The "3" is to the right of your "4". The "4," interestingly enough is the tail end of a gold "swoop" to the left of the "4".
I understand that the initial stamping of the serial number would leave an imprint in the underlying metal. The forces would have to transmit deformation in the crystalline matrix of the cast iron, and the possibility of a fuzzy number shadow being left is interesting.
A friend of mine suggested that when/if I decide to put anything there, I could acid etch the serial numbers into the iron bubble. Why risk cracking the frame with a high impact stamper.
The donor frame has provided me with a serial number bubble, which I am still grinding back carefully. I want to preserve the "meniscus" around the edge, so careful sanding is important.
There is a brass shim installed under the "new" center stanchion, to get the angle right. And here it is........
Additional filing and filling needed, but it is nice to have the frame back together again.
I must thank a good friend in the phono world for selling this part to me. It is entirely original........having nicks in the paint, and general wear. I figure.....its a special machine. And, worth the additional expense.
The weighted half nut bar pivots on a shaft, as shown. Terribly unreliable, as the slightest resistance makes the half nut jump the feedscrew. Thus, making this a listening-tube phonograph. As I might have said earlier on, I do not have a Standard Speaker, or an Automatic to install in this machine. The majority of my records are 2-minute black waxes, and I would want to listen to them. So, I put on a Model B. And although not as early as the machine, the reproducer body does not have an alignment notch in it. It does have the side-arm, and a serial number that accents the project: 1545.
I have decided to leave the original "wedding cake" mica diaphragm in the reproducer, and not "update" it to a copper alloy one. Some years back an acquaintance of mine was able to stamp out paper reproducer gaskets, out of office paper just like the original Edison parts. I used those in this reproducer, limiting the clamping pressure on the diaphragm to "just enough." Has a nice full sound. Maybe too loud for earpieces!
The donor casting also had an excellent patent plate on it, which I have removed and set aside.
The threading in the side-arm adjustment thumb screw boss mounted on the carriage is NOT the same as the later Home carriages. None of my spare thumb screws fit...at all. I thought "Tom" just took parts off the shelf, right? HAH!
Good news, more parts on my INCOMING PARTS LIST:
-Badged crank
-early "cast" mandrel pulley
I found this great material made by the Bondo company called, literally, "PLASTIC METAL." It is a resin paste which bonds to metal, and is good for filling in pores and small scratches. I used to use automotive glazing compound, but had mixed results because the glaze would always shrink or dimple. So, this will be a first use a new material. It might not be re-entering Earth's atmosphere, but if it does it will most likely survive the trip.
More later!
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