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How were bamboo gramophone needles actually made ?

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 12:17 pm
by poodling around
I assume that they were not made individually by hand as this process would have been too slow etc.

So, if there was a (semi) automatic production line how was this done exactly I wonder ?

Re: How were bamboo gramophone needles actually made ?

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2019 1:04 pm
by estott
There must have been some kind of automated device, but many were made by hand: I've read that during slack periods in the sales day employees of the EMG store were sent to the basement to split needles. This seems to have happened most during WWII and after when commercial supplies dwindled

Re: How were bamboo gramophone needles actually made ?

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 12:05 am
by Roaring20s
This is the only image of a machine that I've encountered...
http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 73&p=87798

James.

Re: How were bamboo gramophone needles actually made ?

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 12:42 pm
by epigramophone
A seven page article on this subject was published in the June 2018 APS Journal.

Re: How were bamboo gramophone needles actually made ?

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 3:27 pm
by poodling around
Thanks everyone - it seems like another one of those puzzles which sadly can no longer be answered - unless of course the APS article has the answer.

I have so far however found a very interesting pdf entitled 'Burmese Colour Needles: An Outline History' - not quite the bamboo clarification I had hoped for but a very good read otherwise:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... RnunZ6pwuV

Re: How were bamboo gramophone needles actually made ?

Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2019 3:28 am
by Orchorsol
poodling around wrote:Thanks everyone - it seems like another one of those puzzles which sadly can no longer be answered - unless of course the APS article has the answer.

I have so far however found a very interesting pdf entitled 'Burmese Colour Needles: An Outline History' - not quite the bamboo clarification I had hoped for but a very good read otherwise:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... RnunZ6pwuV
Thanks for posting! Here's the link to my front page there: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com/

I have a few minor updates to make to the history article in due course, and quite a lot of new information on Capt. Ramsay, the "inventor".

Re: How were bamboo gramophone needles actually made ?

Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2019 4:55 am
by poodling around
Orchorsol wrote:
poodling around wrote:Thanks everyone - it seems like another one of those puzzles which sadly can no longer be answered - unless of course the APS article has the answer.

I have so far however found a very interesting pdf entitled 'Burmese Colour Needles: An Outline History' - not quite the bamboo clarification I had hoped for but a very good read otherwise:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... RnunZ6pwuV
Thanks for posting! Here's the link to my front page there: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com/

I have a few minor updates to make to the history article in due course, and quite a lot of new information on Capt. Ramsay, the "inventor".
Most interesting indeed ! Well worth visiting it seems.