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Post by refseries on Apr 28, 2013 4:50:35 GMT -5
I had the same problem with my Opera and after Tim's kind help have found 0.5mm piano wire is cheaply available and works just fine. I got mine from www.modelshop.co.uk who charge £2.30 for five three foot lengths which is enbough to sort a hundred Operas/Amberola 1Bs. The wire appears to be made in the US by Precision Metals of Chicago as 0.2 inch diameter. Keith
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Post by refseries on Mar 29, 2013 5:04:27 GMT -5
Just for interest the early ICS language Amberols were 100tpi as well. They changed to 200tpi later.
Incidentally I believe the 100tpi blue ICS cylinders were the first blue Amberols, the 200tpi music records coming afterwards. The ICScylinders have blue dyed plaster, like the early music records.
Keith
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Post by refseries on Mar 17, 2013 14:00:30 GMT -5
Dear Leo
The two longcase Homes have winding shafts of 187mm length overall, diameter 6.9mm. The pin which engages the crank is 20mm from the end. I checked the Suitcase Home as well, and this has a shaft of the same dimensions. The Standard A shaft is entirely different, and only 93mm long.
The only difference I can see is that the Suitcase Home's crank stem is shorter than that for the long cases, at 37mm (vice 72mm above). This clearly isn't the problem, and nor is the use of a later motor as this would have a threaded crank shaft.
One small point. From youre photo, the wooden top frame looks very wide. Might that have been replaced at some time? On my Longcases the top width at the crank end is 50mm, and it projects about 9mm out from the side of the case. Could this be the problem? Could either this be a new top, or the top replaced off centre so that it projects too far to the right?
Other than that I am now stumped. It might be worth measuring your shaft and if it is vastly different either driull a hole fpr a new pin closer to the end of the shaft or get a new shaft/chassis from croskinfrog or similar, which wouldn't be prohibitively expensive. Sorry - does anyone else have any ideas?
Keith
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Post by refseries on Mar 16, 2013 11:55:33 GMT -5
I have two long case Homes, one with the gold banner, the other with the red one. They both have original cranks. I have a Suitcase but the top design is differeent so doesn't help here. The cranks have the same length shafts as that for my Standard A's, ie 72-3mm, but the rebates in the shaft to fit the pin through the winding shaft is a bit deeper on the Homes. The Home 'slot' is 5mm to the deepest point, the Standard 4mm. Other than that they are the same.
When the cranks are on the long case Home machines one has a gap between the inside of the crank and the edge of the wood top of 7mm, the other 10mm, but this is within the realms of assembly variance.
I would suspect that the winding shaft is the cause of your problem. If you would like me to measure the shaft dimensions on my machines let me know.
Keith
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Post by refseries on Mar 14, 2013 6:11:04 GMT -5
I assume your machine is a Standard A. The original cranks for mine stand much further from the machine than those in your pictures, as this shows: imageshack.us/a/img32/9877/imgp4007x.jpg which has about 20mm clear between the machine top and the handle web. The handle shank is 73mm long, by the way. Are the cranks correct for the machine? If not, has the motor been replaced at some stage and this has a shorter spring shaft? Keith
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Post by refseries on Mar 14, 2013 5:57:24 GMT -5
Another problem with smooth bores is that they easily slide off the mandrel while playing. Naturally one doesn't want to push them on hard (particularly Grand Operas, of which a number are smooth bored) so I use a couple of paper strips between the mandrel and the cylinder to improve the grip without neeeding any undue force.
Keith
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Post by refseries on Mar 14, 2013 5:54:00 GMT -5
Also it is very easy to crack the plaster when reaming, so keepo the pressure low and clean the reamer frequently. I use a small wire brush to get the dust out. Be careful about overdoing it! I have learnt by my mistakes and have marked a ring round the reamer to show when I have got to the correct size.
Tony is right about using a mask - the dust hangs in the air for a while.
Keith
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Post by refseries on Mar 14, 2013 5:49:53 GMT -5
Dear Each Thanks for this. It isn't a Grand Opera - mine have bright blue lettering and a distinctive box (some have the smooth inside as well). The red colour doesn't look like it is a bit of 'owner maintenance', but this doesn't really come out in the pictures here imageshack.us/a/img703/9131/imgp4000x.jpg imageshack.us/a/img209/9942/imgp3999x.jpgThe box top is different too - see imageshack.us/a/img405/3404/imgp4005x.jpgI didn't know Edison made two minute records for the combination attachments in the UK. The box isn't a Brussels one, but well might be a product of Willesden. How can I tell that? I have most of the Talking Machine Reviews so will blow the dust off them and see if I can find the reference. BTW how can I post pictures on the blog? Thanks Keith
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Post by refseries on Feb 24, 2013 12:29:08 GMT -5
I have an Edison two minute cylinder No.9625. So far, so good, but the lettering on the end is red and states: "ORCHESTRA SCHOOL DAYS MEDLEY", not the normal Edison Military band. The box seems to be the correct one, US made red card wth usual labelling except the top simply states "STANDARD F ORCHESTRA", each on a new line. I have never seen one like this before. Any ideas? Keith
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Post by refseries on Feb 24, 2013 8:22:15 GMT -5
I am not sure it matters whether you use the thin red or thicker black ones. I have used both successfully. I prefer the black ones, as sometijmes the thread at the bottom of the reproducer head into which the diaphragm compression ring screws can be a bit poor. By the way keep oil away from these gaskets as they deform wildly if you don't!
Good luck
Keith
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Post by refseries on Feb 13, 2013 11:44:26 GMT -5
It sounds to me as if either the spring is broken or has come off the peg. You have two options: 1. Get a new spring fitted - many sites will do this, including APSCO (http://www.antiquephono.com/). 2. Get a replacement spring barrel and fit the whole thing. Croakinfrog or Wyatt's will have something which will suit. You can get a spring and do the job yourself but my hands still bear the scars from not being very good at this!
Hoipe this helps
Keith
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Post by refseries on Feb 2, 2013 6:42:42 GMT -5
With reference to Pughphonos question in August (I really must catch up with my mail...) I don't know when they were recorded but the Specials A-K were released in April 1910 and could be had for $1 when bought with a 2/4 minute conversion set. In August 1911 this was extended with the Hebrew range Specials L-W, also sold for $1 with the conversion set. From June 1910 the Special D series (D1-D24) was launched, which came in orange boxes, and customers could select six of these as a bonus for introducing a successful customer sale to a dealer. The wax Specials A-K were reproduced as blue Amberols for a similar deal to the wax ones for customers buying a conversion set.
By the way we should be careful when moaning about the 'Damberols'. Without dubbing from Diamond Discs it is probable that National would have ceased cylinder production much earlier and we would have less records to play today. Having said that the wax Amberol a magnificent piece of engineering. Just think - a 200tpi record, made acoustically, reproduced with poured wax, which is still playable over 100 years later. To my tired ears and well preserved wax Amberol is the best cylinder reproduction you will ever hear!
Keith
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Post by refseries on Feb 2, 2013 6:19:44 GMT -5
I have a couple of quertions about the Edison ICS cylinders:
1. The wax two minute cylinders were some of the first moulded Edisons, launched in September 1901. They were superseded by 100tpi blue Amberol versions, presumably soon after the celluloid records were launched in November 1912. When did Edison stop producing the wax versions?
2. The ICS cylinders were 200tpi by mid 1915. When did the 200tpi's start? When did the 100tpi's stop?
Any ideas?
Keith
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Post by refseries on Jan 22, 2013 9:21:24 GMT -5
I agree with Bill. By the way you will find the little dots and numbers on Wax Amberols as well.
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Post by refseries on Dec 22, 2012 6:29:04 GMT -5
Regrettably I think you are going to have to shorten the belt. I assume you have got hold of some leather belting, have cut the long (1.5 to 2cm?) chamfer on each end of your new belt and have stuck it together with some form of contact adhesive (Kits can be got from APSCO on www.antiquephono.com if you need more). You will need to peel your glueing apart, shorten the belt by shaving some length off one chamfer, renew the contact adhesive, and stick again. I find it easiest to press the ends together actually on the machine, using the mandrel to press against. It is a bit fiddly but at least helps get the length right. Whenever I have done it off the machine using carefuyl measurement it always comes out too long! This is a fiddly job but worth getting right. Be prepared to get glue all over your fingers, table, cat, etc. Good luck Keith
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