The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I already tried wax welding by heating up a paper clip and melting a little bit of the wax over the crack to stabilize it but it just keeps separating again when I try to put the cylinder on the mandrel. What now?

repairing with cylinder wax results in the wax pulling away from the cracked half. Dental wax is best to be used to fix cylinders. I make cylinders, yet, have not had much luck mending broken ones. This is best left to the "cylinder Doctor."

Who's the cylinder doctor?

That is Michael Khanchalian. He sets up every year at Union and specializes in repairing wax cylinders - he also rebuilds reproducers and sells small ephemera. I have seen him do amazing work on cracked and broken brown wax and concert cylinders over the years. Every time I pass the booth with the sign saying the "Doctor is In" or "The Doctor is Out" - I'm reminded of Lucy Vanderpelt's psychiatry booth sign "The Doctor is REAL In"

I'd like to contact him.I have a few cracked wax Amberols that I'd like to have repaired,including my copy of "Knock Wood"by Sophie Tucker.edisonplayer

You may want to get a price quote first or ask others members who have had work done. Having cylinders repaired can be pricey. So unless it is a very rare cylinder it may be more cost effective to buy a replacement copy.
Pete

The cylinder that is cracked is an early Edison black wax cylinder but I still want to save it because it's one of my favorites. I've done really tedious work before so is there anyway I could learn how to stabilize the crack myself or should I let the cylinder doctor take care of it? The recording is by William Tuson and is called "Nellie Gray" Clarinet solo with band.

I touched base with the cylinder doctor a few years ago about repairing a 4 minute Amberol of Sophie Tucker's "He's My Soft Shell Crab On Toast" that is spilt all the way across, in fact, I have TWO copies both split the same way. The quote was in the $100 range, so I passed. For what it's worth, you can probably replace your cracked cylinder for much less than the cost to have it repaird.

Sean

I agree - it would be much less expensive to find another copy of Nellie Gray. Put it into your eBay searches, and advertise your "WANTED" on Yankee Trader.

George P.

OrthoSean wrote:I touched base with the cylinder doctor a few years ago about repairing a 4 minute Amberol of Sophie Tucker's "He's My Soft Shell Crab On Toast" that is spilt all the way across, in fact, I have TWO copies both split the same way.

I'm sure that you meant Marie Dressler's "He's My Soft Shell Crab On Toast". I have a beautiful copy of this on Edison Wax Amberol. I'm thankful that mine is not split!

Doug