Last week I posted about one of my newest projects - a new-to-me Edison Phonograph (https://peakd.com/hive-114105/@wwwiebe/my-newest-project). This phonograph is going to require a substantial amount of work to make look really, really good again.
Today I spent some quality time with the "music reproducer." The reproducer is essentially the part of the horn assembly that houses the needle and directs the music down into the horn.
This horn has seen better days.
Thankfully it was easy to take off. It is attached to the beginning of the horn with a simple threaded mechanism. Remember, this was built and sold in 1918; there will be no fancy electrics or electronics about this entire contraption. Instead there will be well thought out and constructed analogue machinery consisting of knobs, springs, and gears.
I took the reproducer down into my workshop to spend some quality time with my dremel and it's polishing features. It really didn't take long to begin to see a difference.
So why is it called the Edison Diamond Disc? It has gained the nomer because, outright, the needle is a diamond. In order for the diamond to not rip right through the album, the album itself is made of a super hard shellac. Another interesting feature of the Edison Phonograph is that the phonograph itself pushes the reproducer and needle along the album, as opposed to competing systems wherein the groove in the album itself was used to pull the needle along. This distinction gave the Edison albums a longer lifespan and, arguably, a better sound.
I discovered, today, that I do not have all the dremel polishing bits that I thought I had, so the polishing didn't end up 100% complete. That notwithstanding, it is already looking a great deal better than when I started at the beginning of the day. There are obviously spots that I couldn't reach with the attachment I had, but a new attachment (already on the way) will help alleviate that issue.
After this was done I pulled off the turntable as well to look at the gears beneath.
This is going to need some grease and some sewing machine oil, which should arrive about the same time as the dremel pieces I need. Hopefully this week will see some big improvements with the entire machine.
The bottom of the turntable needs some TLC, too.
Next steps:
- Finish cleaning and polishing the music reproducer
- Find a way to clean the inside of the horn
- Oil and grease the gears and springs
- Put a rubber end on the "stop" button (the "break" lever) which stops the turntable
- Clean the entire volume control and reproducer positioning handle
- Find or make a new handle for the reproducer control
- Find or build a new front panel to cover the horn
(c) All images and photographs, unless otherwise specified, are created and owned by me.
(c) Victor Wiebe
About Me
Amateur photographer. Wannabe author. Game designer. Nerd.
General all around problem-solver and creative type.
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It does look gorgeous! I love old pieces if they work, but, so many have been abused and don't work. This will be fun when you get this up and running!
I love them!
I do too! Now I want one of the cylindrical phonographs. And a good, sturdy, grandfather clock!
My uncle has one of the Edison ones and it still plays!! We used to have parties at his house, as he was three years older than us and so much fun. :))
I have the grandfather clock, but, nobody has them anymore. It would be better suited at my mother's house. I think it is old people's furniture, but, I bought it in Germany and I will be buried in it. ;) I love them and for a smaller house, the grandmother's clock is a perfect fit!
I love old antique gadgets even if they don't work any more there is always a certain charm to them.
Right?? The danger I face is that I keep finding more that I'd like to have; the issue, of course, other than the price, is that they take up a lot of room. Now, when the boys leave the house...
Greetings @wwwiebe!
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I find it so inspiring that you know how to fix these old things and that you take your time to explain the process. Bravo! It takes passion and patience to do that! Kudos to you for doing it!
Thank you! The more I learn about these "simple" machines, the more impressed I am, and the more I discover just what I don't know! It's a fascinating technology, even more so because it actually worked!
very interesting personal project escorted by beautifully detailed images.
good luck my friend
Thank you very much! I'm concerned that I've damaged the needle while cleaning it; I need to do a little research to find out some more. Regardless, this weekend I aim to get it spinning nicely!
good luck :)