Edison class m restoration

[Bruce]

Dave

I agree with Martin. I would do my best to get this machine working or display with the parts you have and then slowly over time try to locate the correct items.

I would be very interesting to see if you can get the Class M to play 4 minute cylinders. Then work on finding the correct carriage arm and 2 minute pulley wheel.

I recently restored a Class M and will share what I learned and the information that other forum members (and non forum collectors) provided me.

My machine came with a Bettini carriage arm which I decided to return to an Edison but trying to find the appropriate carriage arm for the period (designed for an Automatic reproducer) was very difficult and I had to settle for a later version. The appropriate carriage arm is interchangeable with the Triumph and was still difficult to find one.

I rewired my Class M and with lots of help was able to restore it to working order. I have attached one of the schematics which were sent to me and was very useful.

Good luck and pm me if you are interested in more details of what I learned.

Bruce

[Bruce]

The first photo is the before and the second is the working machine.

Bruce

[De Soto Frank]

These machines are out of my league, but Martin and Bruce's comments and suggestions sound like good advice.

The fact that someone upgraded the machine to play 4-minute cylinders is testimony to their faith in the machine...

That motor is impressive !


I believe I saw one of these machines demonstrated on Captain Kangaroo's TV show when I was a kid... I'm pretty sure the machine was an Edison cylinder player with the fly-ball governor up top, like an old stationary steam-engine.

If this machine will play four-minute cylinders well, I would think that would add to its usefulness and value ?

You'll need to find a glass Grenet-cell battery to go with it !

[Lucius1958]

I believe I saw one of these machines demonstrated on Captain Kangaroo's TV show when I was a kid... I'm pretty sure the machine was an Edison cylinder player with the fly-ball governor up top, like an old stationary steam-engine.

It would be interesting to see if one could find that segment on YouTube...

Bill

[mariof]

I believe I saw one of these machines demonstrated on Captain Kangaroo's TV show when I was a kid... I'm pretty sure the machine was an Edison cylinder player with the fly-ball governor up top, like an old stationary steam-engine.

It would be interesting to see if one could find that segment on YouTube...

Bill

Hi Bill,

Not Captain Kangaroo but certainly located in Australia...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zdyocQShQM

Cheers,
Mario

[mariof]

Hi Gents,

Not Captain Kangaroo but certainly located in Australia...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zdyocQShQM

I have some close up pics on my webpage (under construction) If you need any close up specific pics please ask.

http://www.phonographsandgramophones.com/class-m.html

Cheers,
Mario

[Andersun]

Daverob,

Some notes concerning your Class M:

1. I dont believe your 2/4 mandrel will or ever has worked on your Class M. It is too long when you take into account the required placement of the belt pulley with respect to the belt configuration and the end gate on the Class M which has a casted flange which covers the right mandrel bearing.

2. Looks like you are missing the oil tube which extends from behind the terminals on the lower bedplate down to the lower motor pin bearing. This is an easy fix using copper tubing. I have attached a picture of the tube and its required shape. (Disregard the brush and other parts and pieces)

3. Maybe it's my wild imagination but it looks like their might have been a label on the lower bedplate over the "North American Phonograph Company" logo. If you look on the attached picture, you can see a rectangualr area which is cleaner than the rest of the surrounding bedplate. I highlighted it in faint red. No mounting holes makes it perplexing.

Keep us posted on your restoration progress. It will turn out real nice. I can tell the bedplates will clean up nice.

[n2wheelies]

simply incredible. looks like a big project.

[daverob]

Am I wrong, or is it weird there's an edison signature on there?

[Andersun]

Daverob,

Both the "North American Phonograph Company" and the Edison signature logo are unusual. Even the strait pin stripe with no filigree on the corners is unusual. I was suspecting that it might not be original.

I would take a look on the underside of the bedplate to see if there are any nameplate mount holes that might have been filled in.

Can you post some closeup pictures of various parts of the pinstripe and the two logos along with the "pits" you referencing?