The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

This is probably going to be a strange question..

The house I currently have all my cylinders stored at is basically a spring/summer/fall house and I don't live there in the winter. Am I able to store the cylinders there over the winter without having any damage happen due to them being in an extremely cold place? The house is not heated at all over most of the winter.

Or do I need to move them all the house I live in during the winter?

Since I have quite a large collection I don't want to run the risk of finding cracked or split cylinders when I move back in the spring.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

I am no expert on your question but I have some thoughts. If you consider that the majority of the cylinders we enjoy today were probably stored for decades in attics and basements in less than ideal conditions. In spite of poor conditions, we have many good records today. If your winter home is dry and warm enough that the pipes don freeze, I would think your records would be fine. Jerry

It would be interesting to freeze and thaw a moldy cylinder in your fridge repeatedly and see what happens.

Gradual changes in temperature will probably do little harm.

Rapid changes in temperature or humidity, or extremes (heat / damp) of either are undesireable.


De Soto Frank