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June 12th, 2009
09:58 pm - The Henry Ford Adventure: circumquel, the journey. 1
As I drive, I write blog entries in my head, usually about the geology I'm passing through, and tonight, having done over 500 miles, I decided on an early night so that I would have time to commit the geologic musings to - well, not paper, but this. But there was no room at the inn I'd planned to stay at, and a variety of misadventures ended me up in the best possible place. And now there's a story.
"Stay for Less" is an charming, 1950s vintage style motel bought by the current owners 9 years ago. It's the standard for the era - a dozen rooms with the owner's residence attached. It's been done over very nicely, with inviting landscaping, fresh paint, and it's tidy and inviting looking. The cat sitting in the office window suggested that we would find a room here without any problems.
Owner Karri and I got into a chat, started by talking about traveling with cats (don't!), which segued into where I was going, and her relative who is doing museum work, and I say something about old tech, starting with cylinder phonographs. Some of you may not know that I am probably the only person ever to collect unemployment from the state of NY as an unemployed cylinder phonograph repair person. But I did. Carrie mentions that they have an old wind-up record player that doesn't work. Well, you all know I can't mind my own business, so I ask if I can look at it. Karri is delighted - everyone so far has told her it's too complicated and can't be fixed. Oh, really? Nothing is simpler than these old wind-ups. There are only two or three things that go wrong with them, and Wayne's (her husband) description tells me that the spring's not broken, so - there's not too much else, other than a jam or a problem wit the governor.
After some false starts (I never did remember to remove the crank on these dratted things before taking them apart, and I haven't learned to yet), we get it apart, but before even removing the machine unit from the case, it starts running erratically with odd noises. We finally pull it and the problem is immediately obvious - one of the governor springs has broken, and it's alternately jamming and flopping about. It finally breaks at the other end (it's a flat piece of spring steel with a weight in the middle, screwed to two collars that are mounted on a shaft) - it breaks at the screw holes - and the two springs keep it in check and it runs the spring down. I show Carrie and Wayne how to adjust the speed by loosening the set screw and sliding the collar back and forth on the shaft - I still remember how to adjust the things. Karri and Wayne will take the spring to a clockmaker and also check online to find the part. They are probably the only people in the last 75 years or more to have a professional phonograph repair person make a house call. Well, in Nebraska, anyway. But now I'm too tired to write about geology, so I wrote about today's adventure instead.
I just hope that the mechanical televisions in Dearborn aren't too modern for me to deal with.
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Comments:
That's cooler than a cool thing on ice.
Loved the story & hope the road is treating you & the cat well.
Howdy, emailed and msg'd you regarding Volvo stuff. Hope you got the info!
![[User Picture]](http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/86312032/435203) | | From: | ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) mopalia |
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| Date: | June 21st, 2009 03:12 pm (UTC) |
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I emailed you a bit ago - did it not go through?
Hmmm. Just checked and ...I guess not! Mostly just concerned that you get the info you were looking for, but of course would be pleased to hear back from. My Wife and I L O V E these cars... |
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