The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I currently have both an Edison Standard and a Home, that don't have any means of adjusting the feednut tension. The Home carriage, instead of having the thick bar above the halfnut, only has the thin piece of springsteel that the halfnut is screwed to. The Standard carriage, too, is missing the additional bar with the set screw for adjusting tension. I'm just wondering if these should have the additional parts, or if they were issued without them. The Standard is a Model B.

Benjamin

The earlier Standards and Homes had no adjustment screw for the half-nut. Adjustment is made by gently bending the spring steel half-nut bar. This is actually pretty easy. If you place an ordinary business card between the carriage and the straight-edge, you can then apply gentle pressure to the half-nut bar (as near as possible to where it connects to the carriage). The half-nut (and bar) will stop once it has made contact with the feedscrew. Remove the business card and it should be in proper adjustment.

George P.

Thanks George. What about the horizontal carriages? The Home carriage in question is a horizontal one. I've attached an image of a Horizontal carriage that croakinfrog on eBay sold, that also does not have the adjustment option. Is this original?

That's a good question. I believe the horizontal carriages had the adjustment (those in my collection do), but I hesitate to claim that all Edison horizontal carriages were originally equipped with them. It makes sense chronologically and from a sales point of view, but... In either event, finding a junky carriage with the adjustment intact could provide a donor.

George P.

Thanks again for the input George. All the ones that I've had in my collection have the adjustment as well, so that's why I was wondering about this one. In regards to the Standard carriage, do you know when approximately they changed to the adjustable option?

No, I don't as I have not kept data on that. Perhaps Martin can help with that question.

George P.

I am always hesitant to bend these feed screw bars. I have had some break by the screw holes. I since have just added shims of paper under the spring bar to adjust the half nut tension on the feed screw. It doesn't take much shimming to do this and the spring isn't bent.

Ken - I like your shim idea. Next time I'll try that.

George - I haven't been keeping any data on the advent of the adjustable half nut on the Standard. I just checked my own collection and the earliest one I can find is on my Model D (#672814).

Best Regards,
Martin