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I finally had some free time to tinker with the Edison Standard B (Banner) that my wife gave me for Christmas...

I had to clean some rust off the back rod, and generally clean and de-gunk the top-works, and make a temporary belt out of cloth spike-tape.

It seems to run fairly decently.


How many 2-minute cylinders should a Standard B be capable of playing on one winding ?


Thanks,

De Soto Frank

Not absolutely sure about plays per winding
on that machine but the one at the museum in
Atlanta, Illinois that I recently lubed up and
adjusted and got working seems to play at
least (2) 2 minute records with ease.

Chuck

I think 3 is the most I've played on a single winding. though I generally use my Triumph for 2 minutes records and my "amberolized" Home for BA's.

The point of my question was trying to help me evaluate the performance of this machine, my first "Standard".


I've fiddled and twiddled with the upper-works, removed and completely cleaned the mandrel, feed-screw, pivots, back rod, and carriage, and cleaned and buffed all bearing surfaces where possible.

After reassembling, I tweaked the adjustable pivot points to where things would drag slightly, then back-off the adjusting screws about ¼" turn ( and physically pushed the pivots back against them).

I now have it running where it will play about 3-½ Indestructible 2-minute cylinders, with a 14" black & brass "witch's hat" riding on the Model C reproducer. About half-way through the fourth attempt, it begins to drag, and 2 turns of the winding crank gives it enough juice to pick-up and finish the cylinder.

If I had a morning glory on a crane, I think it would pull through four cylinders...


I haven't touched the bottom works, aside from oiling. When the weather warms-up, I will tear that down and clean everything, including the mainspring.


I'm pretty pleased with it so far...

I have a late Standard A and I also get about 3 ½ plays out of it on a full winding. I took it completely apart, lubricated and adjusted it, so I am pretty confident that this is the best I can do. There is really not much difference between the 14" and the crane mounted Morning Glory horn that I have seen. Mine does have a new mainspring from Wyatt's, which seemed very thick and strong and was a pain to install. Not sure how an original spring would compare?

Andreas

Frow suggests that a Standard B should play " 4 two-minute cylinders "... it might do so without a horn, or a with listening tubes...

I just tested mined again with a 10" Gem horn, and it made it to about the last chorus of the fourth cylinder (Edison Gold Moulded: "Sauerkraut is Bully!" ) before it started to slow...

So, it gained perhaps ⅗ of a side with the lighter horn ...

De Soto Frank, I think you hit on the true test of a cylinder machine. If it will pull through even two cylinders with a 14" riding on the reproducer, you've got a good machine. To get 3+ is even better. Jerry Blais