Edison "H" reproducer - Close-up photos of stylus ?

[De Soto Frank]

I am trying to check-out the stylus of my original Edison Model H 4-minute reproducer before using it to play . record some "new" wax Amberols.

I have no reference-point to judge what a "good one" looks like. I'm not sure a magnifying glass is going to be sufficient... it's a damned-small thing.

Does anyone have some close-up photos they could share ?


Thanks,

[Chuck]

I don't have any pics of an H 4 min. stylus handy, sorry.

But it looks like a tiny version of a model C
"doorknob" 2 min. stylus. One big difference
is that this tiny H doorknob is mounted sideways
so that the narrow part of the doorknob rides down
in the groove. It is oriented 90 degrees from how
a model C doorknob rides in the 2 min. groove.

It takes some high magnification to really examine one.
What you should be looking for when you get enough
light and magnification is to make sure there is a
shiny curved surface to ride in the groove. A worn
one will have a noticeable flat spot worn on it.

I once had a gander at all of my Edison styli through
a 400 power stereo microscope. At 400X magnification,
you can spend hours roaming around the vast landscape
which each of these styli has.

This was back in year 1982, and I'd just gotten my
C and H reproducers back from John Nagy in Wolcott, Iowa.

He did first-class work on both of them!
His work is 2nd to none. Top notch!

Chuck

[ambrola]

I will put one on after while when I get my macro setup on my camera.

[VintageTechnologies]

A magnifying glass will show nothing useful. A 100x microscope is exactly what you need for a stylus of that size. A stereo (3d) microscope would be ideal - that is what I use all the time. A good jeweller or gemologist ought to have one and might let you peek through theirs.

[ChuckA]

Here are a couple of closeups of the stylus





Chuck

[De Soto Frank]

Chuck - thanks for the photo-micrographs !


I'm curious - if the stylus gets worn / chipped on one edge, is it possible to turn it in the mounting and re-cement ? I'm assuming it is set in shellac...

[ambrola]

Good pic Chuck. I was just starting to put my macro gear on my camera and checked here first. I use a Nikon D-80 with Kenko tubes and a 105MM Nikon Macro lens. What did you use for your set up? Heres a Picture of a dew drop on a blade of grass I took this spring. Macro is fun.

[ambrola]

I know these are off topic, but here's a jumping spider. We all have these in our house.

[De Soto Frank]

Wow. I guess I'm being old-fashioned, calling them "photo-micrographs"...

I'll have to see if I can find a microscope attachment for my screw-mount Leicas...

[ChuckA]

Chuck - thanks for the photo-micrographs !
I'm curious - if the stylus gets worn / chipped on one edge, is it possible to turn it in the mounting and re-cement ? I'm assuming it is set in shellac...

Yes you can rotate the stylus.
I believe they are set in something called stratena. Heat will release it.

I used a stereo jewelers microscope to take the pictures.

Chuck