Edison Standard B - how many plays / winding ?

[De Soto Frank]

I finally had some free time to tinker with the Edison Standard B (Banner) that my wife gave me for Christmas...

I had to clean some rust off the back rod, and generally clean and de-gunk the top-works, and make a temporary belt out of cloth spike-tape.

It seems to run fairly decently.


How many 2-minute cylinders should a Standard B be capable of playing on one winding ?


Thanks,

De Soto Frank

[Chuck]

Not absolutely sure about plays per winding
on that machine but the one at the museum in
Atlanta, Illinois that I recently lubed up and
adjusted and got working seems to play at
least (2) 2 minute records with ease.

Chuck

[Le0]

I think 3 is the most I've played on a single winding. though I generally use my Triumph for 2 minutes records and my "amberolized" Home for BA's.

[De Soto Frank]

The point of my question was trying to help me evaluate the performance of this machine, my first "Standard".


I've fiddled and twiddled with the upper-works, removed and completely cleaned the mandrel, feed-screw, pivots, back rod, and carriage, and cleaned and buffed all bearing surfaces where possible.

After reassembling, I tweaked the adjustable pivot points to where things would drag slightly, then back-off the adjusting screws about ¼" turn ( and physically pushed the pivots back against them).

I now have it running where it will play about 3-½ Indestructible 2-minute cylinders, with a 14" black & brass "witch's hat" riding on the Model C reproducer. About half-way through the fourth attempt, it begins to drag, and 2 turns of the winding crank gives it enough juice to pick-up and finish the cylinder.

If I had a morning glory on a crane, I think it would pull through four cylinders...


I haven't touched the bottom works, aside from oiling. When the weather warms-up, I will tear that down and clean everything, including the mainspring.


I'm pretty pleased with it so far...

[alang]

I have a late Standard A and I also get about 3 ½ plays out of it on a full winding. I took it completely apart, lubricated and adjusted it, so I am pretty confident that this is the best I can do. There is really not much difference between the 14" and the crane mounted Morning Glory horn that I have seen. Mine does have a new mainspring from Wyatt's, which seemed very thick and strong and was a pain to install. Not sure how an original spring would compare?

Andreas

[De Soto Frank]

Frow suggests that a Standard B should play " 4 two-minute cylinders "... it might do so without a horn, or a with listening tubes...

I just tested mined again with a 10" Gem horn, and it made it to about the last chorus of the fourth cylinder (Edison Gold Moulded: "Sauerkraut is Bully!" ) before it started to slow...

So, it gained perhaps ⅗ of a side with the lighter horn ...

[Jerry B.]

De Soto Frank, I think you hit on the true test of a cylinder machine. If it will pull through even two cylinders with a 14" riding on the reproducer, you've got a good machine. To get 3+ is even better. Jerry Blais