Alpha & Omega Standards: Part 2

[martinola]

The "Omega" Standard Model D - or - The Return of "Old Green Bottom"

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Previously, I posted about my earliest Standard. This post is about the resurrection of my latest Standard. It's a model D configured for use as an ICS (International Correspondence Schools) machine - serial #820428. It's next to the highest verified serial number I have ever seen. So far, only Scott Colgrove's ICS model D (#820852) has a higher serial number.

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This machine first caught my attention in early December 2015 when I saw the bedplate being offered for parts on ebay. I bid and won the bedplate, figuring I would try to create a restoration around it.

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To my delight, I later found that the case was also up for auction. I bid on and won that . It turns out that this machine was an arrested restoration and the seller (Sam Crisafulli of Lodi, CA) was selling it as he re-discovered the parts that had been disassembled. After a week or two he found not only all the pieces of the motor, but amazingly, the original ICS tag.

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He had acquired it as a project at a Sacramento, CA flea market about 2012 and time and responsibilities subsequently got in the way. He has been extremely gracious and helpful in rounding-up the scattered bits of the machine for this restoration.

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At first blush, the machine has spent some time in storage - possibly in a barn or a garage. The metal parts and bedplate had quite a bit of rust. The case seemed to have been stained or scorched in areas - most notably on the bedplate frame.

The case had some restoration work already done. The bedplate frame had been refinished. It had been reassembled with the rear board flipped upside down and with one side piece flipped upside down with an attempted new mortise made for the metal clip surround. Happily, I like puzzles.

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My guess was that this was an attempt to hide what looks like major scorching. Was it in a fire? Maybe in, say, December 1914? Maybe in Orange, NJ? While the true answer is likely a lot less exciting, this machine has some very late attributes that may possibly date it to 1914 or even later.

Some sanding revealed that the damage to the bedplate frame was deep and couldn't be removed. I had considered replacing the frame, but felt that I'd like to preserve as much of the machine as I could. This did require some patching-in of missing wood and re-staining & finishing to match the case.

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[martinola]

MORE -

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The case's finish was a little dry. It looked as if somebody had treated it with "Restore-A-Finish" or something, but I liked the slightly "weathered" look to it.

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Ultimately, however, I decided on a more invasive approach when during cleaning I saw the "Edison" transfer beginning to flake off. Re-amalgamation and additional shellac brought that under control and more or less preserved the original color and finish (it's buried under there somewhere).

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It took many coats and many sandings to level-up the pitted finish. There was also some scorching on the right rear of the case. These areas soaked-up quite a bit of shellac before they built up a protective coating.

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The bottom of the case reveals that long ago somebody had a spill with some green oil-based paint. That oblong outline is probably the paper license notice buried under all that linseed oil, green pigment and lead. Since the paper tag is under there, and since it is all on the bottom, I decided to let it be there and testify to the machine's history.

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As you can see in the "before" photos, the metal parts had quite a bit of rust. I had hoped that the top of the bedplate would clean up more easily than it did. I knew that the underside would need wire brushing to get off all that rust, but I didn't think how much was lurking under all of the black enamel on top. As I chipped away at the blisters, the rust underneath was still quite wet, even many weeks after being in a dry house.

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[martinola]

STILL MORE -

Patching in new black paint that would match the old concerned me. In a "here goes nothing" move, I used some leftover black asphaltum paint to patch in the newly bared areas.

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I stink at hand painting gold lines and finally went with some leftover decal lines. Not the best solution for this restoration, but one that I'll live with for now. After several coats of shellac, the bedplate was ready for the motor.

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The motor had also been stored in a damp environment. Grease had protected most of the gears except for the gear shaft with the belt pulley. I've never before noticed a belt pulley like this one.

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I have subsequently seen two. - one of which was on an Amberola DX motor. The pulley casting looks different on the side. The headless set screw is countersunk into the pulley itself (rather than on an outboard hub). The belt surface of the pulley is lined with cork (to prevent belt slipping I suppose). The shaft was very rusty and the pulley was stuck on tight. PB Blaster, heat, and choice words did not prevent the headless screw from disintegrating. I should have stopped there.

But I didn't.

It got ugly and I still don't want to talk about it. Suffice it to say that I needed a replacement pulley and gear shaft Amazingly, a couple of weeks later, I spotted a gear cluster on ebay with the same strange pulley and gear shaft. This one was missing the cork, but I knew I could replace that with cork gasket material.

The mainspring was broken in the center. I obtained a replacement as well as other miscellaneous screws and parts from George Vollema.

Speaking of screws, most of the originals were rusty and deformed. They required some filing, polishing and bluing.

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The mandrel had corrosion and was loose on the shaft. The rest of the formerly plated parts were pitted and rusty. I decided to go for the "been around the block a few times" look and do my own metal prep and plating.

I pressed the mandrel back on to the shaft and tried to keep the runout to a minimum. Once positioned. I soldered it in place. I took it over to the drill press and sanded off the corrosion and old plating.

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After some buffing and multiple coats of copper, it got a coat of nickel. Not great, but far better than what it was.

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The mandrel pulley is also different from what I normally see.

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This one is deeply flanged with a reeded belt path. From looking at the proud headless set screw, I'm guessing that this pulley also had a cork lining. I ended up using shellac to affix the cork, so if I was wrong it could easily be reversed.

This is still a work in progress in that it will still need some things. Most notably the lid is still missing. Although I'm still hopeful that Sam will turn it up in his garage, at this point it seems less likely. I'd expect the lid to have finger-jointed corners on the moulding with the 3 screw type clips. I'm also guessing that since it is an ICS machine that has its speed fixed to the 2 minute mode, the inside of the lid would not have had a "change of reproducers" sticker affixed. Of course anything is possible.

The reproducer is also missing. I'd expect that to be a later potmetal type, possibly with reference to "Thomas A. Edison Inc." on it. From looking at another very late ICS machine, I can guess I'll need to find a model C reproducer above # B96632.

Oddly, what did come with the machine was an oxidized recorder. Obviously the recorder was intended for one of the higher end models with the special finish, but I can't rule out that this machine issued at the very end of Standard production (not to mention that it was also one of the very last two minute machines) might have originally shipped with it.

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The test play went well. The mandrel had the least runout I have seen on a gate-less player. Even with a witches hat horn, there was very little warble. I expect that I'll be able to eliminate even that with some adjustment of the governor.

Here are the details of the machine as it is currently known:

The Case:


Late Style with the large moulding at the bottom. The bottom board seems a little thicker than other Late style cases I've seen.

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The normal notch in the upper right for the horn crane brace is different. It is smaller with no slit for the brace. It could be due to the machine being intended for ICS use and possibly that the supply of straight morning glory horns was by then exhausted. There are no holes for a cygnet horn crane bracket. I can only guess that it would have shipped with a 14" witches hat horn or perhaps listening tubes.

[martinola]

LAST ONE:

The Mechanics:

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Since this is an ICS machine, it has the top mounted speed control. (This particular knob is a replacement from an earlier model A machine. I'm still looking for the later knob with the slight bevel on the top edge.) The patent plate references "Thomas A. Edison Inc." which puts it after 1911. The reproducer carrier arm is the ICS type which is made to work with the ICS repeater.

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The normal model D sliding gear has an extra collar to prevent it from being changed to 4 minute mode. (Two minute entertainment record production was over by the end of 1912 but ICS records kept that format until 1915.)

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As stated before, the mandrel pulley has a smaller hub with deeper flanges and most likely had cork material around the hub.

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The motor is as you'd expect to find on a model D. As with the mandrel pulley, the lower belt pulley is also a later design with a cork-wrapped belt surface. The governor is the later variety with the "anti-flutter" collar.

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REPLACEMENT PARTS:

Belt Pulley and 3rd gear shaft
Bedplate mounting screws (3)
Crank
Brass headed tacks for ICS tag
Mainspring
Bedplate frame hinge & screws
Latch side anchor screw (small round-headed)
Mandrel shaft pintel bearing (on left side)
Wide tension screw for bearing end.
Brass Mandrel Center Bushing/Bearing

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I'd love to hear from any owners of the late ICS model D machines if their machines differ or are similar to this machine.

[clevelander]

Martin,
My Standard D ICS No 817763 also has this pattern of lower belt pulley.
Regards,
Alistair.

[martinola]

Thanks Alistair!
That's good to know. I'll put that into my data sheet.
Regards,
Martin

[phonogfp]

Beautiful work on both Standards, Martin!

I've admired your work before, and I'm always struck by the final appearance - despite the sometimes major intervention required. Yet, your machines don't look restored, but rather like clean survivors. That's a real achievement. Congratulations!

George P.

[FellowCollector]

I have in my collection what is surely one of the last ICS Edison Standard Model C phonographs, serial #807244. I've included a couple of pictures below.

Martin, I'd be interested to know if your database indicates any Edison Standard Model C's ( ICS or non-ICS ) with a higher serial number. This phonograph is exactly as I purchased it many years ago except that I replaced the mandrel bearing years ago but never put a belt on it! I'm sure at the time I had a zillion other projects going on and after replacing the bearing I simply put it away in the closet and went on to another project. The little guy's been sitting in that closet for a loooooong time but when I saw the ICS discussion here I thought I'd bring it out - dust and all. I'll be sure to take a couple of minutes and put a belt on it now. It'll be nice to see it running. I remembered it was a very high serial number for an Edison Standard model C.

Doug

[martinola]

Hi Doug!

Thanks for the info. The last 20,000 or so serial numbers for the Edison Standards seem to be generally a mix of Model E, D and C machines (with an "F" here or there). The Model C and D machines of this group were all of the ICS type. The highest Model C I've seen is #819650.

I have included your machine into today's data sheet. Here's a link if you want a copy:

Edison_Std_Data_10_13_16.xls

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Thanks for your help!

Martin

[martinola]

George -

Thanks for the very nice compliments! I know that I'll have it perfect when I forget that I've restored a machine. Hopefully I won't have to wait until I'm senile.

Thanks again!

Martin