I'm restoring a Columbia type BN outside horn phonograph. This machine has
a one piece aluminum horn and an analyzing reproducer. The arm appears to
have been plated originally. I assumed that I could buff the aluminum to a
nice shine. My problem is that the surface is quite pitted and when I try
to buff it, the dirty buffing compound winds up in all of the pits. I had
planned on filling the pits with a car body filler and then priming it and
painting it with a chrome paint that contains aluminum particles and gives a
fair shine. A friend suggested I fill the pits with an aluminum epoxy and
then polish it out. I've goggled epoxy aluminum and found a number of
products. There are a couple of aluminum putty sticks mentioned but I can't
tell if they can be polished like aluminum after they set. Have any of you
used any products like this to repair aluminum arms? Secondly I would like
to replace the rubber pad that fits between the Analyzing reproducer and the
arm. Can anyone recommend a source for this piece or a suitable material to
make one out of. I have enough of the old one to make a pattern. Lastly I
would like to replace the 3 screws used to hold the reproducer to the arm .
The ones I have are very rusty and won't hold the reproducer tightly to the
arm. I did jury rig it well enough to make it work by backing up the 3
screws with some small rubber "O" rings and small washers. I would like to
repair it properly and assume the correct screws will do it. Do any of you
know the correct thread pitch of the screws or a source to replace them.
Were any additional gaskets or washers used with these screws originally?
Thanks in advance for your help.
