The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello All of you. I recently went to collect the George Overstall BAMBOO NEEDLE MAKING BLOCK, which is of mahogany, and the miniature very sharp plane to shave the needles down to the correct size. Our very good friend, Mr Chunny had most kindly recently, sent me some samples of various bamboos, including some "Sasadake", which he referred to as "oldish" I have made a couple of the needles, and they "feel" pretty tough, and I now, hopefully, will send a picture of the block, plane and the two needles for you chaps. I also made a needle from part of another piece of Sasadake-is that the correct spelling...> This particular piece was classed by Chunny as being 100 years old. I must admit, the needle was the hardest to snip to a sharp point that I ever have had. I look forward to trying it out, if good, there is enough material in that piece of 100 year old to produce about 8 needles only.

Thanks for the picture of the block. How is it used?.

"Susudake is carbonized bamboo that is taken from old straw-thatched house ceilings where it has changed to an auburn color by absorbing the smoke of the ‘irori’ hearth over many decades or even centuries." (Smoked fish)
Traditionally used in making of Japanese tea ceremony utensils, Japanese sword pegs and musical instruments.
There is loads of "fake" susudake made from normal bamboo but stained or burnt to look like the real thing.
The only source of the real stuff I have found is from online shops that sell Japanese sword paraphernalia. Expensive stuff.

I use bamboo from all sorts of sources, new and old. I've had great success with loads of them.
My latest batch came from the bin. Those bamboo car seat/ massage mats. I only get 3 usable pieces from one block but the mat has hundreds of blocks.
They work a treat.

I'd love to see how they're made too! I have lot's of bamboo in the garden / fresh and dry/ but no idea how to turn it into needles! So far I use cactus needles which don't seem to wear the records at all. I'd like to get a bit more sound out of them, the thicker they are the better they sound *on a Lumiere, which is my current player* and has the advantage of taking almost all the weight off the needle. A video of how they are made is my christmas wish!!!

The wood block is intriguing. I have the same Christmas wish as the others.
Here is probably the only image of an actual Bamboo making machine from Google Books and Popular Mechanics, November 1923, Vol. 40, No. 5, Page 659 I bet this particular machine is only the finishing step that cuts the strip to a uniform length and adds the point.

James.

Greetings all! Firstly, Thank you to "Roaring20s" for the picture of the BAMBOO NEEDLES being made. I have never seen that before. I expect the machine only cut them into the proper length, then they were pointed later. Regarding one or two of you requiring more information re the use of the Overstall tri-angular Bamboo Needle making block, I will take some pictures sometime, of the various steps in producing the "blanks" from bamboo cane, then using the mahogany block to produce needles of two different sizes-one for HMV type sockets, and the other for the soundbox socket size of the monster machines. I hope to do it before Christmas. Also, on another "note" I have found Sidney George Overstall's calculations for the "cut-off cycles" which he hand wrote in a page of his copy of "Gramophones-Aoustic and Radio", of his square 30inch gramophone horn that he made many years ago. I think someone mentioned it was basically calculated by some university folk...? I will try to photo the page, but it is not terribly clear. My good wishes to you all for the continued success of this forum, which I hope to be able to view and contribute to again, sometime in the not too distant future. Alastair Murray.

A side note question. How often do bamboo or other fiber needles have to be sharpened? That is, after how many sides are played?

Clay

FloridaClay wrote:A side note question. How often do bamboo or other fiber needles have to be sharpened? That is, after how many sides are played?

Clay

That depends very much on the needle and the record being played. Using needles kept very dry by storing them in silica gel, playing them with a tone arm that moves freely (releasing the automatic brake) I've used one point successfully through 4 or 5 12 inch sides of a symphonic album. A worn record, or one with a scratch or crack, will greatly reduce the needle life, and some loud records will wear needles faster than others. I've had similar results from cactus thorn needles.

Other users may have very different results, this is a very individual and subjective thing.

Hello again, I drew this out today-hope it is clear enough, and photographed it for those interested. The basic steps in making a good tri-angular needle. Step 5 says "sharpen the needle" which means using any good bamboo needle cutter. The needles can be cut down shorter to about 1 inch, as a long needle is quieter, but usually does not break down so quickly I know that many fibrists use very short needles, only protruding one-eighth of an inch from the needle socket.