Magnetic Tensioner (heads up for the Brits)

[Jimbosticks]

I see everyone moved on in the discussion without me. (I was pre-occupied with other things.)

Joe I'm sorry I never got back to you about selling those units. The boss wouldn't authorize the sale. I guess he still feels I can fix them. You did some good investigation of the "lumpiness/ ripple". The next time I am able to do preventative maintenance on the units, I will try the method you suggested. Not sure however that this will correct the gradually increasing tension of these units as they age. My demagnetizer also does a good job of removing the ripple, but it has not corrected the slowly climbing tension.

[Joe Gwinn]

I see everyone moved on in the discussion without me. (I was pre-occupied with other things.)

Joe I'm sorry I never got back to you about selling those units. The boss wouldn't authorize the sale. I guess he still feels I can fix them.

OK. Fixing them is the long-term intent, and selling one unit, the worst offender, is a means to that end.

You did some good investigation of the "lumpiness/ ripple". The next time I am able to do preventative maintenance on the units, I will try the method you suggested.

It ought to work. If you explain the method to the production people, would they just try it? The worst that will happen is nothing.

Not sure however that this will correct the gradually increasing tension of these units as they age. My demagnetizer also does a good job of removing the ripple, but it has not corrected the slowly climbing tension.

You are right that the above would have no effect of the slow increase in tension.

Looking at my MT-300 pictured above, and working its mechanism by hand, it is not obvious how the tension would change, so your MT-100 units must differ in some significant way not obvious in pictures.

[Joe Gwinn]

How can the tension setting creep?

I've been thinking about mechanisms that would allow the set tension to creep upwards over time, as coil after coil is wound in production, and I have a question for Jimbosticks:

In the photos attached to posting #60, if (on your MT-100 units) one grabs the tension knob in one hand and the steel fork blade (under the round ferrite magnet) in the other, and twists the blade with respect to the knob, how hard is it to turn? Turning changes the location of the blade slot with respect to the scale on the tension knob. Blade and knob are on opposite sides of the cover plate, mounted on a common shaft.

[David King]

Joe,
I'm still trying to figure out how this thing is threaded. These are my guesses:
Either way the dancer is the last pulley to touch the wire before it gets wound onto the coil.

[Joe Gwinn]

Joe,
I'm still trying to figure out how this thing is threaded. These are my guesses:
Either way the dancer is the last pulley to touch the wire before it gets wound onto the coil.

It's the second photo, EXCEPT that what looks like roller in the lower right corner is actually a felt tensioner, and the wire comes up from the bottom, goes through the pink pigtail (which is partly broken), through the felt tensioner, and then proceeds to the capstan as you have drawn.

Attached is the operations manual.MT Operation Manual.pdf

[the great waldo]

Hi Joe

This might help some tanac owners. I hope the attachment is here.

Cheers

Andrew

[Joe Gwinn]

I was able to download the file. Thanks.

[the great waldo]

You're welcome.

Cheers

Andrew