[Phono-L] videos on the making of phonograph cylinders

2014-05-10 Thread Thomas Edison
http://youtu.be/aAvBl-4h4cU
http://youtu.be/XS9l79FtrSU
http://youtu.be/VB_YDdPRJYI
The Above videos take you from Edison's cylinder blank production to how blanks 
are made at Borri Audio Laboratories.  You will see the manufacture of metallic 
soap, the molding of a phonograph blank (in 1900 and present) and how the blank 
is trimmed and edged.  Only 3 people on the planet who can share this with you. 
Lets stop the bickering, by the way, all of us who make these things are 
friends, all put a ridiculous amount of time into something not so appreciated, 
and sometimes ridiculed as phonographic blasphemy. Add up the time of each 
operation.  The compound takes 7 hours to make, about an hour to mold each 
blank, and 10-15 minutes to trim and edge a blank.  They sit for 30 days and 
are shaved, shaving a blank from 2.39 down to 2.196-2.170 takes 20-30 minutes. 
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Another cylinder maker.

2014-04-04 Thread Thomas Edison


Chuck and I do not live far apart, and he is a good friend of mine.  His blanks 
are serious business, as far as he documents every small detail that happens in 
every batch.  Every batch is sampled and tested, and each blank comes with a 
data sheet.   As all of us who make blanks, his has a unique sound, as all of 
us do serious recordist should have on hand Richards, Borri and Morris blanks , 
and experiment with all our products to see what instruments, our blanks record 
the best, or what sounds best to you.  All new blanks have a very similar 
formula, stearic acid, lye, aluminum and ceresin wax, as a base, the 
percentages for each of us is slightly different and some add other  components 
as well.  What I think is great about the fact that new blanks are available.  
Is one you do not have to cut down dictation machine blanks, which were never 
intended to make a lasting recording (they were designed to take a clear 
dictation, and be played a few times, and then shaved, after t
 hey were typed up. ) The  Components were similar to a brown wax blank, but 
not of the best lasting qualities more tempering wax, more oil, and more 
glycerin and olaic acid than a lasting blank.  Ediphone blanks are non toxic, 
aluminum base but paraffin, and stearic pitch make the recordings short lived.  
Other brands of dictation machine blanks, may contain lead stearate which can 
cause heath issues if one shaves enough of them down, and maybe even the swarf 
coming off of them.  Then there are those who like to shave original brown wax 
cylinders.  Some collectors have a low standard of what might be a cylinder not 
worth saving, and thus because a record may have some mold spots, or noise, 
then what is the harm for shaving it to make a new recording on?  From 
1889-1901 less than 8 million brown wax cylinders were made, there is not many 
of them left, each for the most, part is a unique performance, some true were 
pantographed but many were by the round.   So when is an origi
 nal brown wax able to be shaved, I can't answer that question, I think if it 
has a few words that can be heard, leave it be!  Chuck, Paul, and I offer 
fine blanks, at a reasonable price, and the quality can be superior to original 
brown wax blanks, as they are made in small quantities, under cleaner 
conditions, and some of the ingredients actually have improved since the 
1890's.
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Edison Cutter Stili

2014-01-10 Thread Thomas Edison


Many missed the boat on the cutting stili  that Rich and I had worked on, at 
least 7 years ago, maybe more.  I had designed the stylus and Rich made it 
happen. It was cupped center  sapphires, as close to an original Edison 2 
minute cutter that can be made, they were made long (10mm) so you could handle 
them, easier than the shorter ones. To my knowledge they all sold. They work 
great, I have used them in my recorders for many years  And anyone who has any 
of my recordings, either acoustic or electric has heard them. If there was 
enough interest I sure would like to see them ordered up again, I could sure 
use about 20 of them to  revive the dead recorders in my fleet.  Yes Expert 
Pickups has them, but they are a chisel shaped affair, and you have to get them 
just right to  get them to record.   Making the stylus holder takes forever so 
I do not like to work on recorders for others, as I do not have the time, it 
can easily be 14 or 15 hours of work  that goes  by wiz bang adju
 sting the angle testing and re adjusting.  
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Not rushing old technology in todays fast paced instant I Want It NOw society.

2013-08-17 Thread Thomas Edison
Does the place in the Netherlands, actually make Shellac records.  It seems too 
many people think this old technology is like going to the store and purchasing 
it and it is ready right away, it would be nice but that is not how it is.  It 
is my understanding it  takes a minimum of a day to make the metal parts alone 
to make a78.   Wax cylinders for example take 3-4 hours to make the initial 
batch of wax, which I make  16lb batches,  it must cool for a full day, and 
then is broken into chunks. (for example I made a batch yesterday, and finished 
at 5:00 P.M.  At 9:30 am it is still warm to the touch.  Better wax is made 
when you heat the wax up twice and cool. (so this takes 3 days)   When it is 
time to mold blanks, a certain percentage of scrap wax is melted first, then 
the fresh new wax  batch is added  and it is cooked Prior to moulding  it is 
cooked for about 45 minutes.( Scrap wax is cracked, and broken blanks,  trimmed 
ends and shavings from the shaving machine)  I forgot
  to mention a little scrap wax is used to make the fresh wax.  For a test, the 
wax is  poured in the mold and  a blank, formed  to the standard procedure and  
is then smashed into pieces to check to make sure the wax is ready ,  the 
interior is checked to make sure the wax is the same throughout the thickness, 
and no bubbles, and no layers or precipitates.  If the batch passes this test 
The blanks are moulded when it is of a normal 75 degrees to 85 the blanks cool 
in still air which takes 20minuts to an hour, when it is hotter, the blanks are 
water cooled with warm water.   If the test blank does not pass. The wax is 
adjusted, by adding either stearic acid, or sodium carbonate depending on if it 
is too hard, too soft,  or precipitated.  The wax is heated from 20- 45 minutes 
to adjust the batch.  The blanks sit for about 3 hours, although sitting one 
day is better and are checked to make sure they are cool, and  then a standard 
phonograph mandrel is placed inside, and  the bl
 ank trimmed so that both ends are past each end of the mandrel.  The cylinders 
sit another day, and are then edged and then rough shaven down to half the 
final thickness in other  words about 2.25 thick.  Then they are checked on 
the mandrel again.  The blanks are not touched for at least 2 weeks but 30 days 
is better.  You can record on the blanks  when they are cool , and get a decent 
recording, but you get still better recordings when you let them season.  If 
you record too soon on them there is a chance your grooves will shrink slightly 
or the blank warp a little.  The blanks I make  usually do not need to be 
reamed, it happens sometimes.  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Home SN

2012-12-27 Thread Thomas Edison

Hi George I have Home H 1265, about when was this made, I am thinking about 
February 1897. It has a brass mandrel, I used to have the original carriage 
however it was very rusty where the half nut was, Thinking back it was a dumb 
mistake, I traded it for a good one that  had clips, I think the original had 
two screw holes for the clips instead of four, the original carriage was a 
weighted half nut, the one I have is the  spring kind.  It has an Automatic 
reproducer.   I might put it back to the weighted kind, If I could ever find 
one.  It is a solid top work, not with the hole in the center, however the last 
patent date is 1893, and it has a cast iron lower pulley, and the on off, 
pushes the yoke rather than having its own pad, it also has the holder for the 
lift lever casting in the bed plate. 
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Cylinder blanks ect.

2012-12-15 Thread Thomas Edison

I do offer cylinder recording service, it is 35.00 a cylinder.  I make blanks 
10 for 150.00. http://members.tripod.com/~Edison_1/  is my website, I do have 
acoustic and electrical ways of transcribing, I rather am fond of acoustic 
dubbing though, it offeres more clarity and less distortion.
   
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] New spiral core brown wax blanks.

2012-05-28 Thread Thomas Edison

I will have some examples of the new spiral core brown wax blanks I make at the 
Union show. http://members.tripod.com/~Edison_1/  You can see a photo of them. 
One new mold is done, and working, the other should be finished soon.  The new 
design, made the reject rate only 10% instead of 60% and I am sure the more I 
get familiar with the new equipment, that will improve too!!  The wax is much 
better too, much quieter.  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] introducing the new recording blank.

2012-05-24 Thread Thomas Edison

http://members.tripod.com/edison_1/


If you look on my homepage the new 2 minute brown wax cylinder blank has come 
to fruition.  The molds have been in planning since last summer, and the 
prototype was tried out a few weeks ago, and produced historically accurate 
blanks.  It makes my old blanks look pretty crude, I will admit.  Sorry guys 
for this, but I like improvement!  They are shaved to maximum diameter  of 
2.185   The blanks are spiral core, like original blanks and are 2.8 in long, 
 (They are checked on 3 phonograph mandrels to make sure they fit all machines 
before leaving., These blanks  offer more recording time, and can be used to 
make masters for the hard non metallic soap records, that other make today.  
The molds can also produce 20th century blanks, and Ediphone blanks, When 
blanks come out of the mold they are 2.42 in diameter.  The new equipment, is 
proprietary information, and will not be shared.
 
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Re grease

2012-05-02 Thread Thomas Edison

I use Mobile 1 synthetic grease for springs, and I mix in some graphite to help 
along.  I use synthetic castrol on  the motor with not too much problems,.

  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Updates.

2012-04-26 Thread Thomas Edison

My new blank molds should be finished by the end of next week, so I will have  
examples for sale at Union this year.  I am very excited, Because of 
constructive feedback,  from you all I have been tackling the diffficluties one 
by one. The new blanks have an outside diamiter of almost 2.3 I know it sounds 
like a lot of waste wax, but this will ensure that the surface is absolutely 
free from any defects, and perfectly quiet and also will have a double helix 
spiral like the original Edison blanks.  I think that output will be incereased 
as well as quality.  I have been busy with this, so things have been slow, I 
hope you all appreciate the work I have done on these.  Most have no idea how 
much goes into this.  


  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Negovan/Borri EP

2012-02-09 Thread Thomas Edison

http://www.etsy.com/listing/91444053/thomas-negovan-by-popular-demand-blood Is 
where you can purchase a copy of this projects.  The 45 rpm, eight song 10 
blood red and ink EP was a 500 copy limited edition pressing, in Art Nouveau 
style.  The masters for all songs were from brown wax that we recorded in an 
1890s  field recording style sound.  The project was totally analog, there was 
no digital editing, 

Thank You, Shawn Borri
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Bolden Movie

2011-11-29 Thread Thomas Edison

I hope they release the movie, they spent over $50,000,000 on it, it has well 
known actors.   As for  Buddy Bolden record, as far as I know the cylinders 
were destroyed when the shed that the cylinders were kept in, was torn down in 
1960.   The actual recording machine that Oscar Zahn had used to make  the 
recordings exists,  it is  a high case model B Standard  with script Edison.   
You know though maybe someone went to the dump, where the cylinders were 
deposited and picked them up That would be great, and of such historical 
significance.  My father picked up some brown waxes to sell the other day, and 
there is a home recording  of a piano, and dulcimer, that has got to be one of 
the best home recordings I have ever heard, it is actually better than some GM 
releases!   I am going to make some vidios of it playing and it will be for 
sale soon on my website.
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


Re: [Phono-L] Phono-L Digest, Vol 8, Issue 356

2011-11-26 Thread Thomas Edison

Thomas Negovan and I gave a lecture on cylinder history and recording at the

TedX motivational speakers consortium in Naperville IL (1893 Columbian 
Exhibition.) It was a real treat to

partake in this event. I know you are saying why are you using a cygnet horn

to record with, are you daft! I tried many different ones previous to the

event, and with the recorder I used this horn gave the best recording quality,

plus it made it easy to play back as well. A very low noise high output

cylinder issued from this event, and Thomas played in a normal playing manner. 

The real treat also was setting up in the lobby afterwards, and playing

recordings, and having a Q.A session. There is definitely more interest with

the general public, it still amazes and astounds, especially when done right. 

Of course many of the scientists, and lecturers were inspired by Thomas Edison.

When the video goes up, you will be able to hear this as well, will update where

and when this is available.



Sincerely Shawn Borri

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tedxnaperville/

  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Duke Special session.

2011-11-26 Thread Thomas Edison

Was doing some looking today, to see if any footage was around from recording 
the Irish pop artist Duke Special, and I found a little clip in the documentary 
on the making of I never Thought This Day would Come  And I thought I would 
share it with you, look around the 19 second mark, you see my recording horn. 


http://youtu.be/rgJ7U5bQKtk
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] Duke Specal RE

2011-11-26 Thread Thomas Edison

This was a recording session I did with Duke Special, and released by EMI for 
this CD in the UK, they came to Illinois to make recordings, and I was called 
by Dr. Mark Rubel to come in the studio for a cylinder session, I used some 
unique diaphragms, and the recording came out awesome! We used studio condenser 
microphones to get the original sound, it was as loud as a gold moulded record. 
I should purchase a copy for my archives.  I gave a lecture at Millinkin 
University in  Decatur IL for his class, it was on public TV. Some of my 
clients have been Thomas Edison Historical Park, Walt Disney, The Bolden movie, 
that is still in production.Myth Busters, Duke Special, Al Duval, Thomas 
Negovan, Full compass Audio,Pablo Helguera.  I also was a runner up for 
librarian and cataloger at the Library of Congress. 
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.org


[Phono-L] New cylinder record project.

2011-06-30 Thread Thomas Edison

Hello all, here is the latest cylinder project. 

 
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/337503446/2011-cylinder-record-to-tape-to-vinyl-all-analog-r/posts


If you wonder why it takes so long to receive orders, here is an indication of 
why, this project was over 100 hours to complete, just my part.  If I run out 
of materials, it may be a long time before I am able to replenish my supply of 
materials, which must be purchased in 50lbs+ quantities.  The reject rate for 
blanks, was about 60%, and each blank, no matter if good or bad is 30-60 
minutes to mold.  The compound made in any quantity, takes a minimum of 3 hours 
to make, and sometimes can be 10 or more hours.  I have made lots of 
improvements in the last few months, and recently made a monumental discovery, 
by finding that double pressed stearic, is close to what the original kind used 
by record makers for brown wax records,  And for years I have been using triple 
pressed, and wondered why I had to use less aluminum, and caustic and more 
ceresine that the original recipe.  I experimented last week with some double 
pressed, some thing I had avoided for over 10 years and  had p
 ut away years ago. I went back to trying it out, after the experience of 
thousands of blanks under my belt and many years of practice. The result was 
astonishing, with what I know of the composition data, the last experimental 
blanks made a week ago, had even more properties close to the original brown 
wax, the right smell, and it melts the same as when you melt original wax, 
and has the gelatinous stage that the triple pressed does not and most 
importantly, when you break the cylinder open, it has no crystal layer at all, 
that means the absence of streaks and stars ,what I also liked better was the 
quieter surface.   Having talked to my suppliers, of material  about the 
history of stearic acid, and what time period different kinds of materials came 
to be, there was no such thing as triple pressed stearic acid in the 1890s, it 
was not around until after WWI, long after the brown wax cylinders heyday.  The 
double pressed must be cooked in a very special mannor, or it will f
 og and this requires very specific temperatures to be heated too, very 
dangerous temperatures of over 450 degrees.What I really liked is the fact the 
new wax followed the original formula exactly, and behaved like it should, that 
is a broken piece of the new wax, next to one of original 1890s brown wax was 
the same, and very hard to tell the new from the original. This is just so 
exciting all this.  
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] prices

2011-06-13 Thread Thomas Edison
The class M was $20,000.00 and the Edison Bell Commercial was $15,000.00.   
Charley Hummel. Had a nice selection of brown wax records. I had chats with 
Paul Morris, his blanks are much improved, over two years ago, they. Fit the 
mandrel better, and  new wax formula. We talked about how difficult it is to 
meet orders in a timely mannor, because of the curing aspect f manufacture. It 
was nice talking with Larry Donley were still trying to find a lost interview 
with Clarence Furguson. Much enjoyed Jasper Sanfillipo Collection went with Tim 
Mc Cormick.
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] prices

2011-06-13 Thread Thomas Edison
The class M was $20,000.00 and the Edison Bell Commercial was $15,000.00.   
Charley Hummel. Had a nice selection of brown wax records. I had chats with 
Paul Morris, his blanks are much improved, over two years ago, they. Fit the 
mandrel better, and  new wax formula. We talked about how difficult it is to 
meet orders in a timely mannor, because of the curing aspect f manufacture. It 
was nice talking with Larry Donley were still trying to find a lost interview 
with Clarence Furguson. Much enjoyed Jasper Sanfillipo Collection went with Tim 
Mc Cormick.
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


Re: [Phono-L] Phono-L Digest, Vol 8, Issue 143

2011-05-15 Thread Thomas Edison
I know this will strike horror in some collectors,. However when LOC moved the 
archives from D.C. To Culpepper, I applied for a job as an audio expert there, 
and did make it the first interview, stage which I thought was quite an  
accomplishment. I am still a consultant. 
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] new name? OR Quit.

2011-04-30 Thread Thomas Edison
Effective immidiately, no longer Edison Phonograph Works. Thought about quittng 
this hobby someone either steals my work, claiming it as there own, makes 
complaints, not to mention the $200,000.00 worth of experimental live cylinders 
that are mia. I. Have a daughter now and I do not need all the trouble, I have 
put lot of time and effort and I get headaches and dissapointment back. I have 
got lung damage, burns ect trying to make quality product, now thanks to a Mr. 
S  on another list I cant even give credit to my main mentor who got me through 
my childhood, kept me away from drugs and alcohol, I do not even smoke.
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] Re What is this.

2011-04-21 Thread Thomas Edison

The first time I viewed this and made my answer, I just saw the top of the 
recorder, which Is shaped like the Edison factory recorders, I was viewing it 
on a phone, and so now I went back to it, and made the photos bigger, and 
observed the other photo of the business end on a regular computer.  It still 
is a recorder, I do not think it is an Edison one, although it follows the same 
layout of a studio recorder, shape,  the advance ball knob is more star shaped 
on this example and Edisons are more nickel and round,  though if it was a 
lateral recorder the cutting stylus would be pointed down towards the bottom of 
the casing, however in this one, it still in line with the diaphragm.  The 
advance ball jewel is missing, and would fit in the hole in the metal spring 
bar, this would sit with the horn tube facing up and the star wheel facing up, 
to adjust the depth of the cut, this goes on a trunion style affair, where this 
bobs up and down on the the disc or cylinder, it looks verti
 cal to me, The round stud is where the cutting stylus is supposed to be 
mounted, the affair in the center is  the linkage to the center of the 
diaphragm,still a really interesting piece, for sure, and it seems the jewels 
are the only thing missing.  And still I hope whomever gets it uses it!
 
Sincerely Shawn   
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] re what is this?

2011-04-21 Thread Thomas Edison
Yes, I was thinking U.S. Too! I transcribed a rare brown celluloid prototype 
Everlasting record, with a Yellow composit core, it was Jack Tar by Hedges 
Orchestra,. You could hear people talking just before the announcement, the 
bass response was exellent. 
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


Re: [Phono-L] what is this?

2011-04-20 Thread Thomas Edison
I thought I was among seasoned old timy collectors who knew everything, about 
everything! This. Is an Edison/ Walter Miller factory recording head, for 
studio use to make master cylinder recordings, the knob is the advance ball 
adjustment.   This device should ONLY be in the hands of someone that is adept 
at, and intends, to use it for the purpose so stated, has the knowlwdge to 
build the special carrage to use it. It would be a shameful, for this part  to 
be purchased someone who puts it away, never restores it , does not intend to 
use it, that. Would be a waste! I know how to restore it and use it, does 
anyone else? I had a collector tell me he had a whole Edison studio lathe, and. 
He put it away in some barn, and I offered to teach him how to use it ect, and 
he said heWould leave it where it was and did not want to sell it.  Oh how 
frustrating! Page 45 of the new In The Groove has this device in place, it 
also can be used to record Diamond Disc masters, as well. What I w
 ant to know is how this is in public hands? This should be at the T.E. 
Historical Park, perhaps the guy who stole the signatures, stole this too?
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] UJ cds

2011-01-21 Thread Thomas Edison
I need to redo the cd, I have the master, but my daughter broke my laptop.  I 
should redo the whole cd with sonar the 44bx and the united audio tube pre amp 
with benchmark A/D convertor.  It is a small state of the art studio I do phone 
hold commercials for, http://www.audioproductionsonline.com
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] Edison brown wax manufacture

2011-01-20 Thread Thomas Edison
A have posted a few movies on youtube showing the process of making the 
aluminum stearate soap base for brown wax. Most all cylinder waxes, brown and 
black, Edison, and Columbia, use an aluminum soap base, the colorant, and other 
attitives are what make them different. C http://www.youtube.com/edisonworks
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] wax making

2011-01-20 Thread Thomas Edison
The wax is made in an open carport,as making the wax has bad fumes reaching 
well over 400 degrees. I now use an accurate digital themometer.  The molding 
is done at a much lower temperature, and the mold is kept warm, but the mandrel 
has to be cooled for each record. I have to organize and put more parts in the 
movie.  The mold is 11 years old made by Rick Jorgensen, a joint design.  To my 
knowledge there is no original spiral core Edison brown wax blank molds in 
exsistance, just BA, and GM maxtrix casings. The closet blank molds to being 
original are at Donley's, and belonged to Clarence Furguson. 
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] amberola cabinets

2011-01-11 Thread Thomas Edison
I woud retore the III cabinet at all costs, the shelf is not hard to duplicate. 
My A-150 dd had a missing shelf, and I made a new one with a mahogany board, 
and made a stencil of another machine and duplicated it. Many f these cabinets 
are almost black and very bubbed, restore it! The 150 is one of my fave 
cabinets. The 1-A is a belt driven machine with a motor similar to a mdel F or 
G triumph, I had an opera and I-A in the shop at the same time. Rebuilt both 
the M and L reproducers on them too.
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] Cal Stewart and Shawn Borri on Dr. Demento show.

2010-12-26 Thread Thomas Edison

I found a playlist for Dr. Demento, and it had an original Cal Stewart, and 
also Uncle Josh Buys a Computer by Shawn Borri (me).  I have not listended to 
Dr D in awhile, so I was really surpised to find me on here.  
http://dmdb.org/cgi-bin/plinfo.pl?drd10.1106.html I have not listened to the 
show, though, and wonder where he found this recording, it is very rare, I only 
made three cylinder copies, and it was only availble on the Shawn Borri 
Phonograph CD that sold no copies, on MP3.com, unless someone pirated this. 
 
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] an idea

2010-12-24 Thread Thomas Edison
One of my ideas I always wanted to do, was open a working cylinder studio, that 
used the floorplan of 79 5th ave, in a turn of the century building, have the 
studio upstairs, and a model of an Edison dealership downstairs. The studio 
could record two and four minute cylinders, and diamond discs, and sells the 
new records, has listening booths. Ill never have the funds though to do this.  
I have the technical knowhow but that is it, is there grants available?   
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


Re: [Phono-L] Phono-L Digest, Vol 7, Issue 196

2010-11-26 Thread Thomas Edison
I always notice that threads about frankenphones, and non helpul stuff like 
that go on forever,while. Talk about how to mold records, or how to adjust the 
brushes on the governor, so there is no wow , or how to. Change the 
electrolytic, sal amoniac for Grennet plunge battery for a class M get no 
responses. By the way keep the contact points on the govenor clean, the copper 
brushes touching with the same pressure on both sides, and make shure to keep a 
little above 2 amps, at all times so the motor is strong, the few. Cass Ms I 
heard were way out of adjustment, they should have no wow or flutter, they were 
recording Phonographs for goodness sakes!
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] cylinder advancements

2010-11-21 Thread Thomas Edison
The latest blanks are the same color, hardness and tone as a regular brown wax 
Edison Blanks. I have more precision equipment, a digital themometer and an 
ohuas laboratoy balance down to a hundreth of a gram, for more batch 
consistancy. The changes in color of brown blanks have nothing to do with 
ingrediants, Edison blanks were the same basic formula, from 1889 to the advent 
of four minute black blanks about 1912. Color has to do with how long the batch 
is cooked, all batches start out light and go darker.  I have a preheat now 
that make bubbles a thing of the past, and consistancy throughot the thickness. 
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] restored or not

2010-11-12 Thread Thomas Edison
It depends, If a machine is original and in exellent condition, leave it alone 
cosmetically, although the works should be cleaned, and adjusted.  I had an 
amberola x in the other day, and cleaned the works and put it back together the 
belt was original and good shape, it worked great two hours of work, the 
cusotomers. Came back shoked, it had not layes in sixty years.
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] interview for peria magazine

2010-11-01 Thread Thomas Edison
I had an interviewer a few moths ago whotook the amtrack, then to my house via 
bycicle. Http://peoriamagazines.com/as2010/nov-dec/outside-box-inside-cylinder 
or go to google. Shawn Borri. Peoria magazines. Will work too. It is full page 
color. I actually had the record plant set up as well.   
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


Re: [Phono-L] early molded records

2010-10-28 Thread Thomas Edison
Steve,7000 series is what I have seen. I think that flat enders were made until 
about 1903,and yes, the surface is very thin, with thick ribs, the ribs on the 
cylinders. Are made. With a special knife, and this was done when the record 
was still expanded in the mold, and the record hot, however cool enough to 
retain the shape. And when they had sat a few days the ribs were  Reamed to fit 
the taper of a phonograph mandrel. The comp was changed about 1904 for the 
round end records. Ebonite (which was melted at 350 degrees). And wet copper 
powder added to this, then stearic, soda aluminate, ceresin and pine pitch. 
What ebonite actually  is, is a mystery, I do not think it is hard rubber, as 
ebonite is called for other purposes, but may have been a trade name of montan 
wax . The formula says you can sub caranauba with Ebonite, and montan has 
properties similar to carnauba, and you do not smell rubber when you melt a 
1905 era GM record, you can shure smell the pine tar. 
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] early GMs

2010-10-28 Thread Thomas Edison
Yes, Allen, the numbers are very hard to see, I have The Star Spangled Banner, 
and In the Shadow Of the Pine. The. Grooves almost go to the end of the record, 
and the numbers very faint.
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] flat end gold molded

2010-10-25 Thread Thomas Edison
Kind of curious how many early , flat end Edison molded records are around. It 
seems many of these still have brown wax catalog numbers. I only have two.  The 
composition for these is very similar to brown wax, except for caranauba and 
lampblack, and more aluminum. COLUMBIA black wax is nothing more than borwn wax 
with a higher comcentration of aluminum and lampblack.  
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] Blanks for Sale and Rich Goodin Contact me.

2010-09-25 Thread Thomas Edison

Hi Phono L, I have 3 dozen new brown wax blanks for sale, they have channeled 
North American rims, and all but 2 blanks are various shades of brown, there is 
a white, and a yellow cream colored one in the lots, made of the same formula, 
they are just from an earlier batch before I started cast iron cooking them.  
Cooking them with cast iron gives them a different surface and homoginizes the 
wax better, and  duplicates the original brown color, with slight reddish cast) 
these blanks fill the entire phonograph mandrel to  facilitate a longer  
recording, (almost 2:45 @ 160) and may be plated to make moulds,  these blanks 
have  fine spiral ribs inside, much finer than the original Edison blanks, 
probably the only way to tell my blanks apart from one made in 1892!  These 
blanks use high grade Ceresine as the tempering agent. Price is 150.00 per 
dozen. Contact me via email or call me at (815) 608-0024. I might have one more 
dozen to cast, then I am out of materials. Since 2000 I ha
 ve made around 2,000 pounds of banks.
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] Edison recording saphires-Rich Goodin

2010-09-21 Thread Thomas Edison
Rich, several people have contacted in need of the recording points please 
contact me. 815-608-0024.  Thanks. Shawn.

 From: phono-l-requ...@oldcrank.org
 Subject: Phono-L Digest, Vol 7, Issue 129
 To: phono-l@oldcrank.org
 Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:00:02 -0700
 
 Send Phono-L mailing list submissions to
   phono-l@oldcrank.org
 
 To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
   http://oldcrank.org/mailman/listinfo/phono-l
 or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
   phono-l-requ...@oldcrank.org
 
 You can reach the person managing the list at
   phono-l-ow...@oldcrank.org
 
 When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
 than Re: Contents of Phono-L digest...
 
 
 If you reply, please change your subject line and don't include this entire 
 digest in your message.
 
 Today's Topics:
 
1. Now that its over what were they thinking? (Steven Medved)
 
 
 --
 
 Message: 1
 Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:48:02 +
 From: Steven Medved steve_nor...@msn.com
 To: phonolist phonol...@yahoogroups.com,Phono-l
   phono-l@oldcrank.org
 Subject: [Phono-L] Now that its over what were they thinking?
 Message-ID: col118-w4543b7f246adba939e9843f6...@phx.gbl
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
 
 
 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=330459729791
  
 
 
 --
 
 ___
 Phono-L mailing list
 http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
 
 End of Phono-L Digest, Vol 7, Issue 129
 ***
  
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] decals

2010-08-06 Thread Thomas Edison


 I have never really liked water slide decals, my favorite are the varnish 
transfer, using the solvent, and then shellac over the top, and on early 
machines using a bugler striping kit, to make the gold stripes, with gilding 
powder dissolved in artist oil , or a gold paint pen for corners, and use the 
solvent decals for trademark, put a thin coating of amber shellac over it.I 
did a whole banner decal the other day on a Triumph, and it turned out pretty 
good, water slide type, let it dry for a few days, then shellac over it, yup I 
used bulls eye, and it turned out great, you use a solution, that  lets the 
delcal be moved around a little more, and when it dries, brush on a solvent 
that melts the water slide into the wood, it does not blure or anything, fills 
all the pors..  I wish they still had the banner in the solvent decals, they 
really look original. 
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] Changes and observations making wax.

2010-07-27 Thread Thomas Edison


 I have lost count now, of how many blank cylinders I have molded, from raw 
materials,  it is over ten thousand probably approaching seventeen thousand! 
This includes experiments, and ones that did not make it.   My last project was 
for the Buddy Bolden motion picture that is being filmed in Wilmington NC, it 
has been in the shooting stage for about 5 years now, and I so far  have 
supplied over 100 blanks for this project, and the sad part is a majority of 
them were smashed in the film and not in the mail, but on purpose!  One of my 
most favorite, and  interesting projects of this year was making 6 blanks of 
the kind used to record the 1888 Edison Trip Around The World, and  Edmond 
Yates ect,  to be displayed on the oldest wax cylinder Edison phonographs made 
at West Orange in mid 1887 and 1888, the precursor, to the perfected phonograph 
these are of course are at West Orange New Jersey, so if you want to see them 
they are there, I really want to see these on the phonograph
 s in person, I have seen photographs of them on the machines, and this was 
very very exciting, Mr. Fabris told me they are extremely difficult to tell 
apart from the originals.  My venture in re discovering the wax blanks was a 
rather strange trip.  The Cylinders I made in 2000 were composed of stearic, 
aluminum, dissolved  in caustic and paraffin and beeswax for the tempering 
agent, I then did not use beeswax in the later part of 2001.  I made some 
rather strange composition that was just  saponafied double pressed stearic, 
and I boiled chunks of lead in the caustic, hoping a few particles would go in 
the wax, these had no paraffin or ceresin, and the heat of summer caused this 
experiments, to decompose, the records were quite hard! Both Ayslworth (Edison) 
and Mcdonald (Columbia) made this mistake.  I also had a formula of  aluminum 
stearate paraffin, and pine tar, this was a very brown compound. By 2002 the 
composition was back to the aluminum stearate and paraffin, and I 
 then changed to ceresin as the tempering agent by the end of 2002. By 2003 I 
had added sodium carbonate to the wax, and this is very close to the Aylsworth 
Edison formula as can be, for records.  My one exclusion in all this was that I 
had made the wax in an aluminum laboratory warmer, that had a dial that said 
400 degrees, however it really only got up to 360 degrees at best, it did the 
job, but the wax had to be cooked for a very long time, and the wax slowly took 
on more aluminum from the warmer.  A few weeks ago, I made my setup more 
authentic, by finding a nice little black, cast iron,cauldron, that makes 
slightly more wax than the laboratory warmer, that I have used for over 10 
years,and a gas camp stove, this  heats the wax all the way up to over 400 
degrees, and browns the wax, and gives it that slight reddish, orange cast that 
you see in most original Edison blanks.  The early metallic soap  cylinders of 
1889 had the aluminum element derived from  acetate of alumina
 , and this was cooked in lead lined kettles, they soon after changed to a cast 
iron cauldron when they did away with the acetate in about 1895.   Some 
interesting things that Jonas Aylsworth noted when experimenting with the wax 
was the quality of stearic acid, he had tried many different brands, and found 
that Mitchell's was, at the time the lowest in oleic acid and glycerin, If 
either of these two elements are in the phonograph wax, they are apt to cause 
fogging, or a leeching of these elements to come to the surface and etch the 
records, When there was problems with the cylinders, at the Edison works in the 
mid to late 90s, Aylsworth always found the problem to be the stearic, it also 
cause tiny bubbles to form in the wax, this was a problem with Proctor and 
Gamble stearic, so he told them, to set aside the PG and use the Mitchell 
brand, this was done and the problem solved.  Today stearic is not rendered 
animal fat, but palmatic acid, or derived from palm oil, instead o
 f bovine fat, or tallow as In Edison's day, It does not seem to get as moldy 
as the original kind, but is much harder, so the original formula 
saponafication suggestions, are way off, and has to be reduced very much, 
basically if you add the original amount of aluminum hydroxide and sal soda, 
the blanks will become almost as hard as a wax amberol! I have put over 10,000 
hours, into experimenting making the formula, every day, more questions arise.  
Ceresin was a lignite coal wax originally, and was a refined ozoerite wax.  
There is no natural Ceresine made today, it is a ultra high grade paraffinic 
wax, the grain structure and flow much finer than paraffinic.  Having asked 
every wax supplier I can of where I can find these elements, in there original 
natural state has basically none of these ingredients are in there original 
form!  I hope you found my ramble interesting.  Thee is only one other fellow, 
I know who has as much or more experience making wax 

[Phono-L] various cylinder stuff

2010-05-29 Thread Thomas Edison

One customer of mine that over the years has used over 300 of my blanks,
 for

saving voices of those who are the last to speak certain dialets, and to
 tell

stories, and turn the Phonograph into characters. This is a vidio 
explaining his

various projects, Pablo Helguera. There were very little blanks of 
regular white

or brown, most were pink, green blue red ect. 

http://www.smac.us/2010/04/25/pablo-helguera/





This is something about brown wax blanks you might find interesting, 
that Jonas

Aylsworth said.





Aylsworth looking at blanks in a court case from page 30 and 31. Yes, I
 can

identify these as being made prior to 1893, because of the manor of 
making the

blanks, as seen in 4, 5, and 6 especially, must be very old because when
 cut

into it is seen that there is a change of color, the outside being a 
salmon

color and the small portion of the interior, or middle is the original 
color of

the cylinder. This change in color, I am familiar with and know the 
cause to be

the gradual absorption of oxygen, which causes the stearate of iron 
which the

record contains as an impurity derived from the iron kettles, to change 
to the

ferric or higher oxidation stage, which produces a brownish or salmon 
color. It

would take years for the action to penetrate the depth which it has in 
these two

records. I observe that since the records were cut to take samples for 
analysis

early in January up to this time, there has been no perceptible change 
in the

lighter interior portion; the age of a composition of this kind could be
 fairly

accurately determined by the depth of discoloration. These records are 
the same

composition and were manufactured previous to 1893 by the Edison 
Manufacturing

Company and Edison Phonograph Works. And which were molded into records 
and

blanks and sold commercially  
_
The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_3
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] Electrical transcription playback.

2010-05-23 Thread Thomas Edison


http://www.gradolabs.com/frameset_main.htm  These are wonderful cartridges, 
Grado Labs, they are in Brooklyn New York, and very reasonable, audiophiles 
love them, I have a grado green on my turntable, and you can get various stili 
for it, and with a frequency range of 10-50,000 cps, you can't go wrong.
  
_
The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_3
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] Class M Belt Adjustment.

2009-10-17 Thread Thomas Edison

Edison patent 499879 shows the tension adjustment you speak of. 

The Screw C serves to adjust the frame A on the box B for the purpose of 
tightening

the driving belt as will be presently explained, and the lugs b' are slotted to 
permit 

 this movement the screw b being finaly tightend after the proper adjustment of 
the

driving belt has been secured. Patened June 20th, 1893 and applied for July 
30, 1888. 

 

somewhere I have a few parts list for Perfected and class M phonographs.  This 
adjustment screw is located just under the left end of the mandrel, there 
should be a casting that has this screw, as part of the bottom motor  bedplate. 
 This can be seen in Fig 1 of the patent.
  
_
Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222985/direct/01/
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] Low serial number Edison home.

2009-09-06 Thread Thomas Edison

My early Edison home is number  H1265, last patent date is June 30, 1893. (This 
still probably dates from around 1897). This machine has the lift lever rest on 
the left side, and a brass mandrel, cast iron drive pully on the bottom, not 
skelital topworks, Originally had the weighted feed nut, but changed carrages, 
because the weight was very corroded and rusty. The on and off lever presses on 
the governor pad, instead of having it's own The govorner weights are brass.  
It is a very smooth working machine, plays very well. 

 

Shawn Borri

_
HotmailĀ® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. 
http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=PID23391::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HYGN_faster:082009
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


Re: [Phono-L] Phono-L Digest, Vol 6, Issue 150

2009-08-14 Thread Thomas Edison

I have not found a shure fire way yet, of shipping cylinders, I now try to by 
the eggs that come in a square with the 2 carton sides, and wrap my cylinder 
boxes in that and tape them up real good, then bubble wrap around that. The 
inside has bubble wrap between the 3 rows of blanks.  There is nothing as 
disheartning as sending out a dozen cylinders which all an all is 12 hours of 
work, and a month of setting.  I usually double the insuance on them so the 
customer can get there money back if they do arrive broken.  I much rather hand 
deliver them than ship them.  I sell them in storage boxes that have 12 tube 
pegs in them.  I  am a father raising children so I do not make as many 
anymore, and do not accept any orders, what I sell I make  when I can.I 
estimated that in the New York adventure, I had almost $300,000.00 worth of 
material stolen from me.   Never been quite able to recover from that, I work 
for DHS making  $9.25/h does not leave much to do phonographs.

_
Get back to school stuff for them and cashback for you.
http://www.bing.com/cashback?form=MSHYCBpubl=WLHMTAGcrea=TEXT_MSHYCB_BackToSchool_Cashback_BTSCashback_1x1
___
Phono-L mailing list
http://phono-l.oldcrank.org


[Phono-L] good phonograph

2008-11-09 Thread Thomas Edison

I will have to agree with Greg on the Newcomb school phonograph.  This has a 
ceramic cartridge, however, but still sounds great, and the proper stylus for 
LP and 78 rpm records, We have one of them. The one we have is tube, although 
later on they were transistor, I prefer the sound of the tube one, they do not 
have the edgieness that the transistor ones have coupled with the ceramic, and 
even sound to me as good as a magnetic on transistor amplification. You can go 
out of the headphone jacks on these and go right into your computer, and 
transcribe 78 s, with remarkable fidelity, they are a good bang for the buck.  
These days I use a Dual turn table with Shure  78S cartridge, going into a 
Harmon Kardon tube pre.  When I am feeling really vintage, I hook my Western 
Electric/RCA Audiometer to a set of 01a tubes, to the aux in on my HK.  The 
WE/RCA cartridge is the same kind you can record on the RCA grooved recording 
discs.   
_
Get 5 GB of storage with Windows Live Hotmail.
http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_5gb_112008


[Phono-L] Blanks for Sale

2008-11-03 Thread Thomas Edison


Hello everyone I have 36 blanks for sale, in 3 boxes,  a dozen blanks per box.  
PO money Order or papal.  I only sell what I make.  216.00 per box, in the US.  
_
You live life beyond your PC. So now Windows goes beyond your PC.
http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/115298556/direct/01/


[Phono-L] Lateral Vs Vertical.

2008-11-03 Thread Thomas Edison
Hello everyone. Thinking of the L and V issue, I have a very simple response 
from cutting records.  I had recorded Laquers with the Fairchild lathe , in 
order to record high frequencies, I had to boost them to a dangerous level 
almost burning the coil up.  When you record you boost highs and limit the 
lows, and the opposite when you play them back.  I used the same head to record 
hill and dale cylinder records on Edison blanks, and could record the cylinders 
almost flat, and the lows and highs sounded very similar to the original 
recording, and the highs did not have to be boosted to the dangerous levels of 
the lateral disc of which the head was designed to cut, so it certainly seems 
that it is harder to record highs on lateral recordings than vertical. Some of 
you on the list have some of these electrically recorded cylinders in your 
collections with modern music on them, you can state the same I am sure.  When 
it comes to bass however, vertical records are much harder as lifts occur, but 
you can increase the ambient wax temperature and record deeper grooves, and 
record more bass  The lowest bass note I had recorded on cylinders was 16 cps, 
however this was a test tone, with no other frequencies added, it was very 
difficult to do but can be done.  Lateral records record bass with relative 
ease, however  if the volume is to high the grooves run into eachother and must 
be spaced apart more. (Most modern  recording lathes do this automatically.) If 
you listen to companies that recorded lateral and vertical records you can hear 
much clearer records, with vertical recordings time and time again.  Pathe',  
Gennette ect. 
_
Want to read Hotmail messages in Outlook? The Wordsmiths show you how.
http://windowslive.com/connect/post/wedowindowslive.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!20EE04FBC541789!167.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_092008


[Phono-L] Triumph Model F for sale

2008-09-15 Thread Thomas Edison
I am taking offers on a Triumph model F, in Opera style case. Let mebe honest 
this was a basket case machine, and needs cabinet work onthe hinges. The motor 
has new springs, and bull gear, it needs theproper long on and off lever, an 
original aduster for the tension. itis sans reproducer and horn. It will need a 
lid and nickel plating.Here are some links to photos of the machine. It does 
work finethough, and plays well. there are probably less Triumph Fs around than 
Operas
 it was available at the same time the Opera was and sopeople would have opted 
out and spent the 90.00 for the Opera,instead of the $75.00 for the Triumph. It 
has been refinished byme probably 8 years 
ago.http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/darksound1973/100_2101.jpghttp://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/darksound1973/100_2102.jpghttp://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/darksound1973/100_2103.jpghttp://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/darksound1973/100_2105-1.jpghttp://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/darksound1973/100_2105.jpghttp://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/darksound1973/100_2109.jpghttp://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/darksound1973/100_2100.jpg
 
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/darksound1973/100_2097.jpg
 
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j213/darksound1973/100_2112.jpg
 
_
See how Windows connects the people, information, and fun that are part of your 
life.
http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/msnnkwxp1020093175mrt/direct/01/


[Phono-L] Napkin Rings

2008-07-24 Thread Thomas Edison
These are little 30 second stubby cylinders, that I have a contract with a 
museum with, that are specifically for school children to test their voice on 
cylinders.  I don't sell the napkin rings as the Mould is supplied by the 
museum, and I am not ready to say for who.
_
Keep your kids safer online with Windows Live Family Safety.
http://www.windowslive.com/family_safety/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_family_safety_072008


[Phono-L] Concert Records

2008-07-18 Thread Thomas Edison
SAs far as I know P.M. is the only maker of wax concert records.  I though 
think he sells blank concerts too.  I only make standard and napkin ring 
cylinders and blanks.  I wish I had concert moulds for blanks, but do not as 
yet.  I think Wizard has new concerts made of the new hard material. I do not 
have a concert Phonograph, anyhow to record on.
_
Time for vacation? WIN what you need- enter now!
http://www.gowindowslive.com/summergiveaway/?ocid=tag_jlyhm


[Phono-L] Duke Special cylinder session

2008-07-02 Thread Thomas Edison


I went to Champaign IL to Pogo 
Studioshttp://www.pogostudio.net/aboutpogo.htmand did a most wonderful 
recording with Duke Special from Ireland. Heis known for his gramophone effects 
in his recordings. We cut 2 songson cylinder for the up-coming CD. I am not at 
liberty to say anythingmore than that. Pogo Studio is owned by Mark Rubel, and 
has to be oneof the most compleate recording stuido and has original 
equipmentdesigned by Bill Putnam and used by him personally at 
UniversalRecording Corp.http://www.dukespecial.com/Go to the Recording in 
Chicago pics, and you will see them clusterdaround a horn. The horn was used to 
make band recordings at EdisonRecords around 1904 or so.
_
Watch ?Cause Effect,? a show about real people making a real difference.  Learn 
more.
http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/MTV/?source=text_watchcause


[Phono-L] Union??

2008-06-23 Thread Thomas Edison
Hello, everyone, just wondering if we have any reports on the Union Phonograph 
show, I did not get to attend this year??
_
The i?m Talkathon starts 6/24/08.? For now, give amongst yourselves.
http://www.imtalkathon.com?source=TXT_EML_WLH_LearnMore_GiveAmongst


[Phono-L] Union

2008-06-01 Thread Thomas Edison
I most likely will not be attending this year, would like to but will probably 
be working.  Edison Phonograph Works has a new phone number and address, I 
moved to Peru IL about 7 months ago.  I will have some more blanks up for sale 
soon on the website http://members.tripod.com/~edison_1/  Will also be putting 
up some Wax Amberols for sale too. 
_
Change the world with e-mail. Join the i?m Initiative from Microsoft.
http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Join/Default.aspx?source=EML_WL_ChangeWorld


[Phono-L] recycled cds

2008-05-13 Thread Thomas Edison
I actually did this a long time ago, maybe 5 years ago.  I cut them on my 
Fairchild 199 lathe.  These did not sound too bad either, the surface noise was 
quite low even though I did not use a good cutter but rather a ground phono 
needle made in a triangle plow shape.  I would like a nice neumann lathe with a 
Grampian or westrex cutting head someday. 
_
With Windows Live for mobile, your contacts travel with you.
http://www.windowslive.com/mobile/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_mobile_052008


[Phono-L] DD and other vertical discs

2008-04-11 Thread Thomas Edison
The Only other records that will play on a Diamond disc are 150 tpi Vertical 
cut Gennett records. I think though that these were designed for machines that 
use steel needles in the vertical position, these are thick blue label, and you 
can see that they have the same groove as a DD. I notice on these that the 
highs are clear just like Diamond Discs, so  their is for certain a clarity 
issue in vertical over lateral.   The Vertical recording also has superiority 
on a quantum level.  Ever notice if you sit in front of your Damond Disc, or a 
cylinder recording with the machine well adjusted, that if you can close your 
eyes You can place the instruments in the studio, in a 3 dimensional plane, 
even though it is supposedly a MONO system.  This will, however NOT be present 
if you play these records back electrially.  When we trasferred the cylinder 
records to the sound track for the Bolden movie, We used the Edison C 
reproducer, 56 horn and 3 microphones, as opposed to an electrical pickup, 2 
Schoeps and 1 Neumann U-87 were used. We did about 3 or 4 takes with different 
microphone positions, and the result was a surprising surround sound spread, 
_
More immediate than e-mail? Get instant access with Windows Live Messenger.
http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_instantaccess_042008
From lhera...@bu.edu  Fri Apr 11 14:37:57 2008
From: lhera...@bu.edu (Ron L'Herault)
Date: Fri Apr 11 14:38:48 2008
Subject: [Phono-L] Vertical on DD, Edison on saphire?
In-Reply-To: 00a401c89b4e$d8d4fad0$6500a...@your4dacd0ea75
References: 
410-22008441020059...@earthlink.net007401c89b46$78949ac0$90d42...@ad.bu.edu
00a401c89b4e$d8d4fad0$6500a...@your4dacd0ea75
Message-ID: 007e01c89c1c$4f72cc80$2f01a...@ronlherault

Right, Bob.  I would not really advocate playing a Diamond Disc regularly on
anything but a DD machine.

Ron L

-Original Message-
From: phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org] On
Behalf Of Bob
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 5:07 PM
To: Antique Phonograph List
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Vertical on DD, Edison on saphire?

Ron,
What you said is correct; however, the head still had to be driven by 
the record groove.  This would create an uneven lateral pressure on the 
record groove and probably affected sound quality as well as record wear. 
The ultona arm also had a weight mounted parallel to the arm that could be 
moved back and forth to adjust the weight of the reproducer.  I'm assuming 
it was designed to approximate the weight of a diamond disc reproducer as 
the majority of vertical records that were played on it were probably Edison

diamond disks.
RMV
- Original Message - 
From: Ron L lhera...@bu.edu
To: 'Antique Phonograph List' phono-l@oldcrank.org
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:07 PM
Subject: RE: [Phono-L] Vertical on DD, Edison on saphire?


I don't have an Ultona head, I only have the simpler one sided one.   The
 actual Ultona, as I remember it has a needle bar that looks just like a DD
 arrangement.  I believe the head can swivel as well to mimic DD geometry.

 Ron L

 -Original Message-
 From: phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org] 
 On
 Behalf Of Douglas Houston
 Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 4:01 PM
 To: Antique Phonograph List
 Subject: RE: [Phono-L] Vertical on DD, Edison on saphire?

 Ron:  Of all people on this planet, I'm probably the least to comment
 intelligently about playing DD's on anything but an Edison phonograph. 
 But,
 since, for instance, the Brunswick Ultona head plays a DD, and the disc
 carries  the stylus across the record,  it does so on an angle not done on
 an Edison player. The modulaion of the groove is then read at an angle.
 Since Edison's stylus reads the modulation on a 90 degree angle to the 
 disc,
 does this degrade the quality (fidelity) of the recording, and would the
 playing angle have a detrimental effect to the disc, for the same number 
 of
 plays? I'm drawing from memory, because I haven't owned a Brunswick
 phonograph for some years, but I seem to remember that  the B'wick head
 plays the DD at an angle, as any oher of the twist around boxes did. 
 And,
 by the way, while the Brunswick phono I had was in very good shape, the DD

 I
 played on it sounded far poorer than it had sounded on a DD player I once
 had.

 I'm assuming of course, that the stylus pressure of the Ultona (or any 
 other
 head) would be similar to that of a DD player. We all know that Edison
 frowned upon anything but his players to play his records, but was there 
 any
 technical substance to this, or was it simply Madison Avenue hype?

 [Original Message]
 From: Ron L lhera...@bu.edu
 To: Antique Phonograph List phono-l@oldcrank.org
 Date: 4/10/2008 12:07:50 PM
 Subject: RE: [Phono-L] Vertical on DD, Edison on saphire?

 Well, you can't use a DD reproducer on anything but a DD.  You could 

[Phono-L] America cylinder

2008-03-31 Thread Thomas Edison

I had a conversation today with Judith Gray head of the Federal Cylinder 
Project, and Jennifer Cutting transcriber of the folk music division of The 
library of Congress.  We were talking about the playback of the Phonautograph 
plates.  Anyway somwhere in the conversation, I  had mentioned the authenticity 
of the Walt Whitman cylinder, and how most of the collector community was 
saying it was a fraud, and not real.  They said it was authentic, and were not 
aware that it was in question.  And I still came to an iconclusive myself 
because I myself made a cylinder copy of the poem and the result was not that 
much different than the supposed fake. I used a glass diaphragm and original 
blank .  
_
How well do you know your celebrity gossip?
http://originals.msn.com/thebigdebate?ocid=T002MSN03N0707A


[Phono-L] Phonogram Blanks

2008-03-23 Thread Thomas Edison
I have a total of 24 blanks for sale http://members.tripod.com/~edison_1  On 
the Store Page.  These blanks are sold in 2 lots of 12 blanks.  I have a policy 
of only selling what I make and I do not take additional orders. First 2 emails 
wins the blanks. This the only fair solution to come up with. I just joined 
Phono L and it seems to be the most active of any of the phonograph discussion 
groups. 
_
How well do you know your celebrity gossip?
http://originals.msn.com/thebigdebate?ocid=T002MSN03N0707A
From eug4...@bentongue.com  Sun Mar 23 16:46:52 2008
From: eug4...@bentongue.com (eug4not)
Date: Sun Mar 23 17:48:01 2008
Subject: [Phono-L] Edison C-2 etc
Message-ID: 47e6b3ac.17235.518...@eug4not.bentongue.com

Hi folks,

For those interested in the Edison radios, a look at Section 2 of my Site: 
http://www.bentogue.com will probably be interesting: It includes, among other 
things,
Minutes of the Radio Factory Design and Manufacturing meetings, Service info 
and a copy of 
the multipage ad in the Talking Machine and Radio Weekly magazine introducing 
the 
second radio line at the Atlantic City RMA Trade show in 1930.

Enjoy,

Ben Tongue
From rich-m...@octoxol.com  Sun Mar 23 19:00:32 2008
From: rich-m...@octoxol.com (Rich)
Date: Sun Mar 23 19:00:56 2008
Subject: [Phono-L] Phonogram Blanks
In-Reply-To: blu105-w50cab8dc75e2b58e0a7313d1...@phx.gbl
References: 20080323190016.9704b427...@mail.intellitechcomputing.com
blu105-w50cab8dc75e2b58e0a7313d1...@phx.gbl
Message-ID: 47e70b40.6040...@octoxol.com



Thomas Edison wrote:
 I have a total of 24 blanks for sale http://members.tripod.com/~edison_1  On 
 the Store Page.  These blanks are sold in 2 lots of 12 blanks.  I have a 
 policy of only selling what I make and I do not take additional orders. First 
 2 emails wins the blanks. This the only fair solution to come up with. I just 
 joined Phono L and it seems to be the most active of any of the phonograph 
 discussion groups. 
 _
 How well do you know your celebrity gossip?
 http://originals.msn.com/thebigdebate?ocid=T002MSN03N0707A___
 Phono-L mailing list
 http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
 
 
From kugl...@wmconnect.com  Mon Mar 24 05:14:49 2008
From: kugl...@wmconnect.com (kugl...@wmconnect.com)
Date: Mon Mar 24 05:15:10 2008
Subject: [Phono-L] Craigslist Prank
Message-ID: c0d.29e43ddf.3518f...@wmconnect.com

Thanks Loran for sharing this with us.  It is another fine example of how the 
Internet is a fantastic source for those thugs out there.  A couple of things 
here:

 - Someone did the unthinkable by printing the ad, joke or no joke.

 - This points out the stupidity of individuals that believe every thing they 
read on line.  Super example of this gullibility are the crazy nonsense urban 
legends that so many believed for so long.  Many people walked around for 
months with their hands over their kidneys!

 - We, who use the net for fun an or profit, are susceptible to being taken.  
In fact, those that do not even use a computer are susceptible to foul play 
because everyone's name, address, phone number, aerial shots of property, are 
within reach of all within a minute or two.

Back to the story...

I don't believe most of those that took to the free shopping free really 
believed the ad.  I think that they just felt that they had a 'leg to stand on' 
when robbing this man!

As always, keep the speed limit at 78.rpm that is!

Brant   /HTML
From rvu...@comcast.net  Mon Mar 24 05:27:41 2008
From: rvu...@comcast.net (Bob)
Date: Mon Mar 24 05:27:57 2008
Subject: [Phono-L] Columbia Long Throat Reproducer
References: 000a01c88d00$cffadda0$6401a...@user52c8f93503
001001c88d09$de59ac60$2f01a...@ronlherault
Message-ID: 004c01c88daa$75275d90$6500a...@your4dacd0ea75

Bruce
Years ago I had a Columbia AH, first style.   The analyzing reproducer 
has a pin on the back side which fits in a hole in the traveling arm to set 
the needle at the correct angle to playing records. I think it had a thumb 
screw to hold the needle in place.  I don't think the Columbia name was 
behind the diaphragm.  It may have had a patent date; I can't remember. 
This inportant thing is the pin stoset the angle for playing.
Bob
- Original Message - 
From: Ron L'Herault lhera...@bu.edu
To: 'Antique Phonograph List' phono-l@oldcrank.org
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 1:18 PM
Subject: RE: [Phono-L] Columbia Long Throat Reproducer


I can't comment about the printing behind the diaphragm but Baumbach notes
 in his Columbia Phonograph Companion II that the earliest versions of the
 Analyzing reproducer did have a thumb screw rather than the spring clamp.

 Ron L

 -Original Message-
 From: phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-boun...@oldcrank.org] 
 On
 Behalf Of BruceY
 Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 12:13 PM
 To: phonol