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Ugh. Sorry that didn’t work out. Seemed like a sure thing!

Aaron, The problem of the turntable slowing can be caused by a number of conditions. I'll start with the most common/most easily fixed and work down from there: 1) The mainsprings are not being wound enough. Many newcomers fear breaking mainsprings by overwinding them. As you know, a BI Disc Graphophone has two mainsprings, and you should expect to wind them at least 40 crank revolutions to play a single record. With experience, a user will recognize when the mainsprings begin to offer serious resistance. This will not harm healthy mainsprings. Once the mainsprings are fully wound and the crank can no longer be moved is the point beyond which you should not proceed. Until then, there's no cause for concern unless there's something wrong with the mainspring(s). If that's the case, it (they) will probably break soon anyway. 2) The steel needle is not being replaced WITH EVERY RECORD. 21st-century humans often find this requirement absurd and will use the needle until their inexperienced ears suggest that it might be time for a new needle. The fact is, acoustic-era records (pre-1925) were designed to shape the needle to their particular groove geometry by the use of abrasives mixed into the record material. A dull needle being dragged through this abrasive exerts significant drag on the mechanism. In addition, some Columbia records of the acoustic period are notorious for slowing/stopping the turntable - especially if worn. Try several records. 3) The tone arm has not been lubricated. It's important for the tone arm to be moving as freely as possible in vertical and lateral directions. 4) When you replaced the bevel gear, did you allow a tiny bit of play? Tight gears rob power. 5) What's a "repeater" on a BI? 6) There are many, many, MANY opinions on the best lubricants to use on talking machine motors. It's true that too much "stiction" or sliding resistance will severely decrease a mainspring's power. Your idea of clock grease might be a good one as long as it's heavy enough. Talking machine mainsprings are generally heavier than clock springs. In general, we apply grease to mainsprings and the first gear(s) being driven from them. Then, a quality (NO THREE-IN-ONE) mid-grade oil for the intermediate gears. I use 30-weight automotive oil, but I've heard good things about Zoom Spout, Super Lube, and Lubit-8. The governor needs good quality sewing machine oil on the shaft where the sliding collar moves, and on the felt/leather pads that limit the collar's outward travel. I use Tri-Flow, which is formulated with PTFE., but any similar oil will do the job. ALL BEARINGS NEED LUBE WITH A GOOD SEWING MACHINE OIL! 7) If the mainsprings on your BI were left wound for many years/decades, metal fatigue may have weakened them. The only cure for that is replacement. You shouldn't need to manually spin the turntable to bring the mainsprings to full rest. Typically, the turntable acts as a flywheel when the motor is running, and will continue to relax the mainsprings even after they are at full rest - and this can sometimes cause the mainspring to detach from the arbor. Experienced collectors usually don't allow their disc machines to fully wind down after use, but leave a bit of tension to keep the spring(s) in place. I hope the foregoing will be of some help to you. Good luck! George P.

Hi. My first post on this forum... I just refurbed an our family's old Graphophone which hadn't worked for about 80 years! It's very exciting. It sat unused due to a missing bevel gear and repeater. I got a new bevel gear, cleaned everything up, greased and oiled springs and gears, replaced all the reproducer parts and got it working. However the platter slows down to a stop. It helps to lift up slightly on the arm. And, actually that was the situation right after I repaired it and now it barely spins when pushed. I used lithium grease for the two barrel springs -- I'm seeing that might be it. I ordered some clock grease from Ronell Clock. Am I on the right track here? Please share thoughts on other stuff to consider. Otherwise I can get to work taking the motor apart... which brings up my second question: I'm going to have to keep spinning that platter until that spring is fully unwound, correct? How will I know when it is done releasing tension? Thanks! Aaron

In the many photos of Bacigalupi boxes that I saved from the internet over the years I found another variation - the 14th! Now I only need a flat scan or better photos of it - who owns that box please? It is quite easy to identify, as it is the only one that has three house numbers at Market Street listed below the large Edison logo: "933 950 952". Being similar layouted as the label "1b", but not having the later "1030 Market Street" address listed yet, I would put it before that and give it the number version name "1a3". It has some other differences compared with "1b", like the prices for the Columbia Graphophone and Business Graphophone and also the address information right of Edison's portrait. So, now let's try to find even more variations. Are there any? Cheers Helmut

Yes, indeed. The files René gave me also include the original text in which Ray explained the sequence, based on i.e. the different prices, when a particular machine was launched or other historical events (Baldwin fire). Ray did a very good job and several other collectors helped finding additional variations. Original it had been 5 that he knew of. Later it became 9 and then 12. We are at 13 now and there surely are one or two more. Hopefully they will be discovered. Cheers Helmut

Wow - some of those box labels can be dated by the prices listed for the Eagle, Gem, Spring Motor, and Concert. They must have been issuing new labels every few months! Thanks, Helmut. George P.

Great overview! It's astonishing how many variations there are.

Maybe. But now there is also a problem with the seller. He will not communicate with me anymore. I don't have his address or phone number. Any and all emails to him go unanswered. No matter how hard I try to make things easier for him I just can't win. What on earth can you do with somebody like that except walk away? It's too bad, but it's just not worth it for the frustration. Thankfully his is not what I've found to be the way other collectors behave. But then he isn't a collector. I still thank you for the lead !! It could have worked out. Cordially, of course Bob

Hi, I always wanted to know how many different Peter Bacigalupi labels there were. Of course we will never know for sure, but perhaps we can come close to the answer. In an old article it was said that there are at least 14 variations known. Over the years labels were published and with the great help of René Rondeau I got images of 12 variations. I found one additional label in my collection - makes 13. So, one (at least) is missing. Can everybody please check if you have any that are not in the photo (PDF version attached)? The sequence is chronological, based on Ray Phillips' research. I added #4a, as I am quite sure this is the right spot for it. Cheers Helmut 13 Bacigalupi labels in sequence.pdf

Good luck with UShip! That worked well for a superb Edison C-1 cabinet I recently got from California and the cost was super low. Sad that UPS won’t even pick it up!

Hi Again, Massive upgrade this time. I managed to make the little brackets to align the reproducers, finished and installed the front leg, designed the rear legs, made the rear tube and its half nut mechanism and... went to Austria to test it on the real machine! I admit that I'm super proud of how well everything I made fitted on the first try. Now the upper works are in Madrid so I can fine tune all the details and study it in depth. There are many bespoke little features in the upper works that were installed to make it a recording machine. I have decided with the help of the owner which one should remain and those who have to be removed to allow a normal operation. More on this on the next episode. I might even make a video explaining all those features.

Oh Brother !! But I thought it was a good thought too. I just got off the phone with UPS where the machine is located and they will not pick it up. The seller would have to get it to UPS on his own. I did see on the UPS website that some UPS stores will pick up- but not that one. They will pack it and ship it, but that's all. Then the packing / shipping would cost between 430 and 500 dollars. The UPS agent quoted me that for a 28 1/4" x 17 1/4 " x 20 1/2" unit that weighs 62 lbs. And he doesn't know if he has a box of that size so it might cost even more to pack it. He had to see it to give an accurate quote. Wouldn't you think that accurate measurements would be sufficient? I will try U Ship and Pirate Ship to see what they can do. I had a rather large heavy post war television set delivered to me from Columbus Ohio that was just blanket wrapped. And it got here completely unscathed. But I don't think they ventured out as far as California. Just East Coast. And the price was positively right. They even got it into my house with no trouble..

Since your in Europe you can contact these people for the ultimate in needles for 78 rpm reproduction: www.78tours.com/Expert_Stylus_Company.html Also your getting the most out of your L75 I highly recommend this forum also: https://www.lencoheaven.net

One other thought: UPS locations can often pick up a phonograph then box it and ship it. UPS offered to do that for the Edisonic, but it cost more than UShip due to the Edisonic’s size and weight. UPS might be the best route for a B-60.

I have available in Central Wisconsin, a complete Victor Victrola shipping crate. $100.

Thanks for the update. Ugh. Sorry it’s not working out. I love the look of the B-60 and have never run into one. Good find on the crank! … A thought: I’ve had great luck using UShip in cases like this when people won’t ship. I post a really low price for pickup and transport of a phonograph, including pictures, dimensions and weight of it, and seek someone with a bit of space on their trailer to haul it to me. That’s how I got an excellent condition Edisonic Schubert listed for $60 by the original owner’s family from a south Texas ranch. Transport to the Pacific Northwest was just $250. I’ve done this 3 times now on stuff I treasure but never could get otherwise.

Hi ! I just wanted you to know what has transpired. I contacted the seller three times before he replied. Basically he does not want to have to deal with shipping. He wants it to be picked up. I told him I live in New Your State so no chance of that happening. After he reduced his asking price to $75.00, I replied to him that I was still willing to pay his original $ 100.00 price. And pay him an additional $150.00 if he'd just go to Home Depot and get 2 double walled boxes- one inside the other-, pack the machine and send it to me. I would pay whom ever he chose to ship it though and would reimburse him for the 2 boxes.. I suggested Pirate Ship. So far I've heard nothing from him and doubt I ever will. So I'm going to concentrate on getting my machine running and let this one go. I thought this machine was rare. That wasn't strictly my reason for buying it. I like the Arts and Crafts case. I also own a B-80 and like it too. Great early design. But I did luck out in a way. I rediscovered a box of orphan cranks and the exact Edison crank I needed was there. But found that the mainspring is either disconnected or broken. I'll try George V. to see if he has one. I'm surprised that his hasn't sold at $75.00. Mine is the only one that I've ever found before yours. What do other Edison collectors know that I don't know? It's not even listed in the APS Price Guide. But still, Many Thanks For Your Assistance. I'd never have found it otherwise . Bob

Hi, I am seeking a collector in Tokyo to help me getting contact to a museum there to possibly get some photos of cylinder records in their collection. Who can help please? Thank you! Helmut

Hi, Is anyone interested in a rare Edison Dictating cylinder with a label around the box by Peter Bacigalupi & Sons in San Franciso? I just got it this week, so it wasn't included in my recent cylinder boxes offer. Please contact me by PM or email. Shipping from Germany (shipping rates to the USA from 22.49 Euro) with best possible packaging. Cheers, Helmut

Hi, I know that interest in dictating cylinders is pretty low, but I recently acquired a few early Edison with a dealer label around the box by Peter Bacigalupi & Sons. It's the first time I had seen it. So, rather uncommon, I guess. Because I got more than one, I am happy to share some of them - see "For Sale". Helmut

Update: Numbers 6 (British Excelsior), 13 (German Echo), 14 (German Colonia), 16 (German Gold-Guss-Walze) and the replacement for 17 (German Schellhorn) are also sold now.

Thanks!! They seem to be able to help!

I finally have found a Timely Tunes record after a long search. It's not the most interesting music to me, but I love the label and thought I would share it here. I have made a short video of both of these records that will come out soon on my YouTube channel, but it only contains 30 o 40 second samples of each side. Here I will show the label images and a full transfer MP3 file of the music. This record was recorded in late November of 1929 but not released until 1931. All 40 of the Timely Tunes records were released in one batch on July, 1 1931 and never released after. As you might image, they are pretty rare these days. Take Time To Be Holy by Holman and Robinson 1929-cr.mp3 DAHR Link Nailed To The Cross by Holman and Robinson 1929-cr.mp3 DAHR Link Thanks to Bob Coon here is an example of an original sleeve for Timely Tunes.

Hi, Is there nobody who could help me with this? Cheers, Helmut

Update: Numbers 8 (British Electric), 18 (German Electra) and 19 (German Elektra) are sold now too.