PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

[Daithi]

I wonder how many grams of force are required for sliding this enormous inertia-mass, exerted by the grooves on the needle point for lateral tracking across the record...

Perhaps the track could be inclined to run downhill so as to neutralize the inertia you refer to?

[old country chemist]

Thanks to all who have given constructive ideas on my proposed "Balmain" re-creation!-Inigo, Graham and Curt, to name three on the forum. Now a mention of whether the horn could be angled downward as it travels along the rails. Well that is one interesting idea that needs input from the engineering chaps. I await their verdicts with interest!

[Inigo]

The slope should be given very slightly... The resistance of a wheel to run has a peak just at the beginning, but when it's already moving, it decreases. A difficult matter... A very delicate balance should be done... Trial and error, i suppose, it's the only way to solve this. A twin sloping system with micrometer screws should be added at one end of the track to allow for very fine adjustment. It could be easy with pointed screws resting on a polished hard metal or glass surface.

[mrrgstuff]

Here is a slightly less dangerous way of achieving a similar result...............

Amazing machine - looks great and very well engineered also. Thanks for posting the photos "emgcr"

I too was fascinated by the thought of the mecury baths - but decided there must be an easier way

I threw together a very simple machine our of mainly plastic tubing - and if anybody is interested I made a few videos as I developed it:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... Ll6lDTI7dP

Thanks

[emgcr]

I wonder how many grams of force are required for sliding this enormous inertia-mass, exerted by the grooves on the needle point for lateral tracking across the record...

Perhaps the track could be inclined to run downhill so as to neutralize the inertia you refer to?

It would seem logical to start from the point of ensuring that the linear track is dead level in both horizontal planes so that there is the smallest possible pressure against the sidewalls of the grooves. As Inigo says, the inertial mass is a possible problem area but maybe only from the point of view of disc longevity ? Records may play quite well for a while ? One could incorporate fine-threaded screw jacks at the needle end to produce an adjustable forward incline but my guess is that only a very slight variation from dead level would be desirable or even necessary.

Interesting and complex questions, the answers to which perhaps only empirical evidence will help to find.

Here are details of Mr Balmain's patent in March 1926 and it would seem that he had a certain amount of success evidenced by the two extracts from "The Gramophone" magazine in 1927. I am not sure if it is known how many gramophones were actually built but £60 for the mahogany model was a king's ransom, equivalent to nearly £38,000 today according to the composite price index of the Office of National Statistics.

Henry Seymour also proposed another interesting variation on the theme of linear tracking seen in his book "The reproduction of sound" starting at page 312 (Chapter XX---Conclusion) courtesy of Chunny's superb Gramophone Museum website. Scrolling takes a while : http://www.gramophonemuseum.com/images/ ... -Sound.pdf

I had also completely forgotten about a previous discussion on this subject six years ago : viewtopic.php?f=11&t=16013&hilit=Balmain&start=0

[chunnybh]

Good to see pictures of my Wilson Horn.
Here are a few more pictures of another home made project. Could have been built by the same person, the principle is the same. Unfortunate, I have no idea where these pictures came from.
Also two articles from The Gramophone 1928.
Linear tracking has always been a good idea but in practice, a bit of a failure. I've had several "modern day" linear turtables. They have all eventually failed and destroyed records.
A simpler DIY Wilson horn project may be to use a standard setup with minimal tracking error, like this Cascade gramophone in the last picture.

[epigramophone]

How interesting that J.A.Pierson, author of the letter "A Home made machine" lived in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset where I grew up.
I am only ten miles away now, and Alastair Murray who is making the paper horn which is the subject of this thread is even closer.

I wonder what became of Mr Pierson's machine? I might try and see whether his descendants still live in the area. What a find that would be.

[old country chemist]

I remember reading the article about the young Mr Pierson in "The Gramophone" magazine, years ago. It seems that he lived in St. Andrew's Road, Burnham-on-Sea. I did try to find out more about him without success. If he were still alive today, he would probably be over 120 years old! I expect the gramophone and horns that he made would have gone in time the way of all things-in the bin!-if it were big enough!
Thanks to Chunny for posting his pictures of another "Balmain" type machine, and the picture of his Cascade horn.
This is certainly an interesting subject, \and I am so pleased that forum folk are placing bits of interest on the forum. Marvellous!

[epigramophone]

Another amazing coincidence. My parents lived at 4 St. Andrew's road in the 1960's. Mr Pierson could still have been alive then.

[emgcr]

After a little bit of digging back in my files I have managed to unearth further information. The man who made the splendid red-horned Balmain is John Cook and we have arranged to meet to examine construction methods and make a video or two to demonstrate performance. I shall be able to upload more details in due course.

In the meantime, John has kindly forwarded PDF files (see attached below) which document the research, design and manufacturing process undertaken by Peter Heath over twenty years ago when making a similar gramophone which I think is the one posted by Chunny with the green horn. The articles were originally published by the CLPGS (City of London Phonograph and Gramophone Society) in 2000 and they have generously allowed republication here. Clearly a great deal of thought has gone into these very impressive projects which has resulted in two exceptionally well-built machines. They differ slightly in respect of the carriage suspension details. John built his example about fifteen years ago having been impressed and inspired by the performance of Peter's when seen at one of the Northampton Phonofairs.

The track is in fact "O" gauge.