Editing Edison Records (section)

== Materials and process used to manufacture cylinder records ==

Cylinders that are mentioned from 1888 are sometimes called "yellow paraffin" cylinders, but these cylinders are not [[Paraffin wax|paraffin]], which is a soft oily wax and would not hold up over many plays. They could be a number of formulas tested by Jonas Aylsworth, [[Thomas Edison]]'s chemist. Most of the surviving 1888 recordings would be formulated from a combination of [[ceresin]] wax, [[carnauba]] wax, [[stearic acid]], and [[beeswax]]. A record of this kind has a cigar-like smell and is physically very soft when first molded. In a year's time, the record would harden quite considerably.<ref>Experiments of Jonas Aysworth notebook 1887–1889 Rutgers University/Edison Papers Project.</ref> To play these first cylinders, the [[model B reproducer]] must be used. The other later reproducers (such as C) were only designed for the harder black "wax" records. A later reproducer would shave down the grooves very fast, and the sound would be lost forever.

In late 1888, metallic soaps were tried. At first, a lead stearate was used, but in the summer months, these records started to sweat and decompose. In 1889, Aylsworth developed an aluminum wax, using acetate of alumina and stearic acid with sodium hydroxide added as a saponifying agent. It was found these records were much more durable. Problems arose, however, since there was no tempering agent and hot weather caused these records to decompose. Two problems contributed to this, stearic quality varied from different makers; Aylsworth purchased some from Procter & Gamble and found it contained too much oleic acid. Stearic acid without a tempering agent takes on moisture, and after many experiments, it was found that Ceresine was ideal. To make the wax hard, sodium carbonate was added. Even so, a few batches of records still had problems and became fogged. The fog problem arose from acetic acid left in the wax and was solved when higher temperatures were used to make sure the acetic acid was boiled out of the wax. As such, the records from 1889 to 1894 are a reddish-brown color due to the long cooking time. By 1896, Edison started using hydrated alumina in place of acetate of alumina. The use of hydrated alumina (sheet aluminum dissolved in a mixture of sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, and distilled water) made better records, and the wax could be manufactured in a shorter period of time. Using hydrated alumina resulted in more desirable blanks, with fewer defects and shorter production time.

<!-- Do NOT change the spelling of the image file! -->[[File:Edison New Standard Phonograph advertsiement 1898.jpg|thumb|left|Edison New Standard Phonograph ad, 1898]]<!-- Do NOT change the spelling of the image file! -->The [[Columbia Phonograph Company]] used Edison recording blanks until 1894. The [[North American Phonograph Company]] was dissolved in the fall of 1894, and Edison quit supplying blanks to Columbia, who had purchased 70,000 blanks from 1889 to 1894. Columbia was frantic to find a solution to make cylinder blanks in-house, and the recipe for making Edison's wax was a well-kept secret. Thomas MacDonald experimented with wax alloys with poor results: the records fogged or decomposed in the summer, just like the early Edison blanks. The Columbia company had a deadline to either supply recordings, or have their contracts canceled and be sued for loss of records. Columbia resorted to hiring old Edison Phonograph Works employees, such as Mr. Storms, in order to learn their secrets. Unfortunately for Columbia, the names of the components used by Edison were not labeled with ingredients but were instead indicated by number (i.e. 1, 2, 3) keeping the identities of these components a secret. [[Paraffin wax|Paraffin]], [[ceresine]], and [[ozokerite]] all look similar, making the tempering agent even more difficult to identifify by the wax mixer. Wax mixers were given instructions on how much of each numbered component to put in the mixture, and how to process it, but no idea as to what the ingredients actually were. It took over a year for Columbia to come up with the formula for cylinders. Columbia placed an ad in the Soap Makers' Journal for a practical man to work with metallic soaps. Adolph Melzer, a soap manufacturer from Evansville, Indiana took the job. Melzer devised a formula comparable to Edison's with the exception of the tempering agent (using cocinic acid, derived from coconut oil instead.)

In 1901 The Gold Molded (originally spelled Moulded) process was perfected for commercial use by Thomas Edison and Jonas Aylsworth (Edison's Chemist) with input from Walter Miller, the Recording Manager of Edison Records.<ref>See Edison papers Project National Phonograph Co Vs American Graphophone Co. Columbia Phonograph Company.</ref><ref>See Edison Papers Project National Phonograph Co. VS American Graphophone Co. Columbia Phonograph Co 1904.</ref> This discussion was gleaned from facts provided by Walter Miller, Jonas Aylsworth, Thomas Edison, Adolphe Melzer, and Charles Wurth.

At first, no method of mass production was available for cylinder records. Copies were made by having the artist play over and over or by hooking two machines together with rubber tubing (one with a master cylinder and the other a blank) or copying the sound mechanically. By the late 1890s, an improved mechanical duplicator, the [[pantograph]], was developed which used mechanical linkage. One [[mandrel]] had a playback stylus and the other for recording, while weights and springs were used to adjust the tension between the styli to control recording volume and tracking.

<!-- Do NOT change the spelling of the image file! -->[[File:Cylinder record mould with printing grooves.JPG|thumb|This is an example of a wax cylinder mold. Note the grooves on the inside and machined backup shell.]]<!-- Do NOT change the spelling of the image file! -->
The Edison team experimented with Vacuum Deposited Gold masters as early as 1888, and it has been reported that some brown wax records were molded, although this is unproven. The Edison Record, "Fisher Maiden", was an early record that was experimented with for the process. The 1888 experiments were not successful due to the fact the grooves of the cylinders were square, and the sound waves were saw-tooth-shaped and deep. The records came out scratchy and it was very time-consuming.<ref>See The Edison Papers Project, Record Experiments by Jonas Aylsworth 1888–1889</ref><ref>12/00/1897 Wurth, Albert Frank – Technical Notes and Drawings
Cylinder recordings; Cylinder record and duplicating technology
[NB145] Notebook Series – Notebooks by Other Experimenters: N-97-12-15 (1897–1902)
[NB145001; TAEM 104:104]</ref>

The Gold Molded process involved taking a wax master and putting it in a vacuum chamber. The master record was put on a spinning mandrel, a pump removes the air from a glass bell jar, and two pieces of gold leaf were attached to an induction coil. Electrical current was applied, and a magnet was spun around the outside to turn the mandrel, and the gold vaporized applying a very thin coating on the master. This master was put on a motor in a plating tank and copper was used to back the gold. The master record was melted, then taken out of the mold to reveal a negative of the grooves in the metal. The master cylinder had to have the wider feed as the grooves shrink in length through each process. The master mold is used to create "mothers" and these are then further processed to make working molds.

[[File:Edison Records and Edison Gem Phonograph ad 1900.jpg|thumb|left|Ad for Edison Records and Gem Phonograph, 1900]]The Gold molded record used an aluminum-based wax, like the post-1896 Edison brown wax. However, carnauba wax was added, as well as pine tar and lampblack resulting in a black, shiny, durable record. The molds with mandrels placed in the center were heated and dipped in a tank of the molten wax. These were removed and trimmed while still hot and put on a table then put in lukewarm water. The water caused the records to shrink in diameter so that they could be removed. The records were then trimmed, dried and cleaned, then later put on warm mandrels for 2 hours where they shrank evenly. Jonas Aylsworth developed this formula.

In 1908, Edison introduced [[Blue Amberol Records#Edison wax Amberols|Amberol Records]] which had a playing time of just over 4 minutes. The process of making the finished record was essentially the same as the Gold Molded records, however, a harder wax compound was used. In 1912, celluloid was used in place of wax, and the name was changed to Blue Amberol, as the dye was blue.  What differed from earlier process was that a steam jacketed mold with an air bladder in the center was used. Celluloid tubing was put in the mold and the end gate was closed. The rubber bladder expanded the celluloid to the side of the heated mold and printed the negative record in positive on the celluloid. The bladder was then deflated, and cold air was used to shrink the tubing so the celluloid print could be removed. The printed tubing was put in a plaster filler. When the plaster was hard the cylinders were then baked in an oven, then ribs made on the inside of the plaster with knives. The records were cleaned and then packaged.<ref>Ronald Dethlefson, Edison Blue Amberol Recordings 1912–1914.</ref>