[ Penn Jacobs wrote in 091204 MMDigest:

> Should I try to get it repaired or just look for a replacement
> mechanism or whole new unit?

Please see page 247 of "Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments"
by Q. David Bowers.  Helvetia, like Thorens, operated from Sainte-Croix,
Switzerland, and made a very similar 11.5 cm (115 mm = 4.53") disc
player with edge drive discs.

I can't be sure, but I would speculate that Helvetia and Thorens (among
others who made the popular 11.5 cm disc players) may well have shared,
or employed, the same technician/sub-contractor(s) to make their combs
and another, or the same, to stamp out and arrange their tune discs.
Consequently Helvetia and Thorens discs are basically interchangeable.
You may also find that Symphonion discs and those from Junghaus (German)
clocks, that used the same size 11.5 cm disc, may also work on your
Thorens disc players.

(That same pattern reoccurred with the advent of the phonograph, where
there were many manufacturers (Thorens being one of them) and many
record production companies, but they all made their machines to play
conventionalized standard records, be it 33.3, 45 or 78 RPMs.  The same
progression is continuing today with compact discs -- CDs.)

Rust on the tops of discs will not interfere with the operation of the
mechanism, as the star wheels that plucks the notes, based on the
protrusions sticking down from the underside of the disc, do not come
in contact with that surface rust.

Try to keep the teeth/protrusions on the underside of the disc, free of
rust and debris.  That can be done by gently brushing the under sides
of the discs with a small brass or wire detail brush.  Harbor Freight
Tools, on-line at http://www.harborfreight.com/  sells a set of three
small (Nylon, Brass & Steel) detail brushes (SKU# P40439), for under
$3.00, often on sale for $1.29.

Do not use a rust remover, like EVAPO-RUST, which works actually works
beautifully and does not harm the record, but it will also remove the
printing on your older steel discs.  Just wipe the tops of your old
steel discs with a little Windex, sprayed onto a terry cloth towel that
you don't care about, and follow that with a light spray of Pledge and
gently buff with another clean terry cloth towel.  (Test the solutions
first using a Q-Tip in an inconspicuous spot to be sure they don't
react with the painted/painted lettering on the disc.)

Severe rust to the underside of a disc will cause the teeth to break
off and therefore the melody will be distorted due to the missing
notes, and bent disc teeth will cause a mechanism to jam.

The age of Thorens AD30 mechanisms is best determined by close visual
inspection and comparison, with special attention being paid to small
nuance changes in their construction and assembly.  (That is a topic
for a detailed historical analysis of the AD30's evolution that is
still in the making/writing.)  See http://www.thorensad30.com/ for
a good general presentation of the subject along with the most detailed
and complete listing of the over 1700 tune discs ever made for these
machines.

Because of the evolutionary nature of the Thorens AD30 4.5" disc
player, and minor but continuous modifications made in its construction
over the more than 160 years that they have been made, as well as
differences in the thickness of the discs and the materials from which
they were stamped, not all Thorens discs lay properly on all machines.

However, all Thorens AD30 machines can be modified, by a skilled music
box technician, such that they will play almost all the different
Thorens discs.  Usually it is the "newer" and nickel-plated discs that
do not play well on the "older" machines.  For those discs that have
difficulty playing on a given mechanism, try playing them with the
swing arm about 3/4 to 1" away from the central spindle.

The other problem you may be experiencing is that sometimes the metal
block that houses the star wheels begins to warp and causes the discs
teeth and the star wheel projections to be mis-aligned, and then the
discs either pop and click or else they jam.

Depending on the cause of the problem, repair is usually preferable,
and less expensive, than replacing an entire mechanism.  The current
cost for a fully reconditioned/rebuilt Thorens AD30 mechanism is around
$275.00, with a 2-year warranty for parts and labor.  A "new" old
stock Reuge mechanism, with the same warranty, will cost around $500.
(Reuge has decided to cease making the AD30 mechanism at the end of
2009.)

A clicking sound followed shortly thereafter by total disfunctionality
is usually the result of a cracked and/or then broken Nylon pinion,
or release gear.  If that gear is cracked it can cause the mechanism to
seize up, and/or if that gear breaks off its shaft, the mechanism can
be wound but will immediately unwind as soon as the winding key is
released.  Replacement gears are available for $30.00 each.

Also, detailed "Do It Yourself" instructions are an available option
at $5.00 each, e.g., the gear assembly and instructions along with
shipping and handling is $42.95 complete.  The cost is about $125
complete if your have a qualified music box repair person provide those
parts and services for you.

Please let me know if I may be of further service to you for parts,
discs, or repair/restoration services.  (The Music Box Repair Center
Unlimited, is the solely authorized Reuge parts distributor for North
America.  Reuge bought Thorens in 1986 and has continued to make,
basically, the same mechanism up until this year.)

Most sincerely,

Don Caine, Proprietor - The Music Box Repair Shop Unlimited
Lomita, California
tel.: 1-310-534-1557
mbrcu@aol.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]