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I'm sure that method can be made to shave a cylinder
very nicely. First thing is to make a mandrel to
hold the cylinder. That can have a long pin of a fairly
large diameter protruding out from the left end, which
will provide a way to hold it in the lathe chuck.

Then, grind your highspeed steel tool bit to have
a slanted cutting edge, which is about .188 inch wide
and make sure to have the flat side of this cutter
facing the wax as it comes toward the cutter.

Then do a bunch of experiments using various speeds, feeds and cut depths. Trying to take off any more material than about .006 inches on the diameter (that's .003 inches on the radius) for any one cut will start to
tear the wax.

Finish cuts need to be very fine (like about .0005 on
the radius) to get the shiniest, quietest finished
surface to record upon.

I predict that a sharply ground, properly formed
highspeed steel cutting tool will last a little while
for shaving blanks, but not too long before it starts
to get dull.

Only doing experiments will tell the whole story.
Try it, I bet it will work fine!

Chuck

Having done some machine work in the past we would use a rounded bit to get a extra smooth finish. The top of the bit would recessed leaving a sharp cutting edge on the radius of the bit. You can probably use just about any model mandrel in the chuck to mount the cylinder on. If you try it let us know how you make out.

Rich Gordon

Here's the Edison Shaving Machine manual. 1906 given the script decal shown??

-Jake

Thank you for sharing the instructions.

Thanks so much Jake. I posted awhile ago on the forum looking for those instructions, but didn't get a response. I like to have at least a copy of the instructions for all my name brand machines...

edisonphonoworks wrote:Thank you for sharing the instructions.

benjaminh wrote:Thanks so much Jake. I posted awhile ago on the forum looking for those instructions, but didn't get a response. I like to have at least a copy of the instructions for all my name brand machines...

No problem I had no idea you posted a Wanted ad, Benjamin, otherwise I would have sent you copies right away!

This may be very silly on my part, are the cylinders in the pamphlet the first purpose made Edison 6" dictation cylinders, and are they brown wax color, or black wax color? I know they are spiral core, just don't see many of those around. I made a few of my own version of dictation machine blanks, made of standard entertainment brown wax formula. (made from raw materials formula, not melted brown wax cylinders.) Again, if you guys ever feel like trying your hand at making blanks, the best place to learn is Chuck Richards's website, really study it, all the formula works, the temperatures work, the process too! All you need is a shaving machine, a Coleman Stove,an aluminum perculator coffee pot, a beam balance, a mold, oven,thermometer, glass beakers, a few peanut butter jars, sand paper, a darning needle, cardboard shims. Remember if you make a mold for your cylinders, it needs to be over 6" long, my mold is 7" long extend the normal taper 1" in 32.5" two inches in each direction, and you will then be able to mark and trim your blank, and make your mold adjustable by where you trim it, of different formulas you try. For instance double pressed bovine stearic shrinks differently than triple pressed bovine stearic, and palm tallow stearic shrinks a little differently.

The instruction posted by Jake cite Thomas A. Edison Inc., which dates them no earlier than December 1910.

George P.

The Edison Business Machine came out way before 1911. It used 6" brown wax cylinders with a spiral core. I have a few of them but as you said you do t see them often.

Rich Gordon

rgordon939 wrote:The Edison Business Machine came out way before 1911. It used 6" brown wax cylinders with a spiral core. I have a few of them but as you said you do t see them often.

Rich Gordon

Yep - July 1905.

George P.