The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Ok most of you will get a laugh out of this. I don’t collect Edison’s and just bought a Edison home phonograph.
And before I put a cylinder on to play it, which side goes on 1st
Yes one day I hope to laugh about this too. Thanks.

The end without the title slips on first.
Also, the mandrel is tapered (as are the records), so it will slip on easily.
Swollen cylinders will need to be reamed.

James.

I broke the first cylinder record I ever owned. I figured that you were supposed to put the record - and the box - over the mandrel so that you couldn't touch the recorded surface. I was wrong...

People who realise that there is something they need to know and don't know, and who therefore ask about it, do not deserve to be laughed at! I hope our poster, having begun in a thoroughly sensible way, will go on to enjoy the distinctive qualities and quirks of cylinder records and their players.

Note that not all cylinders are titled; I think this practice did not become fully established until about 1904. However, it is not difficult to see that one end is thinner than the other, and that is the end that goes on first.

Oliver Mundy.

Yes, simply the thick end of the cylinder has the smallest part of the taper, while the thin end of the cylinder has the widest taper. Interestingly the outer, musical portion of the Moulded cylinders are also tapered, as that assisted in removing the record from the mold. Look at the end of the cylinders that do have titles, and you will see that it is visually thicker, and look at the non-titled end, and you will see it is thinner. Brown wax cylinders with no titles are the same, the brown wax will be similar to an erlier Columbia where the title is embossed after the grooves.

An never ever leave a wax cylinder,,, brown or black, on the mandrel for an extended period of time. The expansion of the mandrel do to temperature changes can and will fracture the cylinder making it junk..

I learned the hard way years ago...

Blizz

One more thought: don't beat yourself up if you oh-so-carefully put a wax cylinder on the mandrel, only to have it split or shatter anyhow. Those things are far, far beyond anyone's dream of a "sell by" date at this point.

Have you seen the "put two fingers inside and don't touch the surface" method for handling wax cylinders? If not, you handle them by putting two fingers inside while avoiding touching the surface. Doubtless you can easily find pictures online somewhere.