Even if you remove the mold, you will still have the pits in the record surface. These pits greatly distort or completely erase the recordings contained in the grooves. The bottom line: Unless you find some rare or unusual recording at a low price, don't buy moldy cylinders!
A little mold on the ends of the records is usually okay because little or no damage was done to the recording grooves and the record will probably be playable all the way through. In this case, I remove the mold with purified water (warmed to room temperature) and a Q-Tip swab. I use the swab to gently rub the mold off of the record surface. It's time consuming, but it works. I then dry the record thoroughly with a soft cloth. If the cotton batting in the cylinder box is contaminated with fungus, don't put the clean record back inside. Use the contaminated box for Blue Amberol or other plastic cylinders and find a clean box to store the cleaned wax cylinder in. To arrest mold growth, keep the clean cylinders in a dry place with consistent temperature. Remember, exposure to rapid extreme changes in temperature can cause rapid and uneven expansion or contraction of the wax and the cylinder can literally crumble into little pieces before your very eyes. This especially a problem with black wax 4-minute Amberol cylinders. With any wax cylinder, remember to never touch the record surface with your fingers because you may help start the fungal attack all over again. -Phil http://www.engineeringexpert.net/edphono.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron L'Herault" <[email protected]> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 7:36 AM Subject: RE: [Phono-L] Cylinder Mold Question... > > Rubbing alcohol will not dissolve the cylinder but it will kill the mold. > > Ron L > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]]on Behalf Of Robert Plavzic > Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 7:30 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Cylinder Mold Question... > > > Hello > > I once tried the fossil fuel method on a mouldy cylinder, and the result was > a really clean looking shiny cylinder. > > Only once though because though the cylinder looked great, the *zine had > dissolved the wax compound, so the cylinder was ready for re-recording! I > recon Alcohol & other cleaners would also with high likelyhood polish away > the recording? > > I read somewhere that cylinders stored freely - away from the felt lining of > the boxes are not so succeptible to mould eg. Concert cylinders that are > held in boxes by a central core & do not touch the side of the box have a > greater life expectency / mould-fungus avoidance. > > The fungus 'eats' away at the wax, and the resulting pitting cannot be > reversed. > > Another cleaning method to be careful with is just putting the cylinder > under warm/cold water - the sudden temperature difference usually leaves 2 > half cylinders (from a colleague who tried this - only once as well) > > I have also been told that liquid black shoe polish will at least make the > cylinder look OK, but I'm not going to experiment! > > regards > Robert > > PS. Some new Zonophones? on www.zonophone.netfirms.com, if anyone could > please hint at the model designation > > > > > > > >It's not a mold, but rather a fungus. It pits the surface of the cylinder > >so the recording is destroyed even if the mold could be removed. Black wax > >is actually a metallic soap compound, not just wax (although it contains a > >couple of wax compounds). I've never exposed a cylinder to gasoline or the > >like, but I imagine it would be incredibly destructive to the cylinder, > >particularly the delicate grooves. When I have picked up cylinders with > >'moldy' spots, I have applied Mycotin brand anti-fungal in sparing amounts > >with a cotton swab to the affected areas. I have never seen the spots go > >away, but my hope is to kill the fungus and stop the spread. Cylinder > >boxes containing moldy cylinders are also contaminated and should not be > >re-used for good cylinders for obvious reasons. John M > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: Jeff > >Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 12:24 AM > >To: Antique Phonograph List > >Subject: [Phono-L] Cylinder Mold Question... > > > >Hi Gang... > > > >Was talking with a friend who was at an avid Edison machine/cylinder record > >collector's home today. They got to talking about black wax cylinder mold > >and this fellow suggested that you could use gasoline or kerosene on light > >mold to remove it. Seems that if it were that easy and safe for cylinder > >record that I would have heard this by now. Guess I could try it on one > >that is headed for the trash anyway, but I thought I'd ask you folks what > >you thought? Fire away... > > > >-jeff > >:) > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Phono-l mailing list > >[email protected] > >http://t2.cwihosting.com/mailman/listinfo/phono-l_oldcrank.comGet more from > >the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com > >_______________________________________________ > >Phono-l mailing list > >[email protected] > >http://t2.cwihosting.com/mailman/listinfo/phono-l_oldcrank.com > > _________________________________________________________________ > Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online > http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-l mailing list > [email protected] > http://t2.cwihosting.com/mailman/listinfo/phono-l_oldcrank.com > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-l mailing list > [email protected] > http://t2.cwihosting.com/mailman/listinfo/phono-l_oldcrank.com
