I think my radio needs a tuning belt, it had a string which was not in alignment and kept jamming the wheel.

when I removed the dial I noticed someone had glued a jam lid on, so a string could go in the gap.

Can belts be brought for tuning wheels.

I'm not sure of radio brand, so I will have measure it.

The glass dial just says airplayer.

I've never heard of a tuning belt. Radios of the early/mid 1930s often used a friction drive, where a kind of metal clamp mounted on the tuning control would clamp onto the edge of the dial. As you turned the knob, the clamp effect would cause the dial to turn (something like 2 gears meshing, but without the teeth). The dial being mounted on the tuning capacitor would therefore turn it too. The problem is the clamp would wear out and so turning the knob would mostly do nothing.

So because replacements are not available people would come up with inventive solutions mostly involving dial cord and a pulley. Maybe that's the case with your radio. I can't see it so I'm guessing.

WES components stock belt kits for VCRs. If you can't find something there that'll fit you aren't trying!!

I've never heard of a tuning belt.

I'm currently working on an American-made Zenith 9-S-324 from 1938 that uses one, as did a number of American manufacturers back in the day:

https://www.qualityradiobelts.com/order-here.html

Photos uploaded.

Thanks for the photos. Well it's definitely not a friction drive, and that string is horrible. Maybe a normal real dial cord might work?

Looks like the jam-jar lid is glued to the flywheel of the tuning shaft. The flywheel appears to be diecast zinc, and even though it does't look like it in the photograph, this may have started to crack up as diecast zinc eventually does, due to impurities in the zinc and corrosion. Maybe the lid is there to to hold the flywheel together.

And that tuning mech looks like it could be a friction drive - NO! now that I've seen the pictures!
That lid will have to go and you'll need nylon dial cord and a tensioning spring.
The cord makes 2 or 3 turns around the flywheel shaft.
I found some suitable cord at Spotlight, it's purple bead stringing cord in the Craft section. No, Jaycar no longer stock it!

It's normally frowned upon to start a 2nd post about the same project.... But we are pretty easy going here!

There's a spring in the photo, just dangling there, on the end of the string, which looks like a bootlace. The eyelet is there too, for the other end of the cord.

Thanks for replies, once I unglued the jam jar lid the pulley seemed in good condition.

The top pulley looks like its made for a belt, so not sure which way to go
.
I added a new post because I thought tech talk was more appropriate for the details and help with problems that arise and general discussion was appropriate for identifying the radio

As a new forum member, I apologise if I did the wrong thing by starting a new post And ask if I can still reply to both posts or just use one, I'm a bit confused now.

I have started identifying my caps and found some are hard to read. Would this be best in general discussion or tech talk.

Starting a new thread is fine if, as in this case, a specific topic on one aspect of restoration is being discussed.

The only time it is considered incorrect is to engage in what is called cross-posting, where identical comments are posted in more than one forum. This thread, and the one in General Discussion comply.

Looks like an attempt to change the ratio of the drive and speed up the dial movement.
I would chuck the tin lid and go back to a string around the lower spindle shaft and around the drum with a spring at the drum end.
I used Bunnings 'brickys string' string for the last couple of dial set ups.
Fred.

Fred, is it common for the string to go around the spindle shaft which is a small diameter, because it looks like the lower pulley is supposed to be there.

I do have some nylon cord to try, but at the moment I am still pulling the radio apart.

Brad. Thanks for clarification of forum etiquette.

That looks like a standard drum especially as it has an inertia wheel. Based on experience, some had absolutely no idea of mechanical interpretation & I have seen some wonderous things.

The score width relates to the cordage being considered in two parts and may need a full lap of the drum score. As one half winds on the other half winds off and that's where conceptualisation usually falls apart. The other place it falls apart is winding the cordage on the driver, "Z instead of "S" and vise versa, and it drives the dial drum the wrong way. The hole in the drum does suggest cordage.

For eyelet's like that there is usually a tang, or two, for it to hook onto. The small spring is usually available at an industrial supplier.

The original cordage and the Wagner stuff is a tubular braid with a mono filament core. That unlike many strings is resistant to chaffing which will be quickly destroyed at the driver.

The tin lid suggests cordage too thick and probably wound wrongly? Risk management says remove it lest the cord get between the lid and inertia wheel and Jam.

Marc

Hi Johnny.
Yep, I have made my own dial drives and repaired a few, and always have the string wound around the knob spindle 2 or 3 turns.
That gives enough grip so as not to slip.
Then the string may go straight up to the big drum and around that with enough turns so as to get a full 1/2 turn rotation of the gang spindle.
Your look like a straight up and down set up.
I have also made my own friction drive type set up but a string drive is the most convenient.
On other dial set ups, the string may go around pulleys to change direction, pull a pointer along a straight edge dial and so on.
The spring is crucial to compensate for the change of length in the string as it works around the various drums and pulleys.
the spring usually sits tucked away in the drum and tensioned open slightly at rest.
Then it can work in and out and allow the effective length change.
For a vintage radio that will only get used infrequently the string material is not critical.
I have bought 'proper' dial string from suppliers made from some 'plastic' crap.
I threw it out after I brushed a set up with the soldering iron and it went pooof and melted in a puff of smoke f!#$$ useless..
A good cord like brickys string works good enough for me.

Fred.