Hello brains trust.

I was recently very fortunate to buy a new old stock Collaro 3/554 78 rpm turn table from a fellow HRSA member I wish to fit into a 1947 STC table gram. This should have been a simple process I thought. Firstly using the supplied template I carfully cut out the required timber only to find out the template was not correct and I ruined the piece of timber. My fault, I should have checked the template against the supplied turntable which was all packed in it's original box. Next problem part of the mechanism fell off due to a missing circlip again I thought it would be simple to figure out how it went together wrong again. I cannot figure it out and I am wondering if a couple of bits are missing I am sending some photos off to Brad to download. There are two bits and a couple of fibre washers both bits will only fit on the one pivot pin due to the hole diameter. The squarish plate fits around the underside of the tone arm to activate the switch by pulling the tone arm outwards, however I cannot get it to turn off. I am left with the long arm which has a small wheel on it and there is a cam on the turntable centre I assume there must be some interaction between them. I could fit an additional switch and not worry about the mechanism however I would rather not. Any ideas?
Kind regards Jim.

That name makes me shudder. There's one in the Radio Clubs HMV and what an over complex ill conceived swine it is. AORSM's do have some turntables listed in it and their mechanical's

One of the largest issues with them is the hardening, with age of the grease soaps. That locks them up. There is a large cam plate in the middle of everything & it sticking normally causes all of the issues with starting & stopping. It will likely need a good clean & re-lube.

Don't forget to remove the platter & do those bearings & bushes.The Motor is often an oil bearing type as well.

Hi Marcc.
Thank you for your reply. I have fixed it and it runs beautifully and to my amazement the pick-up head stil works perfectly. I spent hours trying to get the fallen off bits back in and I was not sure if anything was missing however perseverance paid off. The most amazing part is the pick-up head is still good.

They made things to last in those days.
Golden rule with all these mechanical turntables. -Keep them clean, lubricate with light sewing machine oil, don’t under any circumstances use WD40. As will eventually after a temporary repair make a sticky mess and ruins oil impregnated motor bearings, as well as auto off and all other functions to go amiss.
JJ

don’t under any circumstances use WD40

I make that a general rule. It's amazing how brainwashed Joe Public is about WD40.

" I make that a general rule. It's amazing how brainwashed Joe Public is about WD40"

Brainwashing! Really?......With many it only takes a light rinse

I agree with the comment about WD40. It's not a useless product by any means but those not in the know do have this belief that it fixes everything. Where I work we cannot use it, or competing products such as CRC because of the residue and odour. Silicon spray is used instead.

If I scored five bob for every time my department received a work order that was suffixed with "probably just needs a squirt of WD40" I'd be rich.

Photos uploaded.

Thank you Brad

For switch contacts and connectors etc I find DEOXIT extremely good. Leaves very little residue. It's available from Mektronics in Melbourne.
Not cheap but a can lasts for years.

I find DEOXIT extremely good

Ditto. I also use that for valve sockets.