The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

George,

Your lucky that all the hardware was there. The screws which hold the brackets on are very short because of the thickness of the wood. Through time, the weight of cylinders eventually pulled the screws out of the case wallowing out the holes on my cabinet. Because of that, 3 of the shelves including the hardware were missing. I had a machine shop fab some new pivot mounts and arms. The originals were cast. The shelf design was pretty weak especially if the shelf was loaded with cylinders.

When you get it done, don't put a lot of cylinders in each shelf. Maybe the first two rows and that's it.

Steve

Andersun wrote:George,

Your lucky that all the hardware was there. The screws which hold the brackets on are very short because of the thickness of the wood. Through time, the weight of cylinders eventually pulled the screws out of the case wallowing out the holes on my cabinet. Because of that, 3 of the shelves including the hardware were missing. I had a machine shop fab some new pivot mounts and arms. The originals were cast. The shelf design was pretty weak especially if the shelf was loaded with cylinders.

When you get it done, don't put a lot of cylinders in each shelf. Maybe the first two rows and that's it.

Steve

You're right, Steve. A couple of the shelves have a warp (they're solid wood), and they are indeed rather a flimsy design. I haven't decided if I'm going to put new pegs in it, or leave it as it is. If I put pegs in it, there probably won't be any cylinders ever put in it, as I already have more pegged cabinet storage than I need. And as you say, this isn't the cabinet to handle the weight of 25 cylinders on each of those flimsy shelves!

Thanks again for providing me with the original manufacturer's name!

George P.

FloridaClay wrote:George, good heavens! I can't imagine anybody thinks there is anything inappropriate about your posts. To the contrary!

One of the great things about this forum is that we can share in the excitement when members find unusual things in unexpected places and celebrate their good fortune with them. The thrill of the hunt is one of the things that keeps the hobby vital. And most of all it helps us learn from each other as "what is it" mysteries are solved.

Clay

You're very kind, Clay. What you say about the forum is true, and I enjoy reading about the finds others have made, especially those "from the wild." As others have mentioned, it helps keep hope alive...

As for my little problem... Just about five years ago, I began a thread called "Phonospace," and doing so was extremely difficult, for the same neurotic reasons I hesitated to begin this one. It's very rare that I share new acquisitions here, and I do so only when I think there's some benefit to others; if nothing more than in keeping hope alive. I will freely share information, because I don't consider that my personal property. But the phonographs, records, and ephemera I add to my collection are my personal property, and I don't want to be considered a "show off" or pretending to be a big shot. It's sometimes a fine line between sharing, and riding one's ego. Any fool with a healthy bank roll can amass a collection of antique phonographs. (I lack the bankroll, and I try to avoid being a fool...! )

I'm something of an introvert, and it's probably born of a fear of having my motives misinterpreted or misjudged. In professional life I had no choice, but in my personal life I prefer to work in the background. If someone requests a photo of something I happen to have in my collection, I'll happily post it without a second thought, yet I haven't felt the urge to add any photos of my phonospace in five years, despite the fact that there have been many changes up there. That's the difference in a nutshell.

So there's a sort-of half-baked explanation. In short, I'm nobody special, and I just don't wish to be thought of as something more or less than what I am.

Best to all,

George P.