The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hello,
I was recently given a box of 78 records by an 88 year old lady. She wanted them to have a good home. When I examined them almost every record was warped and some extremely warped. They had been stored in an attic in a large flat pile. My first response was just to throw them out but as I looked through them they were all in real nice shiny condition and date from the late teens into mid 1920s. I went on YouTube and watched a video on how to use a hair dryer to heat them up and re flatten them. I gave it a try and it worked. The first two I saved were " Mary of Argyle" by Sir harry Lauder and " O Sole Mio" by Enrico Caruso. I have my job cut out for me as there are over 60 discs and it is a very time consuming process. I will try to do three or four a day.
Pete

It's a good thing you collect flat irons.
The job can be done faster by sandwiching the record between two glass plates and put it in the sun. Let the record cool between the plates.

Search the board and you'll find many suggestions on how to flatten warped 78s.

I like to put warped 78's out on a bright sunny surface when the weather is hot.I put the record on a sturdy piece of cardboard.They flatten out in NO TIME FLAT!Tee hee!! edisonplayer