To Scotty Greene,

I must strongly caution that before ANY attempt at letting the spring
power down, any adjustment or fiddling with the governor on this, or
any music box that does not readily start up, you should first remove
the comb or combs.  I cannot overemphasize the importance of this.

I see so many once fine and easily repairable music boxes which have
suffered a "run" as a result of someone tinkering with the governor to
try and make it go, without first removing the comb.  The worm gear is
extremely delicate and thin in the spiral-cut area and is easily
broken, which will result in catastrophic and expensive damage to the
comb, dampers, and cylinder pinning.

Letting the spring power down is one of those tasks which would be
easier with three or more hands, but it can be done by one person if
careful.  Whatever you do, never loosen or unscrew any screw of the
governor, whether the mounting screw that goes through the block down
into the bedplate, or the small screw which attaches the jewel plate at
the top of the cock, without first removing comb(s).  Also, the
mainspring can store quite a bit of power even when you think you have
let it all down.  Old dried up grease and static friction can hold the
coils of the spring against one another, and suddenly with no warning,
they can slip with surprising force.  If the governor has been removed,
and the comb has not, you will have serious damage.

If you have any doubt of your own abilities in this sort of repair, it
is best to let a music box specialist deal with it for you.  And no
offense intended toward our clock repairer brethren, but some clock
guys do not seem to have the requisite knowledge of music box mechanics
to do this without causing further harm.

Good luck and if you need further assistance, there are many people
here on MMD who can guide you through this.

Reg Smith
Antique Music Box Restorations
Dahlonega, Georgia