Help a Newbie with a Fairchild 199 Lathe

[barret32]

I'll read that manual. It sounds like my first suspicion was correct- I don't have the knowledge, money, or equipment to get this beautiful machine to actually cut a record. Cleaning the motor/transmission sounds like the first task to getting it to run quietly and for another 70 years. Thanks again

[studiorp]

The question is many simple : if you want learn something from this hobby, first remove Ebay auction; second read the manual and third start clean and check each part of your lathe. These are my advices, then the machine is your...

This is the manual for the Fairchild 541 cutting head : http://www.corporaterecords.biz/Fairchild541.pdf

Cheers.

[tragwag]

that fairchild head is great, I use a re-wound one and it's quite capable.
I also own an original 500 ohm 541, but haven't had an opportunity to use it yet.

your needle is almost certainly made of clear sapphire, and probably chipped or unusable.
blank lacquer discs and stylus are available at Apollo (www.apollomasters.com)
though they are not cheap

experimenters have had luck with "embossing" on plastic materials.
I'll gladly sell you some of that to try out, though the process is far from the traditional method of cutting.

Best of luck with your adventure!

[cloop]

Hi,
May I ask if you ever sold that fairchild or got it running?