I have a question about a indestructible cylinder

[phonograph guy3435]

I recently received what was supposed to be a 4 min Oxford indestructible, but its too big to fit on the turntable of my edison amberol 30, and it came in a green amberol case (which it fits perfectly into). Please help me figure this out.

[JerryVan]

Can you show us a picture of the inside of the cylinder?

(BTW, mandrel, not turntable. )

[phonograph guy3435]

this is the inside also a photo of the outside,

[Wagnerian]

The pictures aren't particularly clear but it looks to be a US Everlasting cylinder manufactured by the US Phonograph Company of Cleveland Ohio. These are interesting cylinders which have a cardboard-type filler, which is what your bottom picture seems to show.

As these cylinder can suffer from serious shrinkage over the years, I'm surprised it is "too big" for your Amberola 30. Do you mean it won't fit on to the mandrel or that it slides on the very left hand end but doesn't grip at all? If the latter, it might mean that some one has had a go at reaming it somehow but has gone too far.

All the best

Tim W-W

[phonograph guy3435]

I have recently learned that the seller uses Oxford cylinder as a catch-all term for everlasting cylinders or indestructibles. I'm sorry if I wasn't as clear but if I put it on the mandrel it sort of just hangs there, and there's space on the bottom between the mandrel and the side of the cylinder. also in the picture the seller used its in a oxford cylinder case so I'm not sure if he sent me the wrong cylinder or what.

[JerryVan]

As Tim states, the problem is usually that they're too tight due to shrinkage, or due to the cardboard getting damp and swelling. The reason I asked for pictures was to determine if the metal ring was still present in the small end of the cylinder. Does that ring happen to be split? It shouldn't be. Maybe someone has jammed to cylinder onto the mandrel too far and split the metal ring open?

[recordmaker]

it would be good to see what you mean with a photo of it on the machine ( front and end view ). In effect it looks as if the card inside has expanded due to damp and this means that the cylinder wont go on to the mandrel far enough to engage the title end metal ring and so will drop at the title end i.e. be an apparent loose fit.
Most collectors describe a loose cylinder as one that goes too far on to the mandrel without gripping in wax or plaster filled cylinders this would be termed over reamed, this is not an effect the is possible with these cylinders unless one or bot of the metal rings have been removed

[phonograph guy3435]

i looked and both metal rings are in tact.

[phonograph guy3435]

id like to thank everybody for your help with this and i appreciate it a lot indestructibles are pretty alien to me because this is my first one and all my other cylinders are blue amberols. i just pushed the cylinder a little farther onto the machine and it works. i just thought there was space because i did not push the cylinder on far enough and the metal rings on the end made a shadow. i feel kinda dumb about this now but I'm very happy it works! also it came in a green edison tube wich also confused me.

[JerryVan]

id like to thank everybody for your help with this and i appreciate it a lot indestructibles are pretty alien to me because this is my first one and all my other cylinders are blue amberols. i just pushed the cylinder a little farther onto the machine and it works. i just thought there was space because i did not push the cylinder on far enough and the metal rings on the end made a shadow. i feel kinda dumb about this now but I'm very happy it works! also it came in a green edison tube wich also confused me.

Don't feel dumb, feel a little bit smarter instead.

Don't be confused about the records and cartons being mismatched. Probably 90% of them are.