I just got a "parts or repair" Thorens TD-125 off ebay. The seller obviously had no idea about it because it was missing the platter and she didn't even realize. Anyway, I plugged it in and everything seems to work fine. The belt was attached incorrectly and there was a weird suction-cup thingy that was wedged into the space where the motor is (see pic).http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=fb3746fa07&attid=0.1&disp=thd&view=att&th=119ba443fd3da1f9
Also, the pole that the counterweight fits onto is bent, it doesn't seem to affect the weight I checked the tracking weight with a digital scale and it was perfect just wondering if that could cause any sorts of problems or if I just shouldnt worry about it. Any thoughts?http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=fb3746fa07&attid=0.1&disp=thd&view=att&th=119ba5621e813e81

Most tonearms have a rubber section to decouple the counterweight from the arm. If such is the case with this arm (is it a Thorens arm?) just see if you can determine if the decoupling is still working.

If it is, my opinion is that the bend is merely now a cosmetic issue.

I think that the bigger question is where will you find a platter? Another parts machine, I suppose...

ps: the photos are dead: just a red x

Pics:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/seth.dana/SB9ZL4TUFdI/AAAAAAAAAOI/EtJ-C3RNKM0/s144/0505081307.jpg
http://lh4.ggpht.com/seth.dana/SB9ZMITUFeI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/sAxdYRWzFWM/s144/0505081325.jpg

Pics really small so kinda hard to see the issue?

yeah sorry they are cell phone pics...it's my only digital camera (being a photographer who loves analog =) ) No issues really just trying to figure out what that little suction cup piece is.

Little suction cup looks like a mounting piece for a Watts dust Bug. Google it and you should see what I mean.

Little suction cup looks like a mounting piece for a Watts dust Bug. Google it and you should see what I mean.

Agreed or something similar. The piece was probably mounted on the back left corner and may have come off at some point, fouling the belt.

As for the other picture, that's not a standard Thorens arm unless its a real early TD125 and may have had the older J shaped arm. Better pics with a whole field view of the tonearm and deck would be useful.

As for missing platter, they actually come up on ebay fairly regularly. Important though to measure the upper ring outer diameter and bottom ring of center drive flywheel - its stepped so the platter fits over it and presents a smooth flat top surface for the mat and record. I'm not sure but I'll bet the platters from a TD160 may fit too - I'll check that out and see on my two units at home.

Regards,

Bart

That arm, from what I can see of it, looks more like the arm that was sold as part of the TD-150. Of course, I am no Thorens arm specialist.

Incidentally, while it serves the same purpose as that similar piece would for a Dust Bug, the pillar is NOT from a Dust Bug. Maybe a LencoClean, or one of the other types of "tonearm" style cleaner. The Dust Bug had a shorter, thicker vertical post, with a thumbscrew adjuster for the height of the tiny pole in the middle where the Bug sat.

Too bad you can't post better pictures.

What is your goal? Do you want to now refurbish this table to operate? Where's a good platter?