The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I brought a bunch of cylinders on E bay .. Several had to be tossed but one I want to keep is a Revival meeting at pumpkin center By Stewart # 2009. It has no singing but seems interesting. It is coming off of the plaster. I tried heating it in the oven but I did not want to do too much so I would not ruin it. What are the recommendations to repair it or is it simply cut off the extended part and play it like that. Thanks for the assistance. Tom B

Tom--

I have never seen that happen to a Blue Amberol before! Did it come that way? I am a BIG Uncle Josh fan myself, and that is a good cylinder. Good luck!

Mike

Can the plaster be pushed back down? I, too, have never seen a BA like that. I have seen many BA's with some of the plaster missing. Can that be repaired by putting putty or spackling back in?

I have tried heating it and pushing it back in but it will not go. I did not want to heat it too hot. Tom B

It appears that it pulled off because it was not reamed and held onto the mandrel too tight when removed from the machine.

If it was mine: (DISCLAIMER - I am not sure this will work, but I would do it.)
Take a flat block of wood and place it on the top of the cylinder. Place the cylinder plaster side down on a solid surface. Use a hair dryer on low heat and slightly heat it, then tap on the wood with a rubber mallet or something similar to try to get the celluloid back in place. Do this carefully and see it it moves... If so, continue until it is back in place.

It should be mentioned that nitrocellulose is extremely flammable and extreme care should be taken when applying heat to it. I would recommend doing so on a non-flammable surface you don't particularly care about...

As a last resort, you could probably, carefully, cut the plaster that sticks out the end, and re-plaster the inside of the cylinder where the plaster is missing.

OF

I tried the hair dryer and block which worked. I got the gap down to about ⅛ inch so I will leave it so I will not cause any damage. It is playable. It is a two minute cylinder. The hair dryer seemed to work as it heated the outside and not the inside at first. Thanks to all and the ideas ... Tom B

tomb wrote: It is playable. It is a two minute cylinder.

This appears to be an Uncle Josh record, "Revival Meeting at Punkin Center". The only 2 minute BAs issued (afaik) were a special series for the Mexican market....?

Bill

Even though I believe Blue Amberols are flammable, I don't think that the BA Celluloid contains NITRO like old Nitro-Cellulose based film used prior to the 1940's.

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer