Fascinating. I appreciate learning something like this from someone who
knows. Would you guess, then, that they used benzine as the stearin
solvent?
Just like everything else these days, what's on the label does not
necessarily mean what it did 100 yrs. ago. Benzine now comes in a can
(Naptha) printed underneath!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rich" <rich-m...@octoxol.com>
To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@oldcrank.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 12:29 PM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Waxing DD
Ether goes anhydrous real easy and explodes. The benzine of yore is the
complete benzine ring. Naphtha is not the complete ring and lacks all of
the solvent properties of the old style benzine. It's also slightly less
likely to rot your brain.
Bruce Mercer wrote:
Thanks Rich,
I wondered about benzine (naptha) as it was widely used for many years as
a solvent. It evaporates quickly as well. My guess is that benzine was
used. Ether was even more flammable than benzine or alcohol... or they
problably would have been passed out sleeping on the job.
Bruce
----- Original Message ----- From: "Rich" <rich-m...@octoxol.com>
To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l@oldcrank.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 11:45 AM
Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Waxing DD
In the Blue Amberol book there is a description of the manufacturing
process. The last rinse leaves a slight lubricant on the cylinder. It
will be all gone by now even if the cylinder being examined is NOS.
Stearin is soluable in ether and benzene. Benzine was very popular in
years gone by as the solvent of choice for many things.
Bruce Mercer wrote:
DD were "waxed" starting in about 1920 with stearin. Stearin is a
triglyceride and is found in heavy fats, animal and plant, palm oil
being one. It is insoluable in water and somewhat soluable in alcohol.
It's basically a hardener. I'm guessing it was mixed with alcohol for
the DD. Obviously this wouldn't have been done with BA. I have my
doubts as to anyone 'seeing' it on a cylinder, if indeed it was ever
used on a cylinder. I've opened unopened boxes of DD from the factory
and you can tell nothing visually different from a mint copy that's
been played and taken care of in a machine. (The use of stearin is
discussed in Ron Dethlefson's book, Edison Diamond Discs Re-Creations
Record & Artists 1910-1929. DIAMON DISC RECORD PRODUCTION. PAGE 151.
The only proper thing to clean DD is denatured alcohol as it has
almost no water content. As for a light coating after that type of
cleaning, I have experimented with different brands. It has a small
effect on worn records, taking a very little of the hiss away and
hiding grey grooves for the unscrupulous that may want to put lipstick
on a pig and put it on ebay. It would be interesting to know the exact
procedure used in using stearin, as it was used for a wear retardant.
My .02
Bruce M.
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