How to Repair Bag of Bones Record Player
Bag Of Bones Record Player Repair
When I received the unit, it wasn’t working. I speculated that it had one or more batteries that were dead.
After opening the actual lid, I lifted up the tray that holds the LP unit (and this reveals the contents of the promo items)
The LP part is similar to a hat box, or shoebox. There is a base tray, and there is the “lid” which is the LP and switch etc.
The two pieces were glued together on all four sides, but careful use of an exacto knife loosened the adhesive. Though still sticky, one can then separate the top from the bottom. The most difficult part is the cardboard cylinder the LP is glued to, that is in turn glued to a motor in the base. Pay careful attention to hand separating the LP from the motor. Be patient and pry in small increments as you rotate the LP.
The tray houses a small computer fan that is powered by two AAA batteries, and power is controlled via the toggle switch in the lid. Changed the batteries, and the fan spins!
The sound board has a small speaker, a light sensor, and holds three LR1130 batteries.
I changed the batteries by carefully lifting one of the tiny tabs that are on three sides of the top, then pushing the dead battery out, putting a fresh one in and closing the tab. The sound began, but wouldn’t always stop. Originally the light sensor “sensed” light when the lid was opened and started to play. Upon closing, darkness switched the power off. This particular one was sporadic at best, and spastic at worse.
There was already a hole in the top left of the lid (to let light inside for the sensor), so I decided to excise the sensor and install an ON/OFF toggle switch.
All of the fine soldering was done by my son. There is little room for error so great eyes and a steady hand are invaluable.
The sound board had to be carefully moved about ¼” to make room for the switch when the lid is installed.
When it was all buttoned up, the challenge became to remount the LP so that it revolved in a nice even circle. This LP is warped, so even though it spins true, the eye detects a bit of vertical wobble. I chose not to attempt flattening the LP.
For future battery replacement ease, I mounted the LP cylinder in Velcro. I used an ice pick to push through the LP hole and through the two sides of Velcro. The fan has a dimple in the dead center so a very small phillips screwdriver aligned the top piece to the fan center. Gently press to mate the Velcro, and it works.
