Need Help With My First Edison Cylinder Machine

[martinola]

Hi Dick!
As always, answers lead to more questions. Is the end gate on your machine straight like on the 4 clip Standard or is it angled like on the New Case version? Also - is the serial # in the bedplate casting itself (right rear), or is it on the Patent Plate under the mandrel?

In regard to the distance when centering the crank, I'm afraid I'm not quite sure. On this particular machine, I just used regular sheet gasket from the plumbing supplies store. I think the material is about 1/16" give or take. There's one gasket between the motor frame and the bedplate, and one on top of that strange brass nut. I've since gone to buying black neoprene grommets, slicing them in half with a razor and using them. Not quite kosher, but I think they absorb a bit more vibration and it looks neater. If you go with just two thicknesses at each point, then everything should line up when you snug-up the bolts. I'd love to see photos if you can post them. Good luck!
Martin

[stachowiak]

Hi Dick!
As always, answers lead to more questions. Is the end gate on your machine straight like on the 4 clip Standard or is it angled like on the New Case version? Also - is the serial # in the bedplate casting itself (right rear), or is it on the Patent Plate under the mandrel?

In regard to the distance when centering the crank, I'm afraid I'm not quite sure. On this particular machine, I just used regular sheet gasket from the plumbing supplies store. I think the material is about 1/16" give or take. There's one gasket between the motor frame and the bedplate, and one on top of that strange brass nut. I've since gone to buying black neoprene grommets, slicing them in half with a razor and using them. Not quite kosher, but I think they absorb a bit more vibration and it looks neater. If you go with just two thicknesses at each point, then everything should line up when you snug-up the bolts. I'd love to see photos if you can post them. Good luck!
Martin

Martin,

The serial number is stamped on the patent plate and is also stamped in the machined surface that guides the reproducer carriage. The end gate is angled like your second picture. I don't think I have a mongrel machine, The man that gave it to me is 99 years old and has had it since he was a child. His father bought it new. Unfortunately he is in poor health and was not able to give me more details. I sell commercial sound equipment and I was at an elementary school today to look at the sound system in the auditorium. They were having an assembly, and I was told it was going to be ending soon and to just go in and have a seat. To my surprise they had a presenter giving a talk on Edison. After it ended I walked up to talk with him and look at his machine. He wasn't very knowledgeable technically but he was able to give me some info. A teacher overheard me talking and offered me a box of about 30 cylinders and an Edison Standard Model C with a 30" horn with crane. She said it has been in her attic for years and would like to see it go to someone that would appreciate it. I picked it up tonight, so in the course of 2 weeks, I now have two machines, and a nice selection of mold free cylinders in perfect condition.

Thanks for the help,

Dick Stachowiak
East Syracuse, NY

[martinola]

Hi Dick!
From your description and your serial#, it looks like you have a transitional Standard A. They went to the new style case around 1901. (I'll bet that the lid has a notched-out area in the rim in order to clear the old-style gear cover in the back.) The serial# stamped in the knife edge is something they did with many of the earlier style machines. That was dropped along the way. To further complicate things, the Edison company offered replacement new style cases for people wanting to update their machines. Yours, with the angled endgate and the serial on the Patent Plate under the mandrel indicates that your bedplate was a newer style. These transitional models are interesting to me in that they show how design changes in an early mass-production environment. Thanks for helping me document yours!

(By the way, now that you have a Model C, you know that I'll be pestering you for details and pictures!)

Thanks Again!
Martin

[stachowiak]

Ok,

It's been a while since I posted anything, here's where I'm at. I striped the shellac off the bedplate and redid the front and right side stripes. I sprayed several coats of orange shellac, wet sanded, and polished it up. It came out beautiful and the finish of the bedplate matches the original finish on the gear cover and reproducer carriage perfectly. I tried to get some pictures of the bedplate, but the flash gave me too much glare. I'll try it in daylight. I have also been working on the cabinet and it's starting to look pretty good. The original decal had disintegrated and the finish was all dried up. I washed off the remaining shellac with alcohol and 0000 steel wool. I did not do any sanding as I didn't want to remove any of the patina or the green oak stain. I then sprayed several coats of orange shellac, sanding between coats. I picked up a banner decal from Gregg Cline and just finished putting in on. I still have to spray a few more coats of orange shellac to protect the decal and tint the look of the decal. I couldn't wait to see what the assembled phono would look like, so I assembled the top side of the bedplate and set it on the cabinet. I have not finished the rebuild of the motor and gear cluster yet, but I now have all the parts I need. I also have all the parts to rebuild the early style type B reproducer except the wire link between the stylus bar and the diaphragm. I was told that automatic and the early B doesn't use the same size link as the type C reproducers. Does anyone know what the dimensions of the link should be, or have a good way for me to determine what it should be? Here's a picture of my work so far.

Dick Stachowiak
East Syracuse, NY

[MordEth]

Dick,

While I can’t give you any advice on the wire link, I wanted to comment on your work so far—that looks very good. Definitely show us more photos once you can get them under sunlight.

Do you have ‘before’ photos, also?

— MordEth

[Shane]

Dick-
For all the model C reproducers I've ever worked on, I use (as strange as it sounds) an ordinary office staple for the wire link. Its the right diameter and roughly the right length... just put it through the two holes, and bend the ends so it doesn't come out. You'll then need to play with the length and angle of the wire so the stylus can contact the cylinder at the correct angle. Use a junker cylinder to test it out, as I once ruined one of my best cylinders with a reproducer that was out of adjustment. It may take some time and patience to get it right.

I'm not sure if the B is totally different or not, but what you're basically looking for is just a thin piece of wire that will connect the loop on the bar to the loop on the diaphragm.

[martinola]

Excellent work, Dick!
You're almost there, and it's looking real good. By any chance, on the inside of the cabinet, is the area under the spring barrel "dished-out" to clear the barrel? I've seen a few of these examples and am trying to get a feel for when they did this.
Best Regards,
Martin