Hi Or if one really wants to go off at a tangent, Shellack, another prime component of 78s is something that is derived from the south side of a northwards moving beetle (entomologists please correct me!) Rob On 4/10/08, Walt <waltsommers at comcast.net> wrote: > > Yepper..."pulverized slate" (aka rottenstone) would be more accurate. Of > course it is also possible that decomposed limestone (which is where > rottenstone derives its name because it stinks) was used. Both are > technically diatomaceous earth, so the seller could have also said that > the > records were made of dirt...sort of...LOL... > > I have to admit that hearing a record described as [merely] slate makes me > envision Fred Flintstone firing up his Victrola-Rex, hefting a thick stone > disc on a turn table and then slamming the nose of a pterodactyl down to > play a song... > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: phono-l-bounces at oldcrank.org [mailto:phono-l-bounces at oldcrank.org] > On > Behalf Of Graham Newton > Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 3:24 PM > To: phono-l at oldcrank.org > Subject: [Phono-L] Re: Amusing Craiglist Ad > > "Michael Graziano" <mgraziano1 at o-lite.com> said... > > >> Victrola Academy with needles and slate records. Excellent working > condition > >> Moving sale. $350.00 or OBO. 512-819-0661/512-677-6039. > > > Gotta love those slate records. > > Actually, I don't see anything amusing about it... the description is > accurate. > > Many of the old 78 rpm discs used ground slate as the principle component > of > > the pressing compound, held together by shellac! > > The reason was to grind the needle to the groove shape in the first few > revolutions... it looked like a chisel afterwards. This is why you were > NEVER > to remove a used needle and re-install it again to play other records, > since > > doing so would destroy the next disc! > > > > > ... Graham Newton > > -- > Audio Restoration by Graham Newton, http://www.audio-restoration.com > World class professional services applied to tape or phonograph records > for > consumers and re-releases, featuring CEDAR's CAMBRIDGE processes. > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.10/1366 - Release Date: 4/8/2008 > 5:03 PM > > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org >