Brown wax mold

[KCW]

Looking for a project and had some thought in getting a cheap brown wax cylinder to experiment in on restoration, if at all possible. The cylinder has moderate mold.

Any advice? If the mold isn’t to bad, is there a wax to stop further damage? Should we be storing in a container with desiccant to prevent moisture? Curious on the thoughts of the group pertaining to this. It seems that many of these old cylinders are deserving of at least an attempt to restore.

Input appreciated!

[Marc Hildebrant]

Mold that I have seen came from fingerprints in the past on the record surface and is quite deep into the grooves. Most times, the record goes into the scrap heap.

Marc

[Lah Ca]

I take this from another post I made here rather than linking to it .

Mould and Mildew

Your saviour here is Juniperus virginiana, a North American juniper tree commonly and erroneously known as red cedar.

https://www.wood-database.com/aromatic-red-cedar/

Its wood has both fungicidal and insecticidal properties. It was used to line cedar chests, which many/most women in North America had in the days before central heating. Valuable clothing (woolens, silks, linens, leather goods, and furs), valuable books, and such were stored in them to protect them from insects and fungi.

The wood’s jointer and planer shavings from lumber mills used to be sold in pet stores for use in the cages of pet rodents as bedding – being very aromatic, it kept down odours . It is no longer used for this purpose because it generally poisoned the little rodents when they chewed on it – it is fairly toxic. It is now used on the floors of kennels and horse stalls where it keeps down both odours and fleas and ticks. But it can cause respiratory problems here. It is available in large bags from many horse tack shops. It is not expensive.

I have used it to treat vintage musical instruments - guitars, mandolins, and lutes and their cases - that have had mildew infestations. I have used it on vintage guitar amplifiers. I have used it on LP records and books. I have used it on 78s and their sleeves. There is no reason it could not be used on gramophone cabinets.

I make a tea. I fill a bucket with the juniper shavings, pack it down, and then pour boiling water into it. I allow it to cool and then filter it through multiple layers of cheese cloth. I use this as a wash for anything that can safely be washed – washing with a cloth soaked in the tea – for some things a damp cloth will be better than a wet cloth. Test first that the tea does not stain what you are working on. I do not rinse. I allow it to dry.

Then I pack everything (inside and out) with the dry shavings inside some airtight container, a large plastic garbage bag, a sealed box or crate - or whatever. Mechanical or electrical components of things I put in old pillow cases or sheets first. Instruments with F-holes get the F-holes blocked with cheese cloth – too hard to get the shavings and dust out. Then I leave it all sealed up for a month or two. The mould/mildew problem is generally solved.

For musical instruments, I generally place a laundry delicates bag full of shavings inside the case after treatment and refresh the shavings every few years.

For records, Lps, 45s, 78s, and sleeves, I have never had to resort to anything more than wiping with the tea dampened cloth – I have never washed them in the tea or with a wet cloth – before packing them away in shavings. After treatment, I clean them with the vacuum record cleaner, wet or dry as seems appropriate – and then let them dry really well before putting them away.

[JohnM]

I have repeatedly called for someone/anyone to give the botanical name of the ‘mold’, and no one has ever responded. I think that it is more likely a chemical bloom triggered by high humidity, not a mold/fungus/mildew.

[Lah Ca]

I have repeatedly called for someone/anyone to give the botanical name of the ‘mold’, and no one has ever responded. I think that it is more likely a chemical bloom triggered by high humidity, not a mold/fungus/mildew.

Mold/fungus/mildew - unmistakable by smell. If your nasal passages, sinuses, and bronchial tubes don't react adversely, it probably isn't any of these and is probably what you suggest.

[JohnM]

I have repeatedly called for someone/anyone to give the botanical name of the ‘mold’, and no one has ever responded. I think that it is more likely a chemical bloom triggered by high humidity, not a mold/fungus/mildew.

Mold/fungus/mildew - unmistakable by smell. If your nasal passages, sinuses, and bronchial tubes don't react adversely, it probably isn't any of these and is probably what you suggest.

I would say that mildew has a strong odor, but mushrooms and mold, I don’t think as much if any odor.

[JohnM]

I have repeatedly called for someone/anyone to give the botanical name of the ‘mold’, and no one has ever responded. I think that it is more likely a chemical bloom triggered by high humidity, not a mold/fungus/mildew.

Mold/fungus/mildew - unmistakable by smell. If your nasal passages, sinuses, and bronchial tubes don't react adversely, it probably isn't any of these and is probably what you suggest.

I would say that mildew has a strong odor, but mushrooms and mold, I don’t think as much, if any, odor.

[Lah Ca]

The Last people, famous for vinyl conservation products have this to say about wax cylinders:

https://thelastfactory.com/misc/care-of ... cylinders/

[TAP]

ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rnq832_RsI&ab_ ... ollections.

you tube of an ARSC presentation by John Levin and Don Wilson talking about "mold". Their conclusion: most of the changes were chemical in nature rather than biological.

[WDC]

As much as I appreciate LAST in general, several of their remarks on wax cylinders seem to be ill-advised.

In case of a real mold infestation, just wiping off the mycelium is not going to actually remove the mold. For this very reason, I have been using 70% isopropyl alcohol very successfully for years with no harm whatsoever - even on my most precious wax cylinders. To be clear, we are talking about wax cylinders only, not celluloid! Unlike all these other cleaning solution approaches, alcohol will act as a fungicide (= it kills the mold). And the beauty part is: when it's evaporated completely, there is no residue left.

The alcohol percentage should be 60-80%, not more. Otherwise the mold spores may not open to absorb the alcohol properly. Aside from my long-term experience of having used it for now well over 15 years, I also confirmed the safety of using isopropyl alcohol on wax cylinders with conservator Stephan Puille who does have a professional expertise in this field.

I strongly advise against "cleaning" wax cylinders in any ultrasonic baths. This has been proven to cause physical damage to plastics that are harder than wax and is even controversial for LPs (if you ignore the LP hipster products that have been popping up lately). I may stand corrected in the future, but as long as there is no scientific evidence with sufficient data on this, these mini-explosions are nothing I will let anywhere near my cylinders.

And as always, a dry storage and proper ventilation is crucial for the survival of wax cylinders.