shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Mar 25, 2010 8:38:34 GMT -5
Shine a black light on the tag and the faded ink should glow nicely!
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Mar 23, 2010 8:17:40 GMT -5
I believe it is Santo Domingo (swietena mahogani), but Honduran mahogany (s. macrophylla) is very close. Probably the best source of this material today is if you can find some old furniture that is ruined for one reason or another, and harvest the lumber from the carcass.
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Mar 15, 2010 18:32:39 GMT -5
Bob, If you use a water-based dye, the water will swell the wood and raise the grain which will require additional sanding when dry, and re-staining. If you use an alcohol-based dye, the grain will not raise.
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Mar 4, 2010 7:38:40 GMT -5
You will need at least a Model H to play 4M records (other 4M reproducers that would fit the carriage eye on your 'Standard' would be the Model R; and, the Model K, and Model S. The Model K and Model S have a rotating mount for two styli for both 2M and 4M). The R and S are scarce and expensive; the K less so. Some complain that the second stylus bar and more complicated linkage on the K and R induces a buzz or rattle not found in single-stylus bar designs like the Model H and Model R. The Models R and S have a larger diaphragm than a Model C or H, but sre designed to fit into the smaller carriage eye. I mention these other reproducers only to be comprehensive in the scope of my answer. A Model H is all you really need.
Having said all that, does your 'Standard' have 2/4M combination gearing?
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Mar 3, 2010 7:34:13 GMT -5
I've never tried heat alone. Moist heat works quickly. Does it cause any problems to heat the wood for so long?
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Mar 2, 2010 14:55:18 GMT -5
Heat alone won't soften hide glue. You need moisture as well.
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Feb 27, 2010 15:26:04 GMT -5
Edison didn't make the Polyphone attachment. It was a product of the Polyphone Company which was founded by Leon Douglass.
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Feb 1, 2010 14:24:45 GMT -5
What is the serial number, Bill?
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Jan 9, 2010 8:17:24 GMT -5
Well, that reproducer is pretty far gone, so it will need a replacement diaphragm and new linkage. Also, the stylus needs to be checked for damage/wear.
You may want to 'trade-in' your old reproducer against a re-built example, or simply buy another on eBay or at a phonograph show. In what part of the country do you live?
'3-in-1 Oil' contains vegetable oils that can become gummy over time. I would recommend Singer Sewing Machine oil which is highly refined.
The decal is under the top layers of the finish, so unless you use denatured alcohol, you won't damage the decals.
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Jan 7, 2010 14:59:30 GMT -5
I'll let others on the board more attuned to reproducer repairs address your repair questions.
The C-200 is a common model. The scarcer/rarer/desirable models are some of the very earliest (i.e., the A-60, A-80, A-250, A-375), the fanciest (i.e., B-450, Art-Case Diamond Disc models), latest (i.e., the Schubert and Beethoven Edisonics, and the Long-Play series), or the oddest (i.e., the Army & Navy Diamond Disc). The vast majority of other models are still commonly found. The 'Official Lab Model' machines -- meaning that there are more springs in the motor and that they are equipped with the largest 250-series horns -- are more sought after than the smaller machines, but even Lab Model machines in many model types are very common (C-250, C-19). Condition is very important in a Diamond Disc Phonograph -- especially in the more common models -- since there are still a lot to choose from.
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Jan 7, 2010 7:09:19 GMT -5
Hello rainey!
There are a number of repair people (some on this board) that can help you. The string is called the linkage and it is made of braided silk with metal eyelets crimped on at either end. The part that came loose is the weight. It is attached to the tail of the body of the reproducer with a hinge block. The stylus is actually the polished conical diamond itself which is mounted into the stylus bar. The stylus bar pivots between the two bosses cast in the bottom of the weight.
You wont find an actual production date on a Diamond Disc Phonograph. Edison's sequential numbering was sporadic. It is typical to just establish the production date range for that model and extrapolate the approximate production year by comparing the serial number range of surviving examples if available (this may entail research, examining dozens of examples, comparing notes with other collectors, or referring to an established database). In other words (and this is over-simplified), if a model was produced for four years and the lowest known serial number existing is 100 and the highest is 1000 and your machine is #758, you can conjecture that your machine was made near the beginning of the final year of production. This method is not accurate though because some models sold well initially and then tapered off gradually so more would have been produced in the earlier years than the later years. Some models were all assembled in one year and then sold out of warehouse stock for several years afterward. While pinpointing the precise day/week/month of production for something as common as 95% of all Diamond Disc models would be nice, it doesn't really contribute much to the general knowledge base as most of these models were relatively unchanged for their entire production run. The C-200 was introduced August 1, 1915 and was superseded by the S-19 (Sheraton) gradually during 1919.
The C-200 has a single-spring motor and a 150-series (medium-sized) horn. They sold for $200 when new.
The "Sold by N. Dahlkamp, etc." decal on the machine identifies the dealer that sold the machine originally and is simply a form of advertising, much the way car dealers often put a badge or logo or license plate frame on a car to advertise who sold it. It (and the factory Edison logo) is not 'ink', per se, but rather a decal applied to the cabinet.
Hope this helps a bit in understanding what you have. Perhaps someone can help with the repair aspect for you.
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Dec 28, 2009 18:26:46 GMT -5
Enjoy!
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Dec 28, 2009 15:05:07 GMT -5
The business end of a Duncan brake lever is very similar to the standard mechanical brake. If you hear a grinding sound, check to see how intact the felt brake pad is, and that the lever is not bent in such a way as to rub the turntable.
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Dec 28, 2009 15:01:39 GMT -5
Over-concern about how much to crank the mainspring is common among newbies. Just crank until you feel an increasing resistance -- but still could crank one or two more times to fully wind the spring -- and stop. When you are finished listening, allow the motor to run itself down. This does two things: it allows the spring to spend most of its time in a relaxed state so that the crystalline structure does not develop a memory of being wound and lose power, and, become more prone to breaking; it allows the grease (you have already or plan to clean and re-grease the mainspring, right?) to fully distribute through the coils every time the machine is wound and played.
|
|
shellophone
Junior Member
Stand close enough and you can hear the ocean!
Posts: 69
|
Post by shellophone on Oct 15, 2009 20:26:55 GMT -5
Drew, If you go back and read the post from Maroongem on Oct. 13, you will see that he identifies the missing part for you as a 'reproducer'. Edison Diamond Disc reproducers of the type you seek are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. You just need to be sure to purchase one in the gold-plated finish so that it matches the machine's other hardware. Here is one on eBay right now with some wear to the gold, but this is exactly what you are looking for: tinyurl.com/yf5zo63If you find a reproducer that has a worn, chipped, or broken diamond stylus, the replacement of same can quickly cost over $100. Rebuilding/replacing the gaskets/diaphragm can cost too, but not nearly as much as a stylus. This model DD does not have a strong collector demand because they are fairly common and because they don't have a large motor or horn. A realistic collector price would probably be $175-$250 depending upon condition, with a relatively low demand factor. Diamond Disc records and Phonographs were Edison's attempt to enter the disc market without infringing on the Victor Talking Machine Company's controlling patents. Edison's patents were primarily for cylinder technology so the Diamond Disc record is essentially a flattened cylinder record and the Phonographs have many design points common to cylinder Phonograph models.
|
|