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I went to a estate sale yesterday, and I thought I might share my finds. Thankfully I knew the guy who was putting it on, and he knew I was into phonographs, so he set this aside for me:




From my research, I think this is a Columbia BF "Peerless" with the longer mandrel to accommodate 6" "Twentieth Century" cylinders. This is the type with the "Columbia Graphophone" decal which dates it to post 1907. Production of this model ended in 1910. It looks like someone has mechanically restored this machine, which leaves a lot of work that I don't have to do! I'd like to take a look at the motor, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do so. I see three black screws that hold the top works on, and a couple more that hold the nickel plated bedplate on.

I also got a box of cylinders with the purchase ($225) which I will be going through later today. They are mostly Columbia two minute.

The horn has a canvas covering on the outside of a lot of the panels, though some panels have it missing. I see an area where a sticker used to be. Any idea what brand of horn this might have been?

I'm actually wondering if this is the wrong type of horn for this machine. There is no horn crane with this machine, and I don't see a place to hook one up. Did these use horn cranes similar to what Edison machines used, or did they use "ride the reproducer" types only?

This is my first Columbia cylinder machine, so this is reason why I have so many questions. I'm generally unfamiliar with this stuff!

Shane wrote:I went to a estate sale yesterday, and I thought I might share my finds. Thankfully I knew the guy who was putting it on, and he knew I was into phonographs, so he set this aside for me

From my research, I think this is a Columbia BF "Peerless" with the longer mandrel to accommodate 6" "Twentieth Century" cylinders.

The horn has a canvas covering on the outside of a lot of the panels, though some panels have it missing. I see an area where a sticker used to be. Any idea what brand of horn this might have been?

I'm actually wondering if this is the wrong type of horn for this machine. There is no horn crane with this machine, and I don't see a place to hook one up. Did these use horn cranes similar to what Edison machines used, or did they use "ride the reproducer" types only?

This is my first Columbia cylinder machine, so this is reason why I have so many questions. I'm generally unfamiliar with this stuff!

Yes, Shane, This does look like a "Peerless"

The horn WOULD be correct for this machine, and would have probably been made by H&S or TTC (???? Tea Company) And it WOULD need a crane, but most Columbias with large horn had floor cranes, or at least most i've seen.

George can be more help

Aaron

Shane,

Very nice buy! Your "BF" looks to be in excellent condition, with the original belt and nice bright decorations on the upper works. It pays to have friends running estate sales!

The motor/upper works are attached to the nickeled bedplate. Don't remove any screws - - the bedplate rests in the cabinet solely by gravity. There are pins attached to the underside of the bedplate in the four corners which position the assembly in the cabinet, and these pins were surrounded by rubber rings. Over the years these rings have turned to stone and sort of "glued" the entire mechanism to the cabinet. To release the rubber's grip, remove the crank, and carefully lift the left side (pulley side) of the machine a few inches above a soft surface (carpeting is good). Lift by grasping the inner end of the mandrel and as much of the casting next to it as you can. Now, with the heel of your free hand, give the left edge (pulley end) of the cabinet a delicate thump. Increase the sharpness of your blows if necessary. The bedplate will lift out of the cabinet's recess. Repeat with the other side if necessary.

Your horn is a Hawthorne & Sheble "Silk Finish" Horn, and since these were often sold by Columbia dealers, this may well have been chosen by the original owner. (This same horn, decorated the same way, was supplied with a special orifice for the "BC" Graphophone.) I'd certainly keep the horn with that machine. The cranes commonly used with Graphophones like yours were designed with a steel bar that went UNDER the machine's cabinet and clamped at the rear. These commonly turn up on eBay or at phono shows - - you should have no trouble finding one.

Congratulations! The B-series cylinder Graphophones are fine machines, and yours looks like a particularly nice example.

George P.

Aaron - - you are fast! I'd hate to be behind you at an estate sale...

George P.

Thats a great looking machine Shane. I love the nickel bedplate and the blue of that horn is very pleasing too. Best of all that seems like a great price! When convereted into UK £ that really was a bargain (i think anyway) particularly with cylinders thrown in as well.

RJ

phonogfp wrote:Aaron - - you are fast! I'd hate to be behind you at an estate sale...

George P.

Me too. I got the drop on Aaron twice and I know he is gunning for me, and anyone else that gets in his way

What a beautiful machine . . . and the answer to my riddle! Those initials are significant in other matters on this board and others.

Congratulations on such a wonderful find!

The reproducer on this machine is called a 'Lyric' spring-contact reproducer and it rides in a 'lyre reproducer carriage'.

Great score!

John M

Very nice and a good price too.

Brad wrote:

phonogfp wrote:Aaron - - you are fast! I'd hate to be behind you at an estate sale...

George P.

Me too. I got drop on Aaron twice and I know he is gunning for me, and anyone else that gets in his way

That right George, Brad really has set a fire underneath me. First time, he sniped me on being the 100,000th poster on a phono board we won't name, and the second time he beat me to a cylinder record cabinet that was what Brad? Like $25? AND i could have had it delivered to Wayne....! That really set me off...

Aaron

Many thanks for all the advice! I was able to lift the bedplate and motor out of the cabinet, just as George had described. I'm glad I posted a message here before I started removing all the screws.
The governor weights on this machine are rather interesting. They are made of some sort of strange material, almost like stone. When you rub your finger on them little grains, almost like sand, rub off. Is this some sort of crumbling pot metal, or is it something else? It's a new one on me.
I'm heading out to clean up the cabinet and top works a bit... despite the very nice condition it is in, the machine had been in storage for quite a while.