Lesa CD2/21 turntable not turning?

[yoho]

i recently acquired a very nice Lesa cd2/21 and I hooked it up to my Nakamitchi AV-1 receiver. I followed the instructions that were printed on the platter but the gosh darn thing will not turn. It’s getting power because I can hear it, and it’s not the transport screws. Is this turntable belt driven? Could it have slipped off during transport? Operator error(me)? I’m 44 now and have been dealing with vintage audio for quite a few years. I’m at loss with this one, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[yoho]

 

[yzzaj]

I have the exact same Lesa. It was my father's, and it resides in a very nice Barzilay. However, I don't believe it's been turned on (or plugged in) in probably 20+ years. Sorry I can't help you, but it was just very interesting to see that someone else has a Lesa CD2/21.

The turntable mat on mine is not in good shape, although most everything else is. It was a good turntable back in the 60s and early 70s for us. I vividly remember putting up to 6 records on it and letting them play and drop.

I haven't found much info on them. Vinyl Engine doesn't have any info/manual on it.

I do have the round cardboard that's on your platter, and also a pattern to do a cutout that my father kept.

The problem for me in taking any effort to restore it, is that I already have 6 viable, vintage and new turntables. I would never actually use the Lesa, even it still works.

My first thought was transport screws...

Good luck!

 

[yzzaj]

i recently acquired a very nice Lesa cd2/21 and I hooked it up to my Nakamitchi AV-1 receiver. I followed the instructions that were printed on the platter but the gosh darn thing will not turn. It’s getting power because I can hear it, and it’s not the transport screws. Is this turntable belt driven? Could it have slipped off during transport? Operator error(me)? I’m 44 now and have been dealing with vintage audio for quite a few years. I’m at loss with this one, any help would be greatly appreciated.

I took mine out of the Barzilay today. It does not appear to be belt driven. I think that the platter is simply turned by the small wheel (about 2.5" in diameter) on the left in the picture below. That wheel presses against the inside surface/wall of the side of the platter. I see 4 distinct "dirt" tracks on the inside surface/wall of the platter from that wheel. The wheel is adjusted up or down via the speed switch (16,33,45,78). The wheel rides against a spindle, which appears to be directly up into the motor, although it could be connected to the gears you see to the right in the pic. They could be driving it? The spindle has 4 different diameters on it, corresponding to different speeds (basic geometry/mathematics).

Since mine does nothing (no sound, no movement), when plugged in, based on visual inspection, this is the most I can tell.

I do not see any belts, or remnants of gooey, broken, or dried old belts.

Is the spindle and wheel turning when plugged in and on?

Directions say to:
1. put an album on the spindle and put the arm over it (which means the arm is in the up position).
2. Turn the right side switch to 'on' for a couple of seconds. When doing this, the tonearm will raise, allowing the button switch in the tonearm rest to come up.
3a. Record drops? arm will lower.
3. (either put the sylus on the lead in groove, or it's automatic. I don't remember which the Lesa is: fullly automatic or semi-automatic. I think semi.)
4. Record will play and arm will return after.

Six records can be stacked and played. There is a limit switch/bar in the arm support that will stick out and be made when a record drops.

Not much help, I know. Sorry.

Wheel and "drive?" spindle:




Cutout in the Barzilay:


With Lesa:



Template:

 

[audiomagnate]

Who cares about the Lesa, show us that gorgeous Barzilay! But seriously, if the idler wheel turns and the platter doesn't the fix is pretty straightforward. First try adjustments, then reconditioning and then replacement but don't ask me with what.

 

[Nat]

It is an idler drive - the rubber tire jams between the motor pulley and the platter and transmits the motor's torque. Changer mechanisms of the time took considerable force to operate, so idlers, which couple the motor and the mechanism pretty directly, were the universal standard. Those dark tracks on the inside of the platter, which are bits of rubber from the idler testify to the forces involved. Later on, there were belt drive changers (BIC etc) and Direct Driver Changers also (Technics).
That is an old turntable, and age is tough on lubricants and rubber. You probably need to clean out the old grease and relube, and you may need to get the idlers rerubbered, but you might get away with simply sanding off the outer layer of the idler surface (look up how to do this).
Lesa made pretty good tables for the times. I remember reading a review in Audio or High Fidelity which was positive. But don't expect perfection from it. It will need a heavy tracking cartridge, and wow and flutter and rumble levels will be higher than you may be used to. But most of the world used similar tables for decades and were satisfied, so you will probably enjoy using it.