The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I often wonder how bad the fumes are from making metallic soap blanks, I MAKE the compound outside, but it is winter, and demand is high so I have to Mould blanks inside. What I have noticed, is that after much making of blanks, (this has been discussed among us who manufacture new blanks with each other.) You "experts" would not believe how much material is vaporized during the making of the blanks, and you get a fine, white hazy dust that settles, from the vaporized compound all over everything. Plus fine dust from trimming, and shaving. Although most of the shavings are collected in a large shaving drawer, on the fine shaving machine, and in a bag in the rough shaving machine. About 10 LBS of shavings are produced a week! The shavings are a absolute necessity in the making of blanks, without it, no good blank with come to fruition!

De Soto Frank wrote:Even w/o the spectre of asbestos, which may or may not be present in BA cores, the dust is NOT something you want to inhale...

In recent years, medical studies are showing that exposure to any dust, especially fine dusts are harmful, particularly with repeated exposure...

So those aren't just allergies but early onset death spasms? Nice. I've already got the brain tumors from too much cell phone use.

Just to provide some closure here...

I decided to buy another eBay cylinder reamer from the source recommended on this thread. I tried it on two BA's and it works as described. I was relieved to say the least. The first reamer I bought definitely had an incorrect mandrel taper rate.

Words to the wise:
Get the reamer for $30.99 on eBay by seller "ujstewart".
Avoid the reamer for $20.00 or any other price by eBay seller "jo.love".

Thanks to all for your help.
David

NEFaurora wrote:"Plaster of Paris used for blue amberols contains asbestos"

This has never been found to be true.

Numerous tests were done a few years ago on quite a few Blue Amberol cores, and no asbestos ever came back on any of the chemical tests. Anyway, Asbestos is not poisonous, You can actually eat it. You just cannot breathe it in. That is where it causes lung damage.

I would ream outside with a mask on anyway...just from the amount of dust...

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

Oh I always thought there was asbestos in Blue Amberol cores. Sorry for the mistake