Lambert cylinder shrinkage

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Mormon S
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Lambert cylinder shrinkage

Post by Mormon S »

Hey everyone! I recently got some lambert and Edison bell indestructible cylinders. 2 of them are suffering from shrinkage. One of them doesn't fit on the mandrel (not even close), and the other had a piece break off of the title with the slightest bit of pressure :oops:

I of course want to fix them, but they are so thin, light, and fragile that a reamer would just be a but risky with the low grit sandpaper that it came with. Would hand sanding the insides with a finer grit be safer? My only worry is that hand sanding would cause them to be out of round. My only other idea is to tape ~500 grit sand paper to a mandrel and very gently use it to ream (wet sand?)

Let me know if anyonw has dealt with this before. Thanks!

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phonogfp
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Re: Lambert cylinder shrinkage

Post by phonogfp »

I've dealt with this a number of times, and I must admit I don't understand why so many fear using a reamer with Lamberts. The key is a very light touch and a TINY bit at a time. It takes about 2 minutes, and you'll have an in-round record that shouldn't need reaming for another century.

Again - - very light pressure of the rims against the sandpaper, and only 3 or 4 gentle rotations per try. Wipe the rims clean with every cycle before test fitting. (Of course, have a machine nearby so you can immediately test fit!)

George P.

AllenKoe
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Re: Lambert cylinder shrinkage

Post by AllenKoe »

Congratulations on getting some Lambert cylinders. Can I assume they are American?
If so, please be sure to check if the #'s and titles are known to us. The US numbers for the 2" run from #1 - 1053.

Allen

RefSeries
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Re: Lambert cylinder shrinkage

Post by RefSeries »

As George suggests great care is needed. i have found that the unlined two inch cylinders have shrunk by about 0.5mm, depending on how they have been stored. By my experience the Edison Bell browns and blacks seem to shrink little less, say about 0.25mm. Being a bit finicky I don't really like reaming them, and have made undersized mandrels on my 3D printer in order to play shrunken records - even Blue Amberols fit a -0.25mm mandrel better than the original size.

One issue is that there is a small lip on the Lamberts, and if they have shrunk so much that you are reaming past the lip the rim is very thin and will split by looking at it, so tread warily and keep the reamer very, very clean to avoid clogs!

Good luck

Keith

Menophanes
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Re: Lambert cylinder shrinkage

Post by Menophanes »

I have a pink Edison-Bell/Indestructible (No. 9037, 'I'se Gwine Back to Dixie' [Mozart Quartette]), which at first projected some ¾" beyond the end of the mandrel. I used a reamer on it, proceeding very cautiously and releasing the pressure whenever I felt the least sign of resistance, and at last reached the point where I could play it to the very end. It can be heard on my web-page http://horologia.me.uk/cylinders.html (last item on the page). I may have been luckier than I deserved.

Oliver Mundy.

recordmaker
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Re: Lambert cylinder shrinkage

Post by recordmaker »

Listened to the transfer by Oliver of the Lambert then moved on to " French light opera brown wax"
This seems to be a part selection of the original overture to Ruddigore ( mostly the hornpipe section from act 1)
Ruddigore Original Overture (Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan - Hamilton Clarke).
let me know what you think.

RefSeries
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Re: Lambert cylinder shrinkage

Post by RefSeries »

Menophanes wrote: Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:59 am I have a pink Edison-Bell/Indestructible (No. 9037, 'I'se Gwine Back to Dixie' [Mozart Quartette]), which at first projected some ¾" beyond the end of the mandrel. I used a reamer on it, proceeding very cautiously and releasing the pressure whenever I felt the least sign of resistance, and at last reached the point where I could play it to the very end. It can be heard on my web-page http://horologia.me.uk/cylinders.html (last item on the page). I may have been luckier than I deserved.

Oliver Mundy.
Hi Oliver

Well done! Quick question - What is the inscription on the playing surface near the title ring? This should include the mould date, and anoraks like me are fascinated by such trivia.

Many thanlks

Keith'

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