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What do I have here? Mystery tonearm and mystery TT

It reminds me a little of the very early belt drive Components Corporation turntables out of New Jersey in the 1950s but not sure.
 
mmcc said:
Yes, it is.
Click to expand...

I had an oldie a few years ago that had a plaster filled platter, and a circular motor-mount , belt/rim drive... I think I remember it as a D&R motor, made in California... a total shot in the dark, but see if the motor has markings...
a 50s belt drive with an Audax is certainly interesting!
 
Sandstrom said:
It reminds me a little of the very early belt drive Components Corporation turntables out of New Jersey in the 1950s but not sure.
Click to expand...

Components Corporation has been on of the manufacturers I’ve been looking at, and probably the most similar but I’ve not found anything exactly matching.
 
biscuithead said:
I had an oldie a few years ago that had a plaster filled platter, and a circular motor-mount , belt/rim drive... I think I remember it as a D&R motor, made in California... a total shot in the dark, but see if the motor has markings...
a 50s belt drive with an Audax is certainly interesting!
Click to expand...

It has a General Industries motor, but I’ll feed that into Google and see what comes up...

Edit: all I’m finding on D&R is idler drive, such as
http://www.jamesvanarsdale.com/DandR/
 
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That motor spindle definitely looks like it is meant for a belt drive but we're sure this isn't rim drive, correct? I only ask because the motor seems mounted extremely close to the platter. The platter doesn't have any remnants of a rubber edge on it does it? I can't really find a good shot of the platter edge, it must be straight sided, I'm sure regardless of the drive method.

EDIT: I can see that there are two distinct areas on the motor pulley, clearly a belt drive where you change speed by moving the belt.

Found some references to a Jerry Minter who worked with string drive as well and apparently behind the Components Corporation Stuff.

This What Hi-Fi entry http://www.itishifi.com/2011/05/popular-electronics-oct-1956-how-to.html shows a general 1956 article about choosing a turntable showing many turntables available at that time. The Components JR is described as "Ceramic Flywheel with aluminum cover", very interesting. Maybe you have one of Jerry's experiments :). Or maybe someones DIY inspiration?
 
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Sandstrom said:
This What Hi-Fi entry http://www.itishifi.com/2011/05/popular-electronics-oct-1956-how-to.html shows a general 1956 article about choosing a turntable showing many turntables available at that time. The Components JR is described as "Ceramic Flywheel with aluminum cover", very interesting. Maybe you have one of Jerry's experiments :). Or maybe someones DIY inspiration?
Click to expand...

The difference in quality between the woodworking and wiring (poor) and the platter/bearing/motor mount makes it think it was assembled from a kit.

I wonder if the "Components Jr" is the same as the "Professional Jr"?

I'm going to try posting over at Audio Asylum and see if I can scare anything up over there.
 
Well, unfortunately I got nothin' from Audio Asylum. I thought I might give this thread a bump for AK weekday readers :)
 
Here are a few more photos after disassembling the motor mount and removing the spindle bearing. The motor suspension system seems clever enough - dampening of motor vibrations is achieved through a ring of (what seems to be) foam rubber and a layer of foam under a brass disc.

Other items of note:
- I was hoping to find some manufacturers mark on some part, but got nothin'
- "7I 11 57" are written on the motor. Perhaps it was made in 1957?
- The top was varished after the spindle bearing was installed. Odd choice
- In the second photo, you'll notice that one of my dogs chewed up the handle of my crappy harbor freight multi bit screwdriver, but it was the one that was handy of course.

IMG_0250.jpg IMG_0249.jpg IMG_0248.jpg
 
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