ultona
Full Member
It's Not Easy Bein' Green
Posts: 164
|
Post by ultona on May 31, 2007 7:17:22 GMT -5
Good Paul,
Having climate controlled areas to keep wax cylinders helps a great deal to prevent (further) mildew growth on them. I run a dehumidifier in my cylinder area all spring summer and fall to keep the air dry. You don't have to worry much about keeping the heat "too high" in the cooler seasons. As long as the air is dry, you won't have to worry much about mildew.
Sean
|
|
|
Post by maroongem on May 31, 2007 8:12:40 GMT -5
Congrats, Paul!!!!
Even if you don't play them all that often, it's nice to show others the real beginnings of recorded sound. One other thing to add about preventing mold is to keep from touching the surface of the cylinder with your fingers. Your skin exudes oil and moisture which can easily transfer to the surface from handling. A wipe with a clean dry cloth after handling should suffice. I doubt that you'll have any problems though, most of the moldy cylinders we come across with mold were stored in attics or basements with less than ideal climate conditions year round.
Bill
|
|
|
Post by neophone on May 31, 2007 13:38:43 GMT -5
Bill & Sean,
Should Paul also get rid of the "wool" they were wrapped in, or at least separate it from the cylinders (if there is a possibility of mold growth already starting?
Regards, J.
|
|
|
Post by maroongem on May 31, 2007 13:52:10 GMT -5
I forgot some were wrapped in the original batting. That might not be a bad idea as that is how the darn things got ruined in the 1st place by sitting in those nice cozy boxes with the linings that absorbed moisture!
Bill
|
|
ultona
Full Member
It's Not Easy Bein' Green
Posts: 164
|
Post by ultona on May 31, 2007 15:38:15 GMT -5
Yes, I second that - I typically remove that cottony stuff - it can soak in the dampness and transfer it right into the wax. Now a few weeks in extreme humidity in stuff like that and you WILL see mold grow....FAST! I've seen it happen, and on my own cylinders to boot (pre-dehumidifier days, I'm afraid).
Sean
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 31, 2007 18:28:38 GMT -5
Okay, so I should get rid of the wool around the cylinders. Actually Sean, I have a heat pump, with forced air, which is dry. Not only that, it really doesn't get humid in my condo. Thanks for the advice guys, it's really cool, that I now have a nice collection of early brown wax cylinders. I won't toss the wool out, but hold onto it, in case I need to transoprt the cylinders, which will not be often, since they are sitting in my display case.
|
|
|
Post by neophone on Jun 1, 2007 0:36:46 GMT -5
Paul,
If you want to hold on to the wading for historic reasons (I would) that's cool, but get some new replacement material, if you want to use something to transport them. Mold spores can live indefinitely in the cotton and you could transmit the spores from one cylinder to the others, even if there's only a tiny bit on one....
At least I think so-better safe than sorry.
Regards, J.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2007 4:43:43 GMT -5
Thanks J.
|
|
|
Post by rocky on Jun 1, 2007 11:23:00 GMT -5
In other words, when I get my new batch of wax cylinders, I should remove the cotton batting on the inside of the cylinders? I did remove the cotton from an empty box that I have and I note that the interior walls of the box are not all that smooth. Is this a problem?
Rocky
|
|
ultona
Full Member
It's Not Easy Bein' Green
Posts: 164
|
Post by ultona on Jun 1, 2007 11:51:55 GMT -5
I do, and I am just careful when I remove the cylinder from the box to avoid scrathces.
Sean
|
|
|
Post by gramophoneshane on Jun 1, 2007 15:12:39 GMT -5
Would it be worth relining the boxes with a new nylon fabric or similar? It wouldn't have to be fluffy, but just something to soften the inside from old glue and hard cardboard. Maybe even a thin 100% synthetic velvet, so it's not actually encasing the record, but to guard from scratches taking it in and out of the box. Also, could/would the spores also live in the cardboard? The cardboard wouldn't be touching the entire surface of the cylinder though, so I suppose the risk of contamination would be far less??
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2007 17:45:55 GMT -5
My Brown Wax Cylinders, were only wrapped in wool, but the case is not, so I'll just need to replace the wool. I remember Bill, telling me, not to remove the wool lineing from the inside of the Gold Moulded cylinder boxes, as this would not be good for protecting the cylinders. My condo is dry, so I do not have a problem with mold. However, I know some of you, like Shane who lives in Australia, and has no AC, would have a problem with humidity. Might want to get a dehumidifer, to remove the humidity. Also buy an AC window unit. I have seen on ebay, someone was selling new cylinder canisters the were resitient to mold.
Rocky, without the wool lineing, you can scratch the cylinder, since it is still wax.
Actually, it's not really mold, but a fungus, that is eating away at the wax, and damageing the recording. Learned that from Phil'O's Edison Phonology Page. I don't have much luck when it comes to finding decent Gold Moulded Cylinders, so every so often I am going to buy one of Peter Dilg's Wizzard Cylinders. Whcih are a bit more expensive, but well worth for me in the long run.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2007 17:52:56 GMT -5
BTW: Have any of you visited Tinfoil.com www.tinfoil.com ? I stoped by there a while back, and it's a really cool website. You can buy CD's of early cylinder music, recorded, from Brown Wax Cylinders. They will even transefer your Brown Wax Cylinders to CD as well.
|
|
ultona
Full Member
It's Not Easy Bein' Green
Posts: 164
|
Post by ultona on Jun 1, 2007 20:30:00 GMT -5
Paul,
My point was exactly that by removing the wool, cotton, or whatever it is, you risk scratching the wax. That's why you have to be careful removing the cylinder from the box that way. I have done this for years and never scratched a record though, so I think the secret is in careful handling more than anything else...
Sean
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2007 5:59:35 GMT -5
Well, I don't have a problem with mold, since my place is dry.
|
|