How to Fix an Overwound Music Box

Written By: Gaurangi Sawant

Comments: 21

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

Time Required

10 - 20 minutes

Introduction

The extensive use of a music box and winding the main spring excessively will lead it to fail. This failure is caused because the music box mechanism gets jammed, and then, you are no longer able to enjoy its beautiful tunes.

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.

Tools

Step 1

Use a Phillips #0 screwdriver to unscrew the screws at the base of the music box.
Remove the outer casing and isolate the mechanism.

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.

Step 3

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

The winding key unscrews if turned don the opposite direction

Kathy Cavin -

Step 4

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

Please, what does this tapping do and how do I know it worked?

J Flo -

Step 5

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.

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.

Winder still keeps spinning; what is the cause? Thx.

J Flo -

Step 8

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

I don"t recommend the instructions above. as they are not careful and can result in more harm than good.

Never wipe your music box with a cloth. Here are my instructions:

- take the movement out of the housing. older ones use flat head screws newer ones cross head.

- remove the comb and place upside down on a soft cloth so as not to break any teeth

- if you cannot remove the governor oil it using a tiny drop of 3in1 oil.

- if you can thoroughly glean and polish governor first with rubbing alcohol and then a little polish.

- reassemble the movement the way it came out.

- play the movement through all the tunes a few times to ensure proper playing.

- once the steps are completed your music box will be done.

musicboxman63 -

Conclusion

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

Author

Gaurangi Sawant

Member since: 10/05/21

445 Reputation

17 comments

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

Beachbabe -

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.

Kathy -

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

Idk -

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

Olivia's Furby Repairs -

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

musicboxman63 -

I cannot reverse turn the winding key because when I do it will not budge. Now what?

Cheri -

i tried this but when i try to wind it it clicks and looses tension

crystal saunders -

I have a different issue with a few of my daughters disney snow globe music boxes, she has never played most of them since purchase 10 + yrs ago. We tried a few that she wanted to sell but the music box wouldn't play on them with minimum wind. one had a leak but the others are still in new condition sitting on shelves since purchase with no visible problems except surface dust. Any clues how to fix them.

geminialexander13 -

I have a small gear broken in mine. Can I buy the little gears to replace them?

vince king -

We have the never on Sunday bouzuki. Could it still work?

pharabaras -

I did everything as shown . Unwound the mechanism for at lease 5 mins . There’s no change and it won’t go .

Any suggestions ?

Maryanne Kaye -

Great instructions! Got it going but the volume is very low. Looks to say A&R Music, Switzerland. Was in an Ideal plush teddy. Plays Lullaby and Good Night, softly. Any way to boost the volume a bit?

Barbara R Valley -

mine has been overwound but when I opened it, it appears that a plastic wheel on one end of the music cylinder has broken off. Can I get parts??

Cat -

My antique music box runs slow, but does run. Can I give it a boost somehow?

Ellen K Loiselle -

Thank you for the clear instructions. I was able to repair a music box inside of a collectible bell my mom had. Now going to try fixing my old jewelry box.

Sharon Manspeaker -

These are great instructions. However, I have a Sankyo 2002 music box movement, and it is riveted to a base. The issue appears to be the gears have worn out. No great loss as we got the music box for $1, but it would be really nice to be able to replace the gears. I was able to remove the music spool to change this, but without being able to get a gear onto the music spool and replace one gear on the mechanism, it appears it won't work again. Though I did release the over-wound spring.

Roboknave -

My musical instrument is a 1890 date and the wind up key will not unwind. I have been able to manually turn the barrel. There are 28 teeth and the instrument is bound in the rear of a picture album. It is still over wound.

Darlana Wade -