Best 78 cut for Victrola playback

[Speakeasy]

I've been down the rabbit hole on mono cut 78's, lacquer, polycarbonate, tungsten needles... Wondering WHAT is the prevailing wisdom is on "industry standards" for cutting/embossing lacquer for Victrola-style phonograph playback? Who is good at this? If anybody knows of someone who is set up to do this, please let me know, I've got a job for them!
Thanks for your help!

[Tim w]

Hello. Let me say first, I don’t know what might be considered industry standards today. The original process involved cutting into a beeswax slab (later melted onto a metal disc), plated, and pressed into a shellac compound. All of which might be difficult to access today.
To use a lacquer would be problematic in playback. At the time they recommended to use either fibre, shadowgraphed, or trailing needles to play them. However, I fear playing them on a gramophone would destroy them in a couple plays.
Colin Hancock is a musician and historical audio enthusiast. He has already recorded wax cylinders. Recently he has experimenting on embossing acoustical recordings on polycarbonate. There was a lot of trial and error, but he really got them to work out.
I believe he is located in California. I don’t know an email address, but it’s probably possible to do a search to find it. The Antique Phonograph Society may be able to help as well.

[soeffingodly]

I'm not sure about industry standards, but I cut a 78 rpm record (hifi diamond) with my VR/SP-15 and it played like a boss on an old crank Victrola. It was a fun experiment.

[tragwag]

yeah I've done it a bunch with the VR. I just crank the weight down as much as possible without stalling the blank, double check the groove depth in the scope, and play back with a fibre needle.
all else is the same, meaning diamond stylus cutting and plastic blank

[timinbovey]

I see every now and then this talk of cutting records suitable for Victrola and other acoustic phonographs. Obviously the science itself tells you that if you can cut it, you can destroy it by playing it on a machine with tracking that heavy. However...

I have been a member of the Antique Phonograph Society for many years. Within the bowels of their magazine you will find advertisements for craftsmen who will recreate virtually any 78, Edison Diamond Disc, or Berliner Disc (and others) that you may require.
I suspect their techniques could be used to create a "modern" 78 as well. You may need to start with a lacquer or other master. Don Wilson is the first guy that comes to mind. He creates molds from original records and then "presses" or "molds" them by hand. Not something you'd likely what to do
for an order of 500 copies of the same record, however. He makes copies of rare records so people who can never find or afford an original can enjoy them on their antique machines (clearly marked as reproductions of course). They are quite excellent. I own a few of his Diamond Disc copies.

Might be worth investigating Don and others who do similar work (they even recreate cylinder records). Check wilsonmaterials.com

And also look up Don Wilson on Youtube. His efforts far exceed what he has on YouTube but it will give you insights into his passion for this sort of thing.

Heck, maybe he's already in the group here. But for those of you who want to mess around with this....

Tim in Bovey