize and set about saving it. The first job was to strip everything from the cabinet, but from the obvious damage the case was in good condition. The first job was to repair the motor board. This was made from thin hard board and had split on all 4 corners, luckily, the spotted red covering has only a slight split.
The board was repaired with wood glue and pieces of board cut from an old back cover. The rest was fairly straight forward. I re-capped the amplifier, partially stripped the autochanger, cleaned out the old grease and got it working, I found a spring was missing causing it to drop the record and then stop before playing it.
The pick up cartridge was the later flip over type and was in good order, it just needed a new stylus. To the base of the case I glued some small wooden props at the points where the autochanger is supported by the motor board. This should prevent it sagging under the weight of the autochanger as in my opinion it was fairly flimsy before it was stamped on! These pictures show the record player before re-assembly, this will be done later today and I will post some pics of the finished record player this evening.
Another one saved from the brink!
Rich.

[evingar]

Well done Rich

I have to confess to not understanding the weird mindset that destroys things like this just because they didn't sell. Spitefull and mean doesn't cover it

[slidertogrid]

These pictures show the single valve amp sporting its new caps, the bridge rectifier had been replaced rather untidily so I sorted that at the same time, the deck is a cream version of the more common one which has a gold arm, a scrap deck provided replacement knobs and motor grommets. the last picture is of the donor deck.
Rich.

[paulsherwin]

I suppose it's just possible that the owner was trying to compact it so as to take up less room in the skip.

Paul

[JoshWard]

Hi Rich, A great save! I have one of these which was given to me by a local antiques dealer. I did have it working well at one point but for some reason it isn't sounding that great at the moment, I plan to start work on it once I've finished my Dansette Conquest.
These are nice looking things, I can't see how stamping on the autochanger would make a difference to the space it would take up, nice to see you saved it . Josh.

[slidertogrid]

Hi
Last two pictures of the finished record player, (blasting out Glenn Miller).
The damage was definitely done deliberately as there was a size 9 footprint on the deck mat, I could understand if they had attempted to flatten the whole thing but the damage was only inside, with the lid shut it was exactly the same size as before, I wonder if they thought it had a big circuit board inside and by stamping on it it would break the panel? luckily the amp is in the front so the autochanger missed it!
Josh, has the one you own got a cream deck? are the control knobs on the deck cream or brown? the knobs on mine were missing and I have not seen another of these decks in cream, I suspect the knobs would be brown as the turntable mat and trim on top of the record support arm are.
I suppose the person who dumped it wrecked it to prevent someone else finding it and selling it, I forgot to mention they had also yanked the mains lead out which had pulled the on off switch off the back of the pot ( I managed to get it back on again). the original lead had then been thrown in the skip, but I left that, I have fitted a modern 3 core cable and have earthed the autochanger.
Ps Josh, don't forget I have two Mc Michael radios for you !
Rich.

[Heatercathodeshort]

Thats a great job Rich. Its very odd that people smash items out of pure vengence that they did not sell. I have contacts at the recycling centre and they get exactly the same occurance. Guys come in, remove items from their cars and with a hammer brought for the purpose literally smash it up before tossing it into the bins. Whats that all about?
By the component count it looks like the valve is a triode/output pentode such as the ECL82/UCL82. These will work from a modest output pick up which is easy to find. The high output type [1000mv] used with a single output valve such as the UL84 are becoming difficult to obtain. The deck is a BSR UA8 one of the very best autochangers ever made. Totally reliable. Looks like Moonlight Serenade on the turntable....
All the best, John.

[slidertogrid]

Hi John thanks for that information, I did not know the ul84 amps require more input than the u/ecl82 versions thats handy to know, by higher output do you mean the difference between say a sc12m and a sc12h or is the h still not high enough?
I cannot remember what valve is used in the amp I didn't pay it that much attention to be honest, it's not that easy to remove as the screening sleeve is soldered to the pcb which means you have to unsolder it to remove the valve or try to expand the sleeve and pull it out, I unsoldered it, cleaned the pins, pushed the end out a bit cleaned the top and pushed it back, I will pay more attention next time!
This took me a while to complete, I sort of did it between other jobs and it seems to have been kicking around in bits for ages, my partner, seeing the completed record player today commented that "at least there was only one bit to dust now" and how its parts will be sadly missed strewn around, hint of sarcasm I think!
Rich.

[PJL]

Really nice job and well rescued. The knobs on my Dansette UA8 were loose as the plastic had cracked around the shaft (reaction to oil I presume) so quite possibly they were already missing...Peter

[JoshWard]

Hi Rich, Yep mine's got a cream deck and has brown knobs I agree with John about the UA8, mine started to not work properly for a little while and it seemed to fix itself! Don't forget Rich I also have two radios for you! Don't worry, nearly BL day....

[Heatercathodeshort]

Hello again Rich,
The 'H' [High output] series BSR pick up should be ok with the single high slope output valve circuit. [Typical UL84] It requires 800-1000mv for good volume.
Players using the double valve such as the UCL82 incorporate a triode section [C section] that is used as a pre amplifier before the output stage [L section]These generally give better quality sound and require a pick up with less output 'M' [Medium output] Regards, John.

[slidertogrid]

Hi Peter,
I hadn't thought of the oil reacting with the plastic, that would explain why so many knobs are missing or are loose, the speed selector seems to get quite stiff with lack if use, on one deck I had it was completely seized. I think sometimes the knobs are forced as I have seen a few with the key "flat" rounded off.
This aside I agree it is a good design, it works well, and changes the records quite fast even on 33rpm. I like the design of the tone arm although I must admit I prefer the "gold arm" version, very flash Gordon!
Josh, thanks for that, I thought the knobs would be brown but its nice to have it confirmed! Yes ! we will see if we can do a radio exchange at the BL day, I will have to blow the dust off the Rover!
Thanks to everyone for the kind comments and encouragement, the record player is going to a family member this weekend on semi permanent loan as I need to make room for my latest acquisition a Ferguson "roll top" record player fitted with the (according to Donald Bullock) dreaded Collaro Conquest deck. All I can say is it better behave its self.... otherwise I know of a Skip...... Rich

[ben]

Originally Posted by evingar

Well done Rich

I have to confess to not understanding the weird mindset that destroys things like this just because they didn't sell. Spitefull and mean doesn't cover it

in the flea market over here, that's common too. i have rescued many items at the end of the sale which have been deliberately damaged, and which i hadnt spotted for sale, even.

some of my skip tv finds have been subjected to people hacking the scan coils off with a hammer so as to retrieve the metal for scrap. tonight i found a philips kt3 in such a state but with the remote control version front panel on it, which i plan to use parts from. more in a separate thread in the vintage tv section though....

Ben

[chipp1968]

Great repair .
I must admit to in the past breaking things i was forcing myself to throw out ! I suppose i just couldnt do it if they were good I dont know the phycology behind it , Though not because I didnt want anyone else to have them . These were nothing special i hasten to add , record decks , wreked 50s radio chasis etc ,and 15 to 20 years ago. Seams like the person with this player didnt want anyone to have it for free ,which is spitefull

[Tractorfan]

Try doing that to a Linn Sondek & see what happens.

Those BSR UA8 changers MUST be good if they still work after being stamped on! Were they called "Monarch" or am I thinking of another model? I seem to remember from my youth that they made a two tone grey one as well. Many hours spent fiddling with TC8 turnover carts trying not to lose that microscopic screw down inside the amp. The gram looks very smart! Cheers, Pete.