u/FireflyRoaming

Hey folks! I just picked up a gorgeous mid-century modern radio/turntable cabinet, with plans to repurpose it for our modern turntable and updated speakers, etc. But when I got it home, the turntable that is in it (I bought it listed as "non-working") is just SO COOL, and I'm wondering if it can be fixed. I love repairing old sewing machines, but this is beyond my current scope of knowledge.

It turns on (when the radio dial is in the right position, there IS power going to it), and all the switches move fairly smoothly. If I touch the needle (which I'm assuming needs to be replaced) the hum in the speaker changes, so some signal is def getting through. But the turn table base doesn’t TURN. And I'm pretty sure that is an important feature to make it function.

I know hardly anything about record players/turn tables/etc, or how they work. I'm willing to learn if it's something possible/fairly simple, but it's no loss if it's not doable or worth the effort. A lot of what I was seeing in a quick google search talks about bands needing to be replaced… well I see no band, and no obvious place to attach one, so I assume it’s a different mechanism? (my guess is the big chonky part near the middle/left?)

Can anyone take a look at the bottom of this and tell me if anything immediately looks wrong/broken/busted?

If you think it looks salvageable, I'd love some tips on websites that are known to be good resources. I'm perfectly happy to do all the research necessary to fix it, but I'd rather not spend the time on that research if this is just a lost cause.

Not sure if it matters, but the brand is Bendix, model V800D. I have the original instructions for it, but cannot find a date.

I've cross posted this in a few groups, cuz I'm not sure where the vintage radio repair nerds are hiding out. If you've got a better group I should try, I'd appreciate that, too.

Thanks for any help you're able to give!

For Background, I've been raising dubias and bsfl for over a year now, and am on my second go with supers (I let my new worms age too long before trying to pupate and had poor returns). I mostly raise for my beardie, but the extras have turned into a nice side hustle as there is no one else in my area selling quality bugs.

I was gifted a batch of mealworms, pupae and beetles. I've separated the beetles and pupae(pupae on an elevated shelf to keep the beetles away from them), but all of the rest are in a bin together. I am currently using oats as thats what I had on hand, but I keep reading that wheat bran is the ideal (easier to sift, cheaper) substrate/food for these guys, and I've seen multiple people/videos/websites mention getting it at a feed store.

I'd rather not order it online at exorbitant markups, but my local feed store, a Tractor Supply Company store, only seems to carry rice bran. Is this an acceptable option?

If not, what other substrates are recommended?

Thanks for your help!

Is this turntable salvageable, or should I trash it?

Rice Bran?