My Recent Find - Another Columbia B With Pizazz!

[Phonofreak]

Eric,
I think what Brandon is trying to say is to stop the petty bickering of find, found, or whatever. You started a good discussion with George P. on the finer points of the Model B. I like to see that part of the discussion going. not the bickering.
Harvey Kravitz

Brandon,
I'm no lady but i am trying to find out if my 1898 BS coin-op has the correct spring barrel . I am under the impression it does and have now been told it does not and would like to find out!! ,If you look at the conversations between me and George you can clearly see i'm researching something .Is that not what the forum is for?
Eric :

[gramophone-georg]

Put away your knitting needles, ladies. Why get into such petty semantics and ruin the whole reason of this thread, and the forum itself.

Fantastic machine, no matter where or how you found it.

Knitting needles? Hmmm... are those like 10 mil tips? Conical or elliptical?

[ehs004]

Harvey ,
Thanks , It,’s like purchased a classic car and someone saying it got the wrong engine in it. I want to know for sure ! That’s why for my part I’m still a part of this thread .

[Crank_it_up]

George,
Here is another example of what your'e calling a tabbed spring barrel with a early serial number and i know of more , he took the flat key off and stuck on a filigree key because he liked s the look !

Eric, I believe what you have pictured is what George refers to as plates connecting the barrels. Here’s what I think is referred to as “tabbed”
Hope this helps. Joe

[phonogfp]

George,
Here is another example of what your'e calling a tabbed spring barrel with a early serial number and i know of more ,

Joe's right - that's NOT what I'm calling a tabbed spring barrel.

A tabbed spring barrel is shown below on the LEFT. It has tabs.

A spring barrel with plates is shown on the RIGHT. It has plates.

George P.

[phonogfp]

Harvey ,
Thanks , It,’s like purchased a classic car and someone saying it got the wrong engine in it. I want to know for sure ! That’s why for my part I’m still a part of this thread .

Well, it's not really that bad. If your BS has spring barrels with PLATES HELD WITH FOUR SCREWS, the springs and barrels have been replaced. If that bothers you, it's an easy fix, as TABBED spring barrels/mainsprings are easily located.

George P.

[ehs004]

George,
This is what i'm trying to find out why would someone change it back to the pre #145,000
spring barrel?Mine is Serial # 161,422
Mandrel tags didn't appear on Eagles until about #145,000. Tabbed spring barrels appeared at the same time. If your BS is numbered over 145,000 and has metal plates holding the spring barrels together, it's highly probable that the barrels/springs were replaced.Serial # 161,422

Thanks Eric

[phonogfp]

George,
This is what i'm trying to find out why would someone change it back to the pre #145,000
spring barrel?Mine is Serial # 161,422

Thanks Eric

I suspect that a mainspring either broke or (more likely) became weak from being in a wound-up state for decades. It's much easier to switch out the entire spring barrel assembly than to remove and re-install the mainsprings.

George P.

[ehs004]

George ,
Here another one that just on E Bay close to my serial # same spring barrel?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/COIN-OP-COLUMB ... true&rt=nc
Thanks Eric
ps The springs in a eagle has got to be the easiest springs to change of any machine ever made!

[phonogfp]

George ,
Here another one that just on E Bay close to my serial # same spring barrel?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/COIN-OP-COLUMB ... true&rt=nc
Thanks Eric
ps The springs in a eagle has got to be the easiest springs to change of any machine ever made!

I've seen a few earlier mainspring barrels (with plates) in later Eagles. But they have always been restored/cleaned up/conserved examples. In other words, someone has worked on them "recently." I've never seen an unrestored, grungy Eagle numbered over 145000 with earlier style spring barrels.

Is it possible? I suppose so. Some Edison cylinder machines are known to have been assembled with unexpected earlier components as older inventory was uncovered. But after seeing hundreds and hundreds of Eagles over the past several decades and conducting an extensive survey of existing examples over the past 12 years, I've been struck by the "clean break" American Graphophone made between the first style Eagle and the later style.

I'm willing to share information I've found, but I'm not out to convince anybody. It's your machine, and you can believe what you like.

As for replacing Eagle mainsprings, yes, they're pretty straightforward. But if most collectors (including me) are restoring a B/BS with broken/weak mainsprings - but have a junk Eagle with good mainsprings, I'll bet they'd rather switch out the entire assembly (mainsprings/barrels) rather than go to the trouble, mess, and expense of replacing the mainsprings. I did exactly this with two Eagles on at least one occasion in the 1980s.

George P.