Difficulty

Easy

Steps

8

Time Required

                          10 - 20 minutes

Sections

1

  • How to Fix an Overwound Music Box
  • 8 steps

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Introduction

However, the music box that you have loved and cherished over the years can still be salvaged. This guide will help restore your music box to mint condition with some easy-to-do steps that will assist the restoration of the mechanism.

With minimal effort your music box will resume entertaining you with its beautiful tunes.

What you need

Step 1

              How to Fix an Overwound Music Box
  • Use a Phillips #0 screwdriver to unscrew the screws at the base of the music box.
  • Remove the outer casing and isolate the mechanism.

Use a Phillips #0 screwdriver to unscrew the screws at the base of the music box.

Remove the outer casing and isolate the mechanism.

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Step 2

  • Gently wipe the mechanism with a cloth to get rid of any settled dust particles.
  • Make sure you wipe all the open and accessible surfaces of the mechanism.
  • Be extremely careful when cleaning the comb and the drum. The comb is delicate and can break when too much pressure is applied. The threads of the cloth can get stuck in the pins of the drum.

Gently wipe the mechanism with a cloth to get rid of any settled dust particles.

Make sure you wipe all the open and accessible surfaces of the mechanism.

Be extremely careful when cleaning the comb and the drum. The comb is delicate and can break when too much pressure is applied. The threads of the cloth can get stuck in the pins of the drum.

Step 3

  • Slowly turn the winding key in the opposite direction to release the tension built-up in the spring.

Slowly turn the winding key in the opposite direction to release the tension built-up in the spring.

Step 4

  • Tap the base of the mechanism a few times to release the governor assembly.

Tap the base of the mechanism a few times to release the governor assembly.

Step 5

  • Gently push the governor fan with your fingertip to assist its spin movement.

Gently push the governor fan with your fingertip to assist its spin movement.

Step 6

  • Use a toothpick to reach the flywheel.
  • Push the toothpick forward to spin the flywheel and assist its rotation.

Use a toothpick to reach the flywheel.

Push the toothpick forward to spin the flywheel and assist its rotation.

Step 7

  • Using a narrow nozzle, spray some WD-40 on the spring housing gear and the governor.
  • The nozzle is pointed at the spring housing gear in the first photo, and in the second photo the nozzle is pointed at the governor.
  • In case you don’t have a narrow nozzle, you can add a few drops of WD-40 using any other small quantity dropper.

Using a narrow nozzle, spray some WD-40 on the spring housing gear and the governor.

The nozzle is pointed at the spring housing gear in the first photo, and in the second photo the nozzle is pointed at the governor.

In case you don’t have a narrow nozzle, you can add a few drops of WD-40 using any other small quantity dropper.

Step 8

  • Keep the music box playing for a few minutes after it restarts.

Keep the music box playing for a few minutes after it restarts.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Author

                                      with 1 other contributor 


                    Gaurangi Sawant

Member since: 05/10/2021

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                       York University, Team S1-G25, O'Regan Summer 2021                        

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                                            2 Guides authored

Beachbabe - Jan 4, 2022

Reply

Very clear instructions. However my music mechanism has glue keeping it firmly to the base of porcelain box. How to release it so I can follow your instructions to repair it. It’s a Lenox figurine of baby sitting & spinning on a Christmas gift. White with gold accents

Thank you

Kathy - Jun 3, 2022

You should be able to loosen the glue with denatured alcohol, acetone or a heat gun, or a hair dryer if you don’t have one. Then gently remove the music box. When your finished you can reglue the music box into the figurine with a household glue like E6000.

Idk - Aug 13, 2022

Reply

Mine is in a stuffed animal and i dont want to have to break the plush to fix it

Olivia’s Furby Repairs - Sep 18, 2022

With stuffed animals, use a seam ripper to undo the threads of where the fur is sewn, then sew it back together after the repair

musicboxman63 - Nov 6, 2022

I would add that unless it is a swiss mechanism you would be better off replacing. I do not usually restore these plastic ones.