PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Discussions on Talking Machines of British or European Manufacture
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mrrgstuff
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by mrrgstuff »

old country chemist wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 5:09 am Hello there mrrgstuff (interesting forum name), Adrian is still waiting to see about joining the forum, but has viewed your suggestions. He can understand it much much more than I can, myself being more into the basic mechanical style of reproductions. I did look on youtube, and your entries are impressive-clever chap!
It is good that the forum has, like yourself, members who contribute ideas and have put them into practice for us all to see and enjoy, and perhaps marvel at in their ingenuity!
Thanks :). Its great that gramophone technology is essentially simple yet has almost endless scope for experimenting and improving. Its also very rewarding to hear a device you have made actually play music and get better at it as you make improvements to it. Thanks also for watching my YouTube channel :)

Sometimes some of the simplest devices are the most fun ;)
https://youtu.be/nCWFtcHKtCY

old country chemist
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by old country chemist »

Regarding the on-going work on the "Neo-Balmain" machine. I travelled to Adrian's yesterday, in the town of Bath. He has made the two "U" clamps to be attached to the soundbox end of the horn, several inches along it's length.. The clamps will have an attachment for the Watt Linkage which will be raised on small pillars on their bedplate. To where the bedplate is going to attached exactly has required some thought for the proper working of the linkage, but Adrian seems to think that the plate can be attached to the motor board. but the exact place will be governed by experiment when I next venture to his abode. He is still pretty confident that the machine will be able to function as it is intended to, when finished. He even mentioned that we might be able to play some 14inch hill and dale records, but that does not worry me, as I am happy to play ordinary gramophone records, of which I have many, (just ask my wife!)
While I was with him, he very kindly found a replacement switch and he re-wired it to my "Expert" Garrard electric motor. The old switch on the gramophone had been very unreliable the last couple of years, but now, when switched on, it starts the motor perfectly. He can fix almost anything. At present, he is repairing a cement mixer motor that had got waterlogged, also a pair of electronic read out butcher's scales, which have burnt out.

old country chemist
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by old country chemist »

Today I set up the "Neo-Balmain machine in the car port, as plenty of room!
I set it all up on an old door we had kicking around, which lay on a couple of my wife's trestles. After levelled the gramophone, I found that I had to raise the motor cabinet about 1.6 inches on blocks, so that the needle was level in the soundbox from a side view, on the record, A weight adjuster is to be sorted, but I used an old clamp, weighing 72 grams to weigh the soundbox in the grooves. I will probably add height adjusters to the bottom of the cabinet , so that different soundboxes of different sizes can be utilised. A no 4 mica is being used at present for tests, and seems quite good. The sound from this machine is not particularly loud using a medium tone steel needle, but the clarity is good, and the overall "openness" seems reasonable. I may not have got the acoustics quite right with the horn that I made, but it is acceptable. A little muddiness, perhaps is evident with heavier sounding discs a couple of 1930s orchestral records of the lighter kind, but well recorded. Time does not allow me to try many more today, but when the machine is next assembled, I hope to be able to report back favourably!
Really all the thanks for this "one off" machine must go to that very original thinker, Adrian Tuddenham, from Bath, Someset. Many messages passed between us on various designs throughout most of last year, and this year the making took place-not always getting it right, but interesting all the same, the horn manufacture had started last year. This final design may be the only gramophone it's type in the world using Watt linkages to help the horn move in a straight line across the record.
I am sending a few pictures for you folks on the forum to see. As I said there are still a few things to sort properly, BUT it does seem to work well-and that is what we wanted. A proper table is to be made before long, and sturdy! as the whole contraption is very heavy, the horn alone with it's appendages weighs 7.2 kilograms.
Alastair Murray.
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CarlosV
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by CarlosV »

Wow!!
Congratulations, Alastair, you must be rightfully proud of that great job!
That machine will provide hours and hours of entertainment, with all its adjustment possibilities!.

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Inigo
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by Inigo »

Congratulations! It looks impressive! Amazing! We would want to see a video of it in action, so we can see and listen! Magnificent!
Inigo

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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by epigramophone »

This has been a major project, starting from scratch and involving a great deal of original thinking and ingenuity. Well done for seeing it through to a successful conclusion when lesser men might have given up. Can't wait to come and see it in action.

Roger.

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emgcr
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by emgcr »

Magnificent Alastair ! Cannot wait to hear it in action and possibly see the masterpiece live if you are able to transport ? ! Alternatively, perhaps we should come to you this year ? Many congratulations.

old country chemist
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by old country chemist »

Thank you ALL for your kind words. There is still adjustments to be made, and perhaps an alteration or two.
I am placing a couple of pictures which I forgot the other day. Not very good, but give an idea. One is of the levelling screw, which allows for the steel rod ( to be levelled by screwing up or down. The other picture shows the two angled wheels, which bear on the steel rod. They are fitted with ball
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bearings.
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Orchorsol
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by Orchorsol »

Absolutely wonderful Alastair, heartiest congratulations to you and Adrian, you must be pleased as punch! The multiple strands of ingenuity, skill and artistry are amazing!

It will be interesting to hear your impressions using an EMG or Expert soundbox in due course...
BCN thorn needles made to the original 1920s specifications: http://www.burmesecolourneedles.com

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nostalgia
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Re: PAPER HORN "BALMAIN"

Post by nostalgia »

I am speechless !
Congratulations, a lot :) :geek:

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