The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Lately I've been saving a few broken cylinder machines which have popped up at auctions or on eBay, and getting them going, this Home S/N 80302 found it's way to me, it has a few broken or missing parts which I'll find or make, but when I unpacked it I realised it was a long case home (I'd never seen one before), I got to wondering, what is the story with the long case homes?, all the Home's I've seen have been the normal sized ones, I believe they were only made for a period of time before the A got shortened which was a size maintained throughout the other models, but there must have been a reason these were so much longer than the suitcase home's before them and the ones after them?

Any Ideas?

According to Frow, the early "Suitcase" Home Model A is 16.5 inches long with the top plate extending to the edges of the case.
The "Long case" Home Model A is 18 inches long with the top plate fitted to a hinged wooden frame.
The Model B reverted to 16.5 inches long, with a shortened winding shaft, chassis and top plate.

The "long green" Home was extra long because of the design of the end gate release. The Model B Home was designed differently so it saved space which allowed for some economy of case construction.

Jerry B.

the first photo...! tthat pulley placed on the very corner of the table is prone to fall down, aand it might be fragile pot metal!! Put it in a safe place!

Inigo wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 12:50 pm the first photo...! tthat pulley placed on the very corner of the table is prone to fall down, aand it might be fragile pot metal!! Put it in a safe place!

That pulley is long gone, it has already started to crumble, it needs a new one

It sounds like all ‘new style’ home A’s were of the long case variety, very interesting if so.

Here’s a fun photo of a bit of a timeline of the Homes I have here

kirtley2012 wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 7:14 pm It sounds like all ‘new style’ home A’s were of the long case variety, very interesting if so.

Here’s a fun photo of a bit of a timeline of the Homes I have here

Nice lot you have there. I don’t think I’ll be buying any machines this year, but my goal for ‘22 is finally get a record or a machine older than 1901!!