Re: [ARSCLIST] looking for advice on cylinders

["Steven C. Barr" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Trey Bunn" <treybunn2@xxxxxxxxx>
> Hello everyone.  Apologies in advance for the length
> of this post, but I'm kind of feeling my way around in
> the dark here and am hoping for some good advice from
> people who have done this type of work before.
> 
> I'm currently doing an internship at the USC (that's
> east coast, not west coast, y'all...) Music Library. 
> My focus is on the preservation of old sound
> recordings, and currently I'm attempting to do
> something with a collection of about 70 cylinders,
> about half of which have mold on them.
> 
Okeh...go no further! Mould actually eats the wax compound that
"wax cylinders" are made from! If you are fortunate, the cylinders
won't be too badly damaged, and will be playable (albeit noisy)
after the mould has been removed. I'm sure others on this list are
more qualified than I to advise on the cleaning agents and
procedure, though.

Also, if you have an old Edison (or other) cylinder machine, it
would be a very good idea to get it professionally cleaned
and lubricated, Like any mechanical device, the machines tend
to collect dust and dirt, and lubricants harden or deteriorate
with age. There should be a professional in your area who can
handle this task.

Steven C. Barr