Timo Gramophone wrote:Altough i completely agree with you, i really like wax cylinders. There's something magical about them i think.
But their fragility can be very irritating; I've already broken two wax cylinders...
- Timo
Only 2? Sometime I think they crack if I even look at them. Sigh!
Clay
Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume's Laws of Collecting
1. Space will expand to accommodate an infinite number of possessions, regardless of their size.
2. Shortage of finance, however dire, will never prevent the acquisition of a desired object, however improbable its cost.
They always say that about wax Amberols too, don't they? ''If i look at it, it will crack''. I have never had any problems with wax Amberols. I have never broken one, altough two are in unplayable condition because of wear. The only positive thing about wax Amberols is that they do not seem to attract so much mold as Gold Moulded cylinders do.
One of my Gold Moulded cylinders that i have broken is still playable, if only the first portion. It just has a big crack. The other is completely shattered because i tried to push it on the mandrel too hard... I will never try to force wax cylinders on the mandrel anymore after that experience...
Timo, truth be told my experience was pretty much like yours. Being more accustomed to Blue Amberols, I broke a couple of wax Amberols by snugging them on the mandrel with a bit too much force before realizing how very fragile they are. Something I read not long ago from "back in the day" also warned about leaving them on the mandrel inasmuch as expansion of the metal if the room became warmer than it was when you put the cylinder on can crack them.
Clay
Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume's Laws of Collecting
1. Space will expand to accommodate an infinite number of possessions, regardless of their size.
2. Shortage of finance, however dire, will never prevent the acquisition of a desired object, however improbable its cost.
Timo, I am glad you have had no trouble with wax Amberols, but I guarantee they are much more brittle than the earlier 2M wax. The Amberol wax does not grow mold, but they can oxidize badly and turn a dull gray instead of a shiny black. I have quite a few that are unplayable due to heavy oxidation. Late two minute cylinders made between 1908 and 1912 seem to be made of the same stuff.
I am almost convinced that wax Amberols will crack by themselves untended, and possibly other cylinder compositions as well. Recently my friend opened a Pathé Salon box to show me the cylinder, but the cylinder was in pieces. He was adamant that the cylinder had been okay a few months previously. Perhaps it was a fluke, but it appears to happen.
Yes, you can play a cracked cylinder, but the crack grows a bit wider each time you play it, even if you have welded or glued the end of the cylinder to keep it from spreading apart when slipped onto the mandrel.
Clay,
i knew about leaving cylinders on the mandrel. The dealer where i bought my phonograph told me i should never leave cylinders on the mandrel ,because they will crack. I'm thankful i got that tip!
VintageTechnologies,
I think i actually have a oxidized wax Amberol, it's completely dull gray. It carries much noise, maybe it has something to do with the oxidation of the cylinder.
It's horrible that cylinders can crack by themselves! I don't want to think about a rare brown wax cylinder that cracks in a matter of days if left unattended!
I didn't knew that a crack grows wider every time you play such a cylinder. Well, i learn something new every day. Thanks for that information.
One thing that seems to riddle me is that people order wax records more in the winter. I have had to hold off shipping a few orders out, as it has been -20F here I know they WILL crack going in and out of the heat and cold. I hate having to replace cylinders broken in transit, I can't make blanks fast enough nor afford to replace what the mail system destroyed in the past. In recent months though I am happy to report I have not lost any I shipped out in the last 3 months when I switched to a packer that can get supplies much cheaper than I can, and always has the perfect boxes on hand, and double boxing. I have thought about making my own epoxy cylinders, but I don't have the funds for that. I do want to make new wax concert blanks, that way custom recording is easy. I use acoustical recording, which probably makes you all chuckle a bit, but I like it better. I use pasteboard boxes with pegs, and wrap each cylinder in bubble wrap, and then a layer over the top of all of them. I then wrap 2 thicknesses of the big bubble wrap over the ends and sides of the pasteboard box, then put in another box with 3" of space all around and use packing paper, does this seem sufficient?
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