The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

Hey all....first post here! Nice to meet you! Question. When you have a blank record/plate/CD...and you begin a cut...what makes the cutter arm move towards the center of the record and prevents it from cutting over each revolution's previous cut? Is there a mechanism in the arm that draws it towar...

Glad to hear you had your puck refurbed with Terry. If you haven't already, you'll want to get the retaining clip as well as the fiber washers that go on the top and bottom of the puck. Oil the washers a bit and you should be good. That way the puck stays in position and is lubricated so it doesn't ...

If you are using the original Presto motor then the speed will be determined by the frequency not voltage so using a variac will not work. The first consideration is the quality of your rubber puck and adjusting the screw as mentioned above for optimum contact between the motor and the puck.

The short answer: yes. The long answer is more complicated and basically involves swapping out the entire handle side portion of the overhead due to the way it's constructed OR find a 6D ratcheting mechanism that could be directly swapped out AND the matching feedscrews. You'd be better off buying a...

On a 6N feedscrew there is a keyway on both ends, one for the hand crank on the right side and one on the left side for the one way ratcheting mechanism. It's just like a ratchet you use for nuts and bolts. As the worm gear turns it engages the ratchet at the geared speed but because it's a one way ...

Give Todd's plastic cutting video a watch and see if there are any adjustments you could make based on his experience/success.

https://youtu.be/1dGU79-1DYM

I think there are some good points brought up in the thread but have gotten a bit skewed. You can cut "master lacquers" on any machine that will make a groove into a lacquer disc. I think you should probably establish some parameters and give some detail about your desired outcome. 1. Why do you wan...

You mention Tungsten so I am guessing you are referring to cone shaped stylus. If so, those won't cut. Those can only be used for impressing (embossing). There is no cutting edge to them so all you are doing is plowing through the material. Even with some impressing some material may come out, but n...

Bernie is using an anti-static gun like the one in the original post. You can hear it clicking, similar to the electric ignition in a modern gas stove or grill.

So, I bought this machine several years ago and it sat. In the past few months I've tinkered with it to update some things. But...I never came back to update that this machine does in fact cut outside in. I'm not sure what I was doing 2 years ago that I thought it only cut inside out but apologize f...

Ask Bryan, I think he had a similar issue or knows about it. I think it has something to do with switching between O/I and I/O cutting direction.

The idlers for the 6 and 8 series have a ring of felt in the inner center of the idler that retains oil to keep the idler lubricated. I can't find a picture and I don't have my camera here at the computer. As for the pitting, it sound like it's in the center of the idler shaft where the felt sits an...

Third Man switched from acetate to polycarb for their record booths soon after the first one debuted. No clue who made the acetates for them or if they were NOS.

They were rubber and described as such in the instruction manual. I've found the rubber rollers in printers to be of a similar size/shape/compression characteristics to the original motor mounts. The quality of the rubber on your platter also makes a difference. If it's hardened or has flat spots yo...

Without cheating, looks like the one Les Paul developed.

The 75a doesn't use an idler wheel like overhead Presto units (6N) making it an excellent candidate for update to 33/45 cutting. Because the motor and capstan raise and lower to change the speed you could have a machinist cut down your original one from 78 to 45 or have a new one made while keeping ...

Hello dudes! Does anybody know what type of lathe machine is this one? :!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXDtUEhGtsY#t=154.886441 Home made Yep, talked about it in one of his videos that they collaborated with a local engineer. Seems they are trying to set themselves apart by hyping their offer o...

I hear only good things about Todd's head rebuilds. As for Terry, not sure he can be of help for a 75A. The 75A uses a rubber ring on the outside of the platter like the K series. I had a 75A and never tracked down a suitable replacement for the rubber ring. Someone found a suitable replacement on t...

Here's what I have on mine and from the printer. The taller roller has a slightly larger circumference than the smaller one. What I have on my lathe are 1" thick round cut pieces of Sorbothane with a special washer. With the Sorbothane if you don't have sufficient surface contact it won't hold up a ...

Something I ran across a few months ago that look perfect are the rubber rollers from an old printer. I have a few from a printer I decommissioned, I'll post pictures this evening. I ended up going with a large, thick piece of sorbothane on my 6D.