The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Lucius1958 wrote:

Henry wrote: Interesting, because anthracite is almost pure carbon, and should therefore impart a lubricating quality to the record surface (think graphite). Any thoughts on this?

Well, diamond is also carbon - but one wouldn't use it as a lubricant.

The slipperiness of graphite is due to the way the carbon atoms are arranged vs. anthracite…

Bill

Since I live near the heart of anthracite country in. e. PA, and since I had an anthracite coal stove in my home for ten years and handled the stuff often, and since I was up along the Lehigh River Gorge today and picked up a small chunk of anthracite (the stuff was transported by the many thousands of tons in barges on the Lehigh Navigation Canal), I can testify that it does impart a slipperyness on contact with human skin, namely my thumb. As to records and needles I can't say for sure, but I am assuming it does the same.

BTW, you can tell bituminous coal (the really dirty stuff) from anthracite (the not-so-dirty, but still dirty stuff), by the former's tendency to smudge on contact, whereas the latter leaves only faint traces on the skin. As to diamond, I haven't yet tried this test on my wife's engagement ring.

StarTMachine wrote:
Shellac 13.5%

White filler (powdered Indiana limestone) 37.5%

Red filler (powdered Pennsylvania slate) 37.5%

Vinsol (a plastic with a low melting point) 8.5%

Congo Gum (flexible binder) 1%

Carbon Black (colorant) 1.5%

Zinc stearate (lubricant for mould release) 0.5%

maybe they should have used more "Congo gum" and these darn things wouldn't break so easily.

Even with the brown / red shellac there are variations - Vocallion red shellac wears better than the stuff used by companies like Domino and Grey Gull.