The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

No matter who does your reproducer work:

A word of warning:

Watch out for incorrectly formed hinge blocks
that are now very commonly used on Edison
cylinder model C, H, and K reproducer tops.

The hinge block is the part that has the stud
that threads in to the hole in the reproducer
top, and then holds the weight via the hinge pin.

The original hinge blocks were designed to
allow the weight to swing freely only in two
planes of motion: Vertically and Horizontally.

The motion thus confined to those two planes
and those two planes only, assures that the
weight remains horizontal at all times.

The cheaply and poorly made reproduction hinge blocks sometimes end up with a hingepin hole
that is way too large and also sometimes they
are not even drilled straight. These repros
are also known to be too narrow as well,
allowing them to have excessive side-play.

The combined result of too sloppy of a hole,
the hole not even being aligned straight
horizontal, plus the whole casting being made
too narrow...it all adds up to the weight being
free to wander through all sorts of weird
angles relative to the cylinder's surface.

This excess slop of the weight motion translates into the stylus not being held
in the ideal position.

Next time you job any Edison cylinder reproducer work out to anyone, be sure to
ask them specifically if they plan on using
a repro hinge block.

If they say yes, that is what they are using,
watch out for the whole works ending up being
sloppy-loose. Ask for original parts, if at
all possible. They cost more, but they are
correct at least.

Chuck

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Chuck, I hope that everything works out in the end.