Thickness of Edison diaphragm

[JohnM]

What is the thickness of an Edison Diamond Disc reproducer diaphragm? How many layers of rice paper is it made from?

[gramophoneshane]

Is there documentation that states these are in fact layers of rice paper shellaced together?
After reading that on the old OTV, I soaked one on alcohol for 2 days (I wanted to count the layers & attempt to make a new one), but nothing separated at all. Below is what I was left with.

[JohnM]

Strictly anecdotal on my part . . . something I've heard for 40+ years.

[JohnM]

Non-board sources inform me that typical DD reproducer diaphragms are routinely between .0085-.0095, with Edisonic diaphragms at .0125 consistently. Still don't know how many sheets of rice paper make one diaphragm, but that's okay -- my question was prompted by my wife asking me (her dad was a mechanical engineer and she's very technologically adroit).

[phonojim]

I have one that I successfully soaked apart several years ago with the idea of reassembling it with fresh shellac. Shellac hardens with age, so I wanted to make it closer to the flexibility that it originally had. Alas, I've never put it back together although I know people who have and they swear it's a completely different listening experience.
Anyway, there are five layers to a standard diaphragm; thick center layer with two layers on each side with the outside layer being the thinnest of the two. I can't remember the measurements, but I'll try to find it and get back with measurements.
BTW: I had to soak this thing for days in denatured alcohol in order to get it apart.

Jim