NE way 2 get rep TBs 4 GS-120s?

[AnAnonymousParty]

I got hold of some GS G-120PD scanners with broken torsion bars. Does anyone know of a way to get replacements or a decent way to fix them? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[stanwax]

I think maybe one stop laser shop in Florida does them...they are a member here so try a PM to OSLS

Rob

[p1t8ull]

You could repair them if you have no luck finding replacements, and you're ok with metalwork.
I rebuilt a few of them years ago by drilling the old bar from to base of the armature, turning a new anchor sleeve from brass and soldering in a short piece of appropriately springy rod (sourced from a local rc model shop) into both ends.
It took some trial and error to get the torsion right, but worked surprisingly well.

[AnAnonymousParty]

Thanks stanwax & pitBull,

I will try the One stop laser shop as suggested.

I contacted GS a long time ago about this; however, they were less than helpful, offering to 'refurb' them for more than I paid (and more than it was worth to me), suggesting that it was a task that mere mortals like myself would never be able to accomplish without lots of expensive equipment and the big machine that goes PING!

I've disassembled and reassembled a lot of these over the years ... funny how they always worked just fine, I guess I must just have the 'touch', or not and maybe it's just that the parts are worth far less than the labor ... just maybe.

Anyway, I have tried different variations of home-brew fixes, the most promising involving .018 guitar string and precision soldering; however, the performance is not the same as the original material, I get these weird resonances that the OEM parts don't exhibit. The OEM bars appear to be made of harder/hardened stuff, it's very brittle (as we all know), like a sewing needle -which I have tried to use as a replacement, and I think would work pretty well, but I've yet to find a successful way to anchor it.

Now if I had or knew someone who had access to a small precision lathe and some time to experiment...

Yes I know there are 'better' scanners out there, but my interest is less in graphics and more in analog; the abstract 'spirograph' stuff, the GS units just seem to work better for me for that -and I've got a half a dozen or so of them that I'd like to put back to use.

[stanwax]

I know what you mean about the G120s I have a couple of setts and they are great - I think the torsion bar is the Achillies heel but Ive not bust one yet so....
Anyway I love my G120s and hope they perform for me for a long time to come

Rob

PS I have a lathe but it may be a little awkward being on different sides of the pond

[mixedgas]

The trick is to PULL on the piano wire and get it under tension, its not as nice as the stiff rod, but it works. Yeah, you get a few resonances, but for abstracts, g120s are very nice. If you have older ones, its a silver soldering issue rather then a lathe and mill. Pm me when you have the wires done and I'll walk you through how to align the position sensor, requires a scope and you look at the sensor noise while you balence the position of the shaft.

They are very fixable about half the time and somethwat fixable if you have the newer non soldered ones. I would not hesitate to have Fred at OSLS
rebuild them either.

as for the sewing needle, Harris Safety-silv #65 braze does a good job, use the "white" harris
flux , prep the work area to remove oxide and use a microtorch.

Steve Roberts

[stanwax]

I think thats what you can call 'The Answer'

Rob