| NOTE! A huge word of caution. NEVER,
NEVER, remove any part from your music box, without first releasing
EVERY OUNCE of spring tension, from the main spring. Even if the
butterfly air brake does not move, you can still have tremendous
tension remaining in the spring barrel, and when released, this
tension can destroy your comb and cylinder pinning, not to mention
what it will do to your hands, if they are in contact with the
cylinder when it spins.
Most music boxes I see are in need of minor repair. these repairs
usually consist of a good thorough cleaning of the main spring,
drive assembly, or the governor assembly.
After setting in storage for many, many years, the old oil and
grease solidify, seizing up the moving parts. Another minor repair
is tightening and realigning loose dampeners, which can cause
buzzing or chattering. The governor worm, or drive screw, may also
need re-polishing, to allow it to slide better on the governor drive
gear. Even realigning a movement in it's case can often
improve the musical sound.
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