8/122 Ducommon Girod - Mandolin Cartel no. 13725 circa 1881
Update - 30th December 2022
It's taken almost two months for this box to get here from Cologne, but well worth the wait!
The brass inlay is beautiful, so a clean and repolish will have it gleaming!
The number of brass quatrefoils is a staggering 547 in total! None missing!
On first inspection it looks to be in pretty good condition apart from the usual dirt and oil.
It runs ok, maybe a bit slow due to dirt and old oil, but the sound it pretty good.
The first tune is 'off' but the others appear to be OK.
There are some dampers to repair or replace and some pins to straighten, but not many and hardly any missing either.
As always, there are some issues to tackle:
The first base note tooth is missing, relatively easy to replace.
Both control levers are missing.
One foot is damaged, but I have the piece so it just requires glueing back on.
The hinges have been replaced at some time, with the wrong size so the lid is vulnerable to damage.
It's taken almost two months for this box to get here from Cologne, but well worth the wait!
The brass inlay is beautiful, so a clean and repolish will have it gleaming!
The number of brass quatrefoils is a staggering 547 in total! None missing!
On first inspection it looks to be in pretty good condition apart from the usual dirt and oil.
It runs ok, maybe a bit slow due to dirt and old oil, but the sound it pretty good.
The first tune is 'off' but the others appear to be OK.
There are some dampers to repair or replace and some pins to straighten, but not many and hardly any missing either.
As always, there are some issues to tackle:
The first base note tooth is missing, relatively easy to replace.
Both control levers are missing.
One foot is damaged, but I have the piece so it just requires glueing back on.
The hinges have been replaced at some time, with the wrong size so the lid is vulnerable to damage.
March 2023 I'm about to start work on this movement.
It's out of the case so that I can repair the foot that has come off.
It's out of the case so that I can repair the foot that has come off.
I have made some new control levers.
28th May 2023
It's time to start to clean and restore the mechanism before it goes to The Music Box Restorer in July for a new tooth and damper repairs.
It's time to start to clean and restore the mechanism before it goes to The Music Box Restorer in July for a new tooth and damper repairs.
Update, 15th June.
All components have been cleaned and polished.
Amazingly, apart from the oval nail, all parts appear to be original and in very good condition, particularly the screws.
The cylinder, now that it's clean and shiny, has had the pins straightened. I estimate about 3,000 in total and a lot were just slightly off. Only a handful (less than 10) are actually missing so will make no noticeable difference to the tunes.
The Cylinder to Snail Cam register pin has been adjusted so all tunes now play in the right sequence and beautifully. Just the odd squeak due to damaged dampers which are to be fixed by The Music Box Restorer.
All components have been cleaned and polished.
Amazingly, apart from the oval nail, all parts appear to be original and in very good condition, particularly the screws.
The cylinder, now that it's clean and shiny, has had the pins straightened. I estimate about 3,000 in total and a lot were just slightly off. Only a handful (less than 10) are actually missing so will make no noticeable difference to the tunes.
The Cylinder to Snail Cam register pin has been adjusted so all tunes now play in the right sequence and beautifully. Just the odd squeak due to damaged dampers which are to be fixed by The Music Box Restorer.
Fully rebuilt and working. See here for audios of all tunes