[Phono-L] Waxing DD

[Rich]

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-mail at octoxol.com>
> To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l at 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.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Phono-L mailing list
>>> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
>>>
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Phono-L mailing list
>> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Phono-L mailing list
> http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
> 
>