[ Ref. Robert Patoine in 121216 MMDigest ]

Hi Robert,  You appear to have a 2/50 note movement, i.e., 2 tunes
and a 50-tooth comb.

The tune card stock showing the two airs would seem to indicate
a Reuge movement, as Reuge used almost the exact same art work design
on their movements during the 1960s and early 1970s.  However, the
other parts, like the winding key and the on/off stop lever design,
lead me to believe that the maker might have been Cuendet or Lador.

Your mechanism also exhibits some parts that don't appear on most
mechanisms of this size, like the screw mounted below the governor
assembly on the underside of the base plate (noted as the adjustment
screw for the first wheel), and the part noted as the governor assembly
holder.  However, it is always difficult to make diagnostic evaluations
and assumptions when one does not have the complete assembly and
cabinetry available for up-close inspection.

With any music box that has experienced a "run", it is vitally
important that the cause of the run be determined and corrected, along
with any and all damage caused by that run, before any attempt to
re-activate the mechanism is made.  Not repairing each and every one
of those affected or damaged parts will likely result in another run
causing the same and possibly more damage.

You have done well to remove the comb, as that is the first rule in
music box repair.  In addition to the disassembly process you have
performed so far, you will also need to disengage the cylinder from
the main spring and check the teeth on the small step-down gear that
encircles the nipple that interconnects the cylinder to the mainspring
housing and with the gear found just below the main spring.  Be sure
that none of its teeth (cogs) have been damaged, and so too with the
teeth on the gear below the main spring.  Should any of those teeth be
damaged, they will need to be repaired or replaced.

You will also need to check the teeth on the main (large) cylinder
gear that connects the cylinder to the "first wheel" of the governor
assembly to be sure none of those teeth are damaged.  Any break in the
main spring drive gearing system will invariably result in another run.

Additionally, if there was a "run", then there is a very high probability
that there are multiple bent or broken pins on the comb that will need
to be straightened and "dressed" to make them all uniform again in
height and position.  If too many of those pins have been sheared off,
or if they break off in the straightening process, the cylinder will
need to be stripped and re-pinned.  (Re-pinning can cost up to $100 per
running inch of the cylinder.)

When all is said and done, the cost of repair is probably going to cost
more than the mechanism is worth.  See
http://www.intertique.com/PurchasingMusicBoxPart4.html 

All that being said, I believe the mechanism can be restored.  There
are several obvious and known problems to be overcome, and probably
several suspected unknown problems, too.  Some of those problems you
may be able to handle yourself with available replacement parts.
Others will probably require the services of a qualified music box
repair technician and a skilled machinist.

A new tooth can certainly be made and those generally run about $100.00
per tooth.  (Only one tooth is obviously broken but others may have
experienced sufficient force to cause stress fractures and may break in
the re-assembly process when placed under pressure and lifted by the
pins of the comb.)

It would appear, from the photographs, that the comb will also need to
be re-dampered as almost all of the dampers are missing.  (Dampers are
small pieces of material, originally chicken feather quill and now
Mylar or polypropylene, that are glued to the tips of the notes that
have lead weights on them to stop each note from vibrating before it
is plucked again.)  Not re-dampering the comb will cause the mechanism
to sound tinny with annoying vibrational squeaks and squeeches.

Dampers can be purchased for do-it-yourself replacement (the cost is
about $0.12 per damper and you'll need a minimum of 30-35 dampers),
but the application of the damper -- i.e., preparation of the comb,
positioning, gluing and cutting of the dampers to proper length -- is
an art that requires a lot of practice and is probably best left to
an expert.

Replacing the governor, rather than repairing the existing one is
probably the best alternative.  A new governor assembly can be
purchased for around $25.00.  You will need to advise the supplier of
the number of teeth on the smallest small gear/pinion of the part you
are calling the "first wheel" to receive a governor that will mesh
properly with your cylinder drum drive gear.  The mounting screw holes
on that replacement governor assembly may well have to be modified in
order to install it on you existing bed plate.

Please let me know if and how I can be of any further assistance.

Most sincerely wishing you and your family a
Happy & Healthy Holiday Season

Don Caine - Proprietor, The Music Box Repair Center Unlimited
Lomita, California
mbrcu@aol.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]