The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

OK, I have several record disc players but just getting into cylinder machines and awaiting the delivery of an Edison Model B I purchased at a good price.



Today I found a cylinder box with 21 cylinders for $20 on FB. A few of them are pretty dirty or is that mold? Should I try and clean them or wait until I can play them first and see how they sound?

That cylinder is essentially unplayable. Any discoloration on a black wax record will produce noise. You want to find cylinders that are as jet black as possible. Unfortunately the discoloration is actual damage, not just superficial dirt, which means it can't be cleaned off or repaired.

Thank you for educating me

Stetam

I would still buy that for $20 as long as there are several good playable cylinders. Black wax cylinders are now all over 100 years old and clean examples are becoming harder and harder to find.

I do have concerns about the case though. It looks like it's been coated with some kind of fabric that is 1) not authentic, and 2) probably prone to absorb moisture. Wax cylinders need to be kept in a dry, temperature controlled environment so that they don't develop mold damage. This is especially true for the early brown wax records.

Although early cylinders are commonly referred to as 'wax,' in reality they are made from a compound that is more accurately called a metallic soap. They are prone to mold, which causes damage to the surface and a lot of noise. Less frequently you run into the unusual condition of the cylinder in the photo you posted. I'm not a chemist but each time I've seen such a cylinder I can't help thinking that the damage results from rusting metallic elements. Some batches may have been defective in that manner since this problem is nowhere near as common as mold. But whatever causes the surface degradation, cylinders like that are literally self-destructing, with the surface flaking away.

Looking at your other photos, that horn appears very small, certainly not original, and the reproducer appears to be missing the entire lower part. Fortunately it won't be hard to find a complete reproducer.

I didn't include all the pictures from Ebay. I asked the seller if it had all the reproducer parts but he never got back to me. Looks like it is possibly missing the stylus, but either way I thought $200 shipped was a fair deal. If I need a stylus what are the sources? Also, there are a couple horns at a local auction next week that should go cheap so I will look into them.

My guess is that the stylus bar is there. It looks like the reproducer was dropped which caused the hinge block screw to break off. The diaphragm may be damaged beyond repair and the center button and the wire link between the stylus bar and the diaphragm may both be missing. Ron Sitko will have all of the parts you need.

Jim

From what I’ve seen the mold is usually caused by the cotton lining in the box capturing moisture. And the cylinders in The cardboard peg style boxes don’t get as moldy?

Also look closely and make sure none of the grooves are accidentally erased from somebody accidentally leaving their shaving attachment down which I think happened to this cylinder.

His horn is bizarre... It looks like a well made 10" small horn... I've never seen one like it and can't identify it.

Anyone??

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

phonojim wrote:My guess is that the stylus bar is there. It looks like the reproducer was dropped which caused the hinge block screw to break off. The diaphragm may be damaged beyond repair and the center button and the wire link between the stylus bar and the diaphragm may both be missing. Ron Sitko will have all of the parts you need.

Jim

Well, the stylus bar is there but it still needs some repairs.