PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

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epigramophone
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by epigramophone »

Better and better Alastair. Can't wait for this wretched lockdown to end, then I can travel all of ten miles to come and see it.

Roger.

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Orchorsol
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by Orchorsol »

Fantastic Alastair, it looks absolutely superb! Despite what we were discussing, don't worry one iota about slight mismatches here and there in the pattern - that has to be a 'best endeavour' approximation, as were the original EMG and Expert horns covered in reptilian paper, and your horn looks really fabulous. When I first finished my restored Mk IX horn in marbled paper I felt very critical of the job due to some mismatched pieces but said to myself "time will tell", and now I love it.
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Inigo
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by Inigo »

It's great, Alastair! No words to tell how elegant and classy it looks!
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BassetHoundTrio
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by BassetHoundTrio »

That horn looks wonderful, Alastair!! Great work!!
old country chemist wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 1:39 pm Greetings all of you! -on the forum. How I have missed not making time to look into what is good in the gramophone and phonograph world!
Now, I am in the process of manufacturing a paper horn, using an old "Tannoy" speaker horn, which is fairly exponentially correct. I am at present on my 32nd layer ( one quarter of an inch thickness), of blue sugar bag paper, applied with strong modern wallpaper paste. For quite some time I have wanted a Mk8 machine, but being a Scotsman, I never see any at bargain price. As the horn will take some time to dry completely, I am sourcing some other bits that I require-sound arm, case, motor and handle, turntable, etc. I have a couple of soundboxes that will suffice I am sure. Trawling through some paperwork recently, I re-discovered Balmain's gramophone with an article by Percy Wilson, from 1926. The idea of a "new style" Balmain appeals to me, with no pretense of course to any form of originality, may require some thinking, but I also have not ruled out the Mk8 idea, which may be easier to make! The main problem with that is the exponential conduit under the motor board, which connects the horn to the tone arm. I thought of manufacturing this "plumbing" from two halves of hardwood, gouged out so as to produce the necessary reduction in diameter required. Perhaps one of you may have some measurements from an original conduit that they could place on the forum for me? I would be grateful.
I am, hopefully, posting a couple of pictures of the horn as it is at present.
All good wishes to you folks. It is still my favourite hobby-and that is after 56 years of collecting
Alastair Murray

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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by old country chemist »

Hi all! I have just completed last weekend, the finishing papers on the inside of the "Neo-Balmain" horn. My wife and I spent many hours looking at Decopauge papers and allied items, wallpapers of every design, wrapping papers, etc. Whilst in a large shop called "The Range-they have quite a few shops now, we went round the art department, which is quite large. Could not find anything much, BUT as we passed the section that sold party decorations, banners and the like, we espied different packs of disposable tablecloths, made of 100 per cent paper. I chose one, and the result is what you see. muted gold on an almost black background. I thought it was a suitable style for the period. When unpacked, the tablecloth was about eight feet square! As it had been folded in the packet, I had to well iron the paper carefully on both sides which seemed to remove most of the creases. A Rather unusual design, and I am sure it would no suit many of you, but I am not aiming for originality, just some form of individuality!
Because I cut all the individual designs out of the tablecloth, I then used strong wallpaper paste to put each part in place. The difficulty was matching the pattern up as I went further into the horn, but after a week of cutting, measuring up, pasting and rollering into place, it was finished. Now it is completely dry, I decided to weight the horn. I am embarrassed to say that it now weighed 6.9 KILOGRAMMES! This must be the heftiest small exponential horn in the country, but it does have at least 33 coats of sugar paper on it.
I am hoping next week to rig up some apparatus to be able to suspend the horn whilst attached to a machine, to see what it sound like. Here's hoping!!
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emgcr
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by emgcr »

That looks wonderful Alastair---sufficiently crazy for all of us !! What a great design--unique and FUN ! Being so well-constructed there will be no problem with loss of signal from vibration and I'll bet it will sound really good. More strength to your elbow................

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Inigo
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by Inigo »

No words, Old Country Gramophonist... What a marvelous arrangement, a real joy to see... How beautifully made!
Go on with the machinery!
We're expectant to see and hear the results... Could it be the next gramophone to be listened to in Malvern, during those record playing evenings? :D :clover:
Inigo

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fran604g
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by fran604g »

That really is quite stunning Alastair, bravo!
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kirtley2012
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by kirtley2012 »

That's great!, looks quite art deco, look forward to seeing the machine that will accompany it, now, where to find all that mercury :lol:

old country chemist
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by old country chemist »

Alex-you ask "where to find all that mercury"-well I have about 5 lbs in weight of it here in my little lab., in two containers, both collected from clearing folks garages!
Nasty stuff Mercury. The vapour is evident at 60 degree F. I expect we have all "played" with it during Chemistry lessons at school, college or university. I well remember at school, a chap next to me pouring a substantial amount on the wooden lab table in front of us, and fliclkng it around. Of course, it all amalgamated into a large puddle! and when the teacher looked up to see what was going on, the chap next to me pushed it onto the floor with the back of his hand. I imagine the cleaners had a bit of a shock when sweeping under the bench later. I had only meekly pushed my finger into the stuff a little while earlier. When I was working, I used to use Mercury metal with other ingredients to make a potent anti Syphilis preparation, casually called "blue ointment".
We did know how dangerous all these drugs and chemicals were, but the safety regulations were not anywhere near the careful cautious approaches of today.

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