Page 1 of 1

Columbia Cylinder

Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 10:26 am
by dutchman
Was rummaging around my stuff and came across this Columbia Grand cylinder box. I bought it about 25-30 years ago at a general auction and never really looked inside thinking just another cylinder shipping container. Lo and behold it has a 5 inch cylinder inside which appears in beautiful condition. Now if I only had a Columbia Grand. This has been a great month, GEM C for $25 and now this.. :D

Bill K

Re: Columbia Cylinder

Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:20 pm
by edisonphonoworks
That is a pretty cylinder, Columbia was known to gently cook their wax, up until about 1898 to only 350-400 degrees, while Edison got it up to 450 as a general rule, somewhere around mid 1899 Columbia started to cook up to 475F, resulting in darker batches. It is NOt always true though that those lighter batches are at a lower temperature, it also matters how much scrap wax was added, and how many times the wax was reheated. These light cylinders indicate a molding into the early part of the batches life. I find though unfortunately, that the darker the wax is usually the quieter it is, as it has cooked long enough to burn any friable organic matter off.

Re: Columbia Cylinder

Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 4:19 pm
by dutchman
Thanks for the info, I'm afraid I will never get the opportunity to hear it play as I have no machine. :( :( May be time for the trader. Thanks again and have a good weekend.

Bill K

Re: Columbia Cylinder

Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 9:03 pm
by edisonphonoworks
It is interesting it does say September of 1899, and the color is still light that is interesting. It would seem to me then that It was a very virgin batch of wax, I wonder what the Qnty of wax was made at a time at the Columbia facility. I have an Edison formula that is for 487 lbs of Edison comp 1046. I figure Columbia most likely made that much too.

Re: Columbia Cylinder

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 8:57 am
by dutchman
edisonphonoworks wrote:It is interesting it does say September of 1899, and the color is still light that is interesting. It would seem to me then that It was a very virgin batch of wax, I wonder what the Qnty of wax was made at a time at the Columbia facility. I have an Edison formula that is for 487 lbs of Edison comp 1046. I figure Columbia most likely made that much too.
Interesting. This cylinder looks like it has never been played.

Bill K

Re: Columbia Cylinder

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 10:28 pm
by phonogfp
That looks like a wonderful record, and I really like the record slip! :)

I wish it were here...

George P.

Re: Columbia Cylinder

Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 10:46 pm
by EdisonWizard
dutchman wrote:Thanks for the info, I'm afraid I will never get the opportunity to hear it play as I have no machine. :( :( May be time for the trader. Thanks again and have a good weekend.

Bill K
Nice cylinder! I have one as well I recently got in beautiful condition. If you wanna see it I can post pics. If you're wanting to part with it send me a PM, I could always use another to bolster the collection!