REPAIR

IMPORTANT NOTES

- Try the following instructions at your own risk.

- DO NOT TRY TO FIX ANY OTHER PARTS than the mentioned ones. Inside each Music Box is a spring. If it is still wound-up, there is much tension on several parts of the mechanism. A wrong manipulation can result in unleashing the tension all at once, with parts of the Music Box flying through the air!

- For any other problems, or if you are not ABSOLUTELY sure what you are doing, contact the Musicbox maker or a Musicbox repair shop.

- Ask someone who is skillful with mechanical works to help you.

- A warranty may be void if you try to repair it by yourself.

- Do NOT touch the comb. If you touched it, use a dry cloth to wipe out your fingerprints. Otherwise the comb could oxydate.

- For your safety, AVOID touching the "endless spring" and nearby "gear train" parts.

- Read the page "Movement" first to get an idea how a Musicbox works, or if the following expressions are incomprehensible for you.

Starter Problems

The most common reason for a "broken" music box is some problem with the starter, which can be done with the necessary caution by yourself.

Music Boxes with a "Button starter" (pictures 1, 2, 4)

How it should work:

Push the start button to the right. The connected metal plate inside (picture 2, No. 6) also moves to the right. By this move, the left end of the metal plate (picture 1, No. 1) pushes the starter mechanism (No. 2) to the right, thus releasing the latch (No. 3) from a small hole in the Great wheel of the cylinder. Simultaneously, No. 4 releases the air-brake (which is connected to the endless screw), enabling a wound-up music box to start playing.

Important is the correct distance between the metal plate (No. 1) and the release hook (No. 2): Push the start button to the left, there should be a small space (like on picture 1) between No. 1 and No. 2.

If the musicbox doesn't play:

First, get access to the movement.

Some movements are covered by a glass lid, other boxes have a fixed glass.

If the glass is fixed with screws, just remove the screws.

If there are no screws fixing the glass, you have to check what kind of box you have: In most cases, you can pull up a wood plate next to the glass (picture 4) on the right side of the box. This can be quite tricky.

Sometimes it helps to pull the glass away from the wood plate, but be careful not to break the glass by applying too much pressure. Also, the wood plate must be moved up straight or alternately in small steps front side/back side, otherwise the wood plate can get stuck.

After removing the wood plate, the glass can be taken out easily.

(After finishing the repair, slide the glass in and put the wood plate down.)

Some boxes were assembled by screwing the box base onto the sides/upper parts of the box. In that case, take the base off, but be careful not to remove the screws that hold the movement!

Even more rare are boxes that have just 4 pieces of wood strips laid loosely onto the glass edges. Just remove carefully the wood strips and then the glass.

Next, fix the starter.

Possible reasons for the problem:

a) No. 1 (pictures 1, 2) is positioned too far to the left, it therefore can't push the starter mechanism far enough to the right to release the latch from the hole (picture 1, No. 3).

To fix the problem, push the start button to the left, loosen the nut (picture 2, No. 5) and adjust the metal plate (No. 1, No. 6) into the correct position, leaving a small space between No. 1 and No. 2 (see picture 1), and screw the nut (No. 5) tighter. Don't make it too tight, otherwise the start button is hard to move.

b) A loose nut as on picture 2, No. 5. No. 1 maybe touches No. 2, but has not enough strength to push it to the right.

To fix the problem, follow the instructions in the previous paragraph.

c) The rubber part (No. 4) doesn't release the air-brake (the part that spins around).

You could pull the rubber off, so that there is more space between the two. However, this may result in hearing a sound when stopping the song (no danger of damage), because the air-brake hits metal and not rubber.

If the musicbox doesn't stop (plays until the spring has no more tension):

There are 2 common reasons for this:

a) The latch (picture 1, No. 3) is too high and therefore doesn't "snap" into the hole of the "great wheel" of the cylinder. Solution: Gently press the latch down, or bend it down with a plier.

b) The button starter was not adjusted correctly. When the musicbox was started, the latch (picture 1, No. 3) moved too much to the left and got stuck on top of the spring housing. Solution: gently press the latch away from the top of the spring housing, and check if now the tune will stop (if not, see the paragraph above).

When playing the box in future, you either have to slide the button not too far to the right, or better fix the source of the problem: increase the distance between No. 1 and No. 2 (see picture 1). This should have the effect that the latch (No. 3) will not move so far to the left as before.

Musical Boxes with a wire starter (picture 3)

How it should work:

When a Box is opened, the pressure of the lid on the metal stick (picture 3, No. 1) is released, so the metal stick moves up because it is pushed up by a small wire spring (in top of No. 3). While the metal stick moves up, the connected wire (No. 4) moves down, releasing the air brake, and a winded-up music box starts to play.

When closing the box, the opposite happens: the metal stick is pressed down by the lid, pushing up the wire at No. 4, and the wire blocks the air brake. Because the air brake is connected via the gear train with the cylinder, the cylinder stops to play.

If the musicbox doesn't play:

Open the lid of the box and check if the wire (picture 3, No. 4) is touching the air brake (picture 3, No. 5), thus disabling the cylinder to play.

If the wire is NOT touching the air brake, there is some other problem. DO NOT TRY to fix it, contact a musicbox repair specialist.

If the wire touches the air brake, you may be able to fix it following the instructions below.

To fix it:

First, try to pull up the metal stick (picture 3, No. 1).

If this didn't help, get access to the movement by removing the protective glass (if there is any):

Most Jewellery boxes have a wall that separates the movement from the space for Jewelleries. This wall often can be pushed gently away, then the glass is easy to remove.

If it is a music box, there are several different covers. Please follow the instructions as described under "Musical Boxes with a button starter".

The "repair" work:

First, change the angle of the wire at No.4 (picture 3) by moving it down with a plier a little bit. If now the movement starts to play, close the lid of the box. If the song doesn't stop with the lid closed or makes a "rrrrrrrr" noise, you moved the wire too much down. Try again by changing the angle of the wire. Also, you can try to change the wire at the location No. 3. (Adjust the wire not only up and down, but also right and left.)

AVOID TOUCHING THE "ENDLESS SCREW"!

If you had no success, it is possible that the metal stick (picture 3, No. 1) is not straight enough/stuck in the hole, and therefore blocking the whole mechanism. Try again with the plier to change the position of the metal stick at location No. 2.

NOTE: If you change one angle of the wire, this affects all the other angles. Change the wire only a little bit at a time.

If the musicbox doesn't stop to play with closed lid:

In this case the wire that should block the air brake is not high enough or too far away from the air brake when pressed down by the lid. Follow the instructions as with musicboxes that don't play.

Musical Boxes with a weight starter

How it should work:

When a box is tilted, a weight blocking the air brake (at the governor) slides to the right side, thus enabling the air brake to rotate and the music to play. To stop the music, tilt the box to the left side. The weight will slide to the left and block the rotating air brake.

If it doesn't work:

The weight is probably stuck. In that case, shake the box to release the weight. In rare cases you have to open the box to free the stuck weight.

If the weight doesn't run smoothly, you may also apply an oil (e.g. for sewing machines).

Musical Boxes with a pin starter

This starter type is often used in toy musicboxes with small movements.

How it should work:

A pin (metal or wood stick), connected to the musicbox, blocks the air brake (at the governor). When pulling the pin, the air brake is released, and the music begins to play. To stop the music, push the pin.

If it doesn't start to play:

First, get access to the movement and the starting mechanism, and study the construction. It may be that the pin is too long, or that the position of the movemment must be adjusted.

If it doesn't stop to play (unless wound down):

First, get access to the movement and the starting mechanism, and study the construction. It may be that the position of the movement must be adjusted, or that the pin is too short or too thin at the end, so that it can't block the air brake. In case of a pin that is too thin, a tape at the end may help.

Musical Boxes with a string starter (pull starter)

This starter type is often used in musicboxes for babies, with lullaby songs.

Pull the string to start the musicbox. There is no stop function, the movement plays until the spring is wound down.

The only repair work to do by yourself is fixing a broken string.

Spring Problems

If you feel no resistance when winding-up the movement, the spring may be broken, or not connected to the gear train. Do NOT try to fix this.

If you can't wind-up a movement, the spring was probably wound-up already too much, and therefore is stuck. Try carefully to wind the key in the OPPOSITE direction, as if it would play. If you do it too strong/quickly, the key may get loose, and you have to wind it again in the normal direction.

The same trick sometimes helps with old movements that play slow or not at all. Help the movement to run down, wind it up again, let it run down, and so on. If this shouldn't work, try the following tips that we received from "The Musicbox Repair Center", USA:

Musical mechanisms are sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, and air quality.If they are left fully wound, and un-played, for a long period of time; the parts may become oxidized/corroded and the movement plays very slowly or will not play at all. Often a few drops of WD-40, or other penetrating lubricant, applied to the winding key stem and allowed to sit for a few minutes will free the movement.

If that is not sufficient, then applying a drop of lubricant to the top, center, and base of the governor endless screw assembly almost always resolves the problem. To do this use a pin point oiler. It is a small plastic bottle with a thin applicator tube at the end, like a hyperemic needle, which allows for precision application of the lubricant (these pin point oilers can often be bought in model train or hobby shops). Often times this process works so well that the movement begins to operate too quickly and the mechanism must be slowed down. To slow the movement I use another pin point oiler with 30 weight motor oil and apply it again to the governor assembly.

Picture 1: Button Starter mechanism

Picture 2: Button Starter mechanism

Picture 3: Wire Starter

Picture 4: Getting access to the movement

Questions + Answers

"I have a music box that does not work. I think it is over wound. Should I have my clock repair person fix it or can I take it apart myself?"

Never attempt to dismantle a non-working music box unless you are familiar with such type of work. It not only could result in irreparable damage to your music box, but also it could endanger your own safety due to the powerful mainspring. When a music box does not work, the cause is mostly not from being "over wound", although a broken mainspring could be the source of damage. Most non-working music boxes are fully wound, thus extreme caution should be used in handling it (see also "Spring Problems" at the bottom of the left column). The first thing a qualified music box technician will do is to remove the comb prior to an attempt at any repair work, as the comb is the most important irreplaceable part of the musical movement.

"I have a music box that makes a grating squeaking noise as it plays. Should I oil it?"

The squeak is not an indication of needing oiling. Instead, you need to have a qualified music box technician replace the missing and malfunctioning dampers on the comb of your music box.

"I have an antique music box that has several comb teeth and tips broken. Can I just get a new comb?"

No, a comb can not be replaced as it was made to play a specific number of notes. Thus none of them are interchangeable. However, missing teeth and tips in combs can be re-placed, although at high cost (approx. $200 per tooth).

"If more than 20 percent of the teeth are broken, do you advise repairing the comb?"

In that case, repair of the comb is not advised.

"On the cylinder of my antique music box, many pins appear to be bent or missing altogether. Can I just get another cylinder?"

No, but specialists can re-pin your cylinder. The cost depends on the length and diameter of your cylinder.

"Can a broken mainspring be replaced?"

Yes, but the original spring is needed, as there are many sizes and strengths.

"I have an early, key-wound music box, but the winding key has been lost. Can I get a replacement?"

Yes (in most cases), but the entire movement is needed to determine the size needed.

"My music box has a rusty comb and sounds out of tune. Can the rust be removed and will this restore the proper sound?"

Surface rust can be removed by specialists, but most often the steel remains pitted. Removal of the rust will not restore the tonal quality.

Musicbox Repair Contacts

Netherlands:

Arno van der Heijden, Amsterdam

www.arnovanderheijden.nl

USA:

The Musicbox Repair Center

30655 Palos Verdes Drive East

Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Tel. 310-548-6034

MBRCU@AOL.COM

www.musicboxrepaircenter.com

(Warranty service & spare parts distributor for Reuge in North America, also for Thorens disc players.)