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My A60 has a metal case - I never saw a B60 so I'm not sure?

Yes, the A60 has a metal case and the earlier style motor. The B60 looks identical to this machine and also has the earlier style motor. I have a B60. I have guessed that the difference between the B60 and C60 is that the C60 has the later style motor such as is found in the B80. I never knew for sure, because I didn't know anyone with a C60. So I am very curious if you could post any pictures that show your motor.

My understanding is that the difference between A, B, C, ETC with Edison disk machines usually is an updated motor, such as with the A80 and B80. However, since the 60-style machines started with a metal case, then proceeded to a wooden case with the exact same motor, Edison changed the A/B designator only to indicate the change in cabinet. I believe yours represents the wooden case with the newer, less problematic motor.

The older style motor has a thrust bearing on top of the belt pulley, a gearbox rather than exposed gears connecting the spring barrel to the crank, and one stage of gearing to increase the speed from the spring barrel to the belt pulley. The newer style motor has a cantilevered belt pulley as the top of the motor (no thrust bearing), exposed gears connecting the crank to the spring barrel, and two stages of gearing increasing the speed from the spring barrel to the belt pulley. This later arrangement apparently works much better. I can wax lyrical about everything that is poorly designed about the earlier motor, but no need for that here. Here are pictures of my earlier style motor as well as a rather bad camera phone picture of my machine before I applied a new Edison decal or finished polishing out the brass screws that hold down the lid. Still looking for that speed adjustment knob.

Please, please post a few pictures of your motor. I have been curious about the C60 four some time.

Yes, even though the Edison catalog showed the machine with grill cloth, I vote for leaving it off as I have done with mine. The horn has wood grained paint and is very distinctive.

Steve

Brian,

Congratulations on a wonderful and interesting addition to your collection.

Gene

And yes, congrats on the awesome machine. That is a beautiful one!

Steve

Congrats Brian,
I'm still wondering how I missed seeing this on Saturday? Great thread here.She's a beauty Gary

briankeith wrote:My recent purchase = an Edison 60-C mission oak. (big heavy monster) The inside of the grille has no signs of ever having grille cloth, plus the horn is nicely painted Faux wood grain. I assume it left the factory without having any grill cloth? Thoughts?

According to Frow, grille cloth did not become standard on all models until May/June of 1915. The C-60 had been dropped from the catalog a few months earlier.

Curiously enough, my A-80 (SN 1865) had traces of old grille cloth, suggesting it may have sat around in some dealer's stock for several years, and was 'upgraded' to make it more saleable. (According to the seller, his grandparents, the original owners, had just immigrated to the US: it makes some sense that a canny dealer might have sold it off at a discount. That might also account for the later style reproducer, and the fact that it included a lateral adapter... or maybe not.)

Bill

Lucius1958 wrote:

briankeith wrote:My recent purchase = an Edison 60-C mission oak. (big heavy monster) The inside of the grille has no signs of ever having grille cloth, plus the horn is nicely painted Faux wood grain. I assume it left the factory without having any grill cloth? Thoughts?

According to Frow, grille cloth did not become standard on all models until May/June of 1915. The C-60 had been dropped from the catalog a few months earlier.

Curiously enough, my A-80 (SN 1865) had traces of old grille cloth, suggesting it may have sat around in some dealer's stock for several years, and was 'upgraded' to make it more saleable. (According to the seller, his grandparents, the original owners, had just immigrated to the US: it makes some sense that a canny dealer might have sold it off at a discount. That might also account for the later style reproducer, and the fact that it included a lateral adapter... or maybe not.)

Bill

...And I have an Amberola III with traces of its original grille cloth.

George P.

I think my B60 had remains of grill cloth, but the grill was so moisture damaged it was hard to tell for sure.

Steve