Cylinder Stylus

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JeffHowe
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Cylinder Stylus

Post by JeffHowe »

All.

Forgive the new post, I can't find an answer elsewhere...

I'm about to restore/refresh one of my recently acquired Columbia Dictaphones, then modify it to play commercial cylinders.

Forgetting the tracking/screw thread drive issue (will be dipping into Christer Hamp's site a lot) I also have the stylus issue.

I'm really not up to making a glass stylus and wondered if anyone knew if the Dictaphone one could be used w/o damaging the groove. I have some early 1903 ish cylinders and some Amberols.

See photo of Dictaphone needle - it looks pretty sound.

Many thanks.
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Inigo
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Re: Cylinder Stylus

Post by Inigo »

It seems spherical so depending on the size, it could be useful.
About the problem of setting the adequate leading screw speed and adequate mandrel speed, I suppose that a modification of the diameter of the pulley driving the screw could work.
Sorry, this is the opinion of a profane in phonographs... :oops: let's hope any of the experts here jumps in!
Inigo

52089
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Re: Cylinder Stylus

Post by 52089 »

I can see multiple potential problems here.

1) The reproducer stylus in question was designed for (IIRC) 150 tpi cylinders, which is to say it's too narrow for 100 tpi 2 minute records and too wide for 200 tpi 4 minute records.

2) the reproducer is spring loaded, which would probably make it unsafe for black wax and definitely make it unsafe for brown wax.

3) The glass stylus will not damage celluloid records, but playing celluloid records may wear out the stylus faster than you might like.

I can certainly understand you wanting to experiment a bit to see what you might come up with, but to me the pitfalls of using this reproducer outweigh the risks.

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JeffHowe
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Re: Cylinder Stylus

Post by JeffHowe »

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Seems like I’m going to have to investigate much further! I hadn’t realised that the grooves were so very different.

👍🏻

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JeffHowe
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Re: Cylinder Stylus

Post by JeffHowe »

'Evening, all.

So I'm still cycling this in the grey matter...!

Attached is a photo of a set of Dictaphone styli from an eBay seller... does anyone know which is the record and which is the playback stylus?

Forgetting for a minute playing pre-recorded cyls, I'm thinking tinkering with shaving (I have a good operational Edison shaver) and recording on the pile of cyls I have - just out of interest.

I have tried recording with what I have with pretty crap results. I think the styli are in poor shape... also I am plagued by a lack of knowledge!

Many thanks :lol:
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VanEpsFan1914
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Re: Cylinder Stylus

Post by VanEpsFan1914 »

Amberols are too hard to record on, Gold Molded is also too hard; get some blanks.

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Re: Cylinder Stylus

Post by JerryVan »

JeffHowe wrote: Sat Oct 30, 2021 2:05 pm 'Evening, all.

So I'm still cycling this in the grey matter...!

Attached is a photo of a set of Dictaphone styli from an eBay seller... does anyone know which is the record and which is the playback stylus?

Forgetting for a minute playing pre-recorded cyls, I'm thinking tinkering with shaving (I have a good operational Edison shaver) and recording on the pile of cyls I have - just out of interest.

I have tried recording with what I have with pretty crap results. I think the styli are in poor shape... also I am plagued by a lack of knowledge!

Many thanks :lol:
The one on the right is the recording/cutting stylus, the one on the left is playback.

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Re: Cylinder Stylus

Post by gramophoneshane »

You can record on Gold Moulded 2 min cylinders, but you'll need to use a lamp to heat and soften the cylinder to record well.
Being a different composition to brown wax, it may wear the cutting stylus quicker though.
You'll also need to put a rubber band on the mandrel after the cylinder, to stop the cylinder moving on the mandrel when it expands due to being heated.
4 min Amberols are far to fragile to shave and record on, but original 4 minute blank's can still be used, as they seem to be closer to the gold moulded formula and more stable.

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