24 moldy brown wax cylinders with 36 peg case $335 on EB

[rgordon939]

It is a cleaner used in labs to clean things look me test tubes and other lab equipment.

Rich Gordon

[Phonoboy]

It is a cleaner used in labs to clean things look me test tubes and other lab equipment.

Rich Gordon

Okay; so it doesn't react with the wax? Would it leave a film?

[rgordon939]

No it does not leave a film is used properly, that is the use of deionized water. If you were to use plain water it would leave minerals on the cylinder. Please read below.

Rich Gordon

The same technique was used by the Library of Congress (for 9000+ cylinders) and the Archives of Traditional Music at Indiana University (for 7000+ cylinders). This cleaning process is quite simple and extremely effective:

1. Mix a tepid solution of Labtone Detergent (a proprietary formulation from VWR Scientific) until the mixture feels slippery (about 1% or so). Use deionized water to mix.

2. Immerse each cylinder in the solution while holding it with spread fingers inserted into the interior only.

3. Saturate a small (3x6") piece of polyester velvet or velveteen in the solution and while the cylinder is immersed, gently drag the velveteen around the cylinder's circumference, allowing the pile of the velveteen to gently "scrub" the grooves.

4. Rinse the cylinder thoroughly in running deionized water and stand on-end to dry on an absorbent or drained surface. The remaining water will bead on the surface and may be removed with "Webril Wipes" or similar non-abrasive cotton wipers (used for cleaning copier machine drums).

Labtone is that it is a balanced detergent that is formulated to effectively remove organic gunk and oily material. It is very effective on removing the fungal mycelium but doesn't harm the wax. It rinses off completely, leaving no residue. This detergent is intended for hand washing, so it doesn't destroy your skin although you will probably want to wear surgical gloves to protect the cylinders from skin oils.

[Phonofolks]

How many cylinders can you clean in that one solution before you need to mix another batch of solution?

[rgordon939]

At least A few dozen as you rinse them in a separate supply of deionized water.

Rich Gordon

[edisonphonoworks]

I don't suggest immersion, it may clean better, however immersion of a moldy cylinder now means the solution could be contaminated with mold spores. When I work with cylinders at a museum I even change the cotton gloves, each time I handle a new cylinder, and have buckets of the gloves, the gloves then get washed and dried in bleech before using again.

[edisonplayer]

I remember a friend of mine gave me a case of Columbia brown waxes a few years ago.The records were in their boxes,and they were wrapped in cotton.Unfortunately,they were stored in a damp place like those were.They reeked SO BAD that I had to throw them away in the cotton.I did keep the boxes,though.edisonplayer

[edisonphonoworks]

This is very disheartening. But such can be the case. A vendor at Union had NOS Edison brown wax, that were all moldy, even though the boxes were mint. It seems the ones that were kept in pegged boxes, and record cabinets have survived the best. I imagine that previous to 1900, only about 13 million brown wax cylinders were made(in the United states.) and probably maybe two or three million survive, sounds like a lot, but also that means a lot of history is lost, as many of them are individual performances, and yes some are pantograph or tube copies but many are live.

I remember a friend of mine gave me a case of Columbia brown waxes a few years ago.The records were in their boxes,and they were wrapped in cotton.Unfortunately,they were stored in a damp place like those were.They reeked SO BAD that I had to throw them away in the cotton.I did keep the boxes,though.edisonplayer

[kumbo1899]

I find this last comment a real surprise. You say 13 million cylinders were made and 2 -3 million survive this is a survival rate of 15 - 23%. Based on collecting for 55 years I have encountered a number of brown wax cylinders but many were way far gone, most in the state quoted in the earlier post, still in original cotton.

I am certainly no expert and you are and highly respected but I again say I am very surprised there are two to three million brown wax cylinders out there. Are you including those found overseas as well? In what condition would that 15 - 23% range be in?

Larry Hawes

[edisonphonoworks]

I am talking as a whole, through the world, it is sad, it is very little, probably much less than I said. Bill Klinger goes into detail from different companies. It looks like total survival of all cylinders would be about a million, according to the Klinger article. I am surprised it is so low. I know a 1900 article on Edison Phonograph Works manufacturing, states at that time, they always kept 250,000 cylinders in stock, of the direct cut brown wax variety. The total U.S. production up to 1897 I will have to look up, but Edison gives a table on blanks sold. Columbia until 1896 used 70,000 Edison blanks alone, Columbia really did not commercially make there own blanks until almost 1897 on a scale, even 95 and 96 they were using Edison blanks, usually purchased from the United States Phonograph Company. I have contributed about 10,000 new brown wax blanks and records, 90% of those are blank cylinders. I may seem very slow, and I will agree, but that is a lot for one person to contribute. http://www.loc.gov/programs/static/nati ... linger.pdf