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Keys
Feb 22, 2011 17:56:01 GMT -5
Post by valerie on Feb 22, 2011 17:56:01 GMT -5
Not really sure what I have here. (#19 Edison/ Claus & Schroeder) Don't know much about phonographs.... Just know I saw it and fell in love!!!
I NEED KEYS!
Found an old key around the house which opens the top however it doesn't open the bottom, where the records are stored.
Any suggestions?
Thanks, Valerie
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Keys
Feb 22, 2011 18:40:30 GMT -5
Post by condensite on Feb 22, 2011 18:40:30 GMT -5
I hope you will enjoy your Edison once you can open the lower compartment! The locks are not keyed differently. I don't know why your key will open the top and not the bottom. Could be some corrosion or a little rust. You might try squirting in the SMALLEST amount of WD40 to see if that helps. Here's a link to a website identifying different popular phonograph keys. Your C19 would have used and Edison "E" key, listed about halfway down. Compare the teeth on your key to that one. These original keys come up occasionally on Ebay, but they can be rather expensive at 50+ dollars sometimes. www.oldcrank.com/articles/keys/keys.htmlYou might do an internet search for cabinet hardware or locksmiths in your area. Check online at the Home Depot and Lowes stores for cabinet keys too. Perhaps someone local could help you find a suitable inexpensive reproduction, at least something that will open the door! Good luck Bob
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shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
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Keys
Feb 23, 2011 6:16:05 GMT -5
Post by shellophone on Feb 23, 2011 6:16:05 GMT -5
Not really sure what I have here. (#19 Edison/ Claus & Schroeder) Don't know much about phonographs.... Just know I saw it and fell in love!!! I NEED KEYS! Found an old key around the house which opens the top however it doesn't open the bottom, where the records are stored. Any suggestions? Thanks, Valerie Valerie, Welcome to the hobby! If you look closely, the '19' that is stamped into the metal data plate on your Edison 'Diamond Disc' Phonograph is preceded by a letter, perhaps a C-, an H-, W-, or an S-. The C stands for Chippendale, the H for Hepplewhite, the W for William & Mary, and the S for Sheraton. These are the names of the furniture styles that inspired the cabinets. So your machine is properly one of those letters and the number 19, for example a Model H-19, not just a "#19". The use of the '-19' suffix indicates that your machine was produced after 1919. In that year, all Edison Disc Phonographs were re-designed with simpler cabinets that used vertical dividers rather than drawers for record storage. This made the cabinets cheaper to manufacture and gave Edison a greater profit margin. Edison Phonographs -- both disc and cylinder -- were much more mechanically complex than, say, a Victor Victrola or a Columbia Grafonola, and cost Edison more to produce meaning that he didn't make as much profit on a unit as did his competition, so any savings in manufacturing costs were welcome. 'Claus & Schroeder' is likely the dealer that sold the machine originally. It is not uncommon to find dealer decals and plates on old phonograph cases and cabinets. I agree with Condensite that your lock simply needs lubricating, but I am not a huge fan of WD-40. It was originally intended as a rust-proofer and has a very light lubricant in a solvent carrier that evaporates away. I would spray into the lock with a silicon lube after using the WD-40 to make sure that things stay lubricated for a while. Your Edison is not designed to play anything but Edison 'Diamond Disc' records at 80rpm, unless you use an adapter to play conventional 78rpm records (which use steel needles). Here is a link to a brief article about the history of Edison 'Diamond Disc' Phonographs: inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bledisondiscphpgraph2.htm
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