The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have a number of cylinders w/ pitting damage and I'd like to prevent the ticking sound (and damage to my needle) when playing these records.

Is there a particular substance that can be used to filling in these pits in order to make the surface smooth? If so, what works best?

Thank you

I don't think so.
You'd need to do each pit under a microscope so that whatever filled the pits could be shaped to follow the contour of the groove walls otherwise it would still produce noise as it passed the stylus.
I'd imagine you'd need the hands of a surgeon and a lot of patience and time to do it, and the results still wouldn't be perfect.
Unless it was some extremely rare recording of historical value, I'd say it'd be much of easier to go and find a better replacement cylinder.

Not only is it a matter of working microscopically, there is the material to use. It needs to be reasonably hard when set, and with a strong bonding ability as it will have a very small contact area to adhere. It will need to adhere strongly to where you want it to stick, while also being able to be sculpted to the shape. I'm not sure what will allow that. Possibly a 2-part epoxy filler could be found.

Dental wax is the only thing I know that fills pits on wax cylinders. The problem with using actual cylinder wax is after it hardens it shrinks and falls out of the pit, as cylinder wax is made to shrink from 1.5-3% depending on the formula.

And I should clarify my above response was regarding non-wax cylinders (eg. Amberols).
I haven't seen any wax cylinders where I am, so I forget they are another matter entirely!