The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

Hi All, Trying to get my RoK Challenger up and running again. I did a test cut the other day on a plastic plate just to see where I was at. During the cut I noticed a pretty severe rattle in the cutting head. When I looked closer I saw that the stylus was off center. I am thinking that was my rattle...

It doesnt running badly, I can just feel a bit of resistance when I spin the shaft, so I was hoping to loosen it up - the same way when you oil the turntable and the platter will spin seemingly endlessly, I was hoping for that. Thanks for the recommendation of SAE20. I have an electric motor oil whi...

Minus one point for reading comprehension for me, whoops. :roll: The motor on mine has two little tubes off the side, one at the top, one at the bottom as pictured here. They take a drop of oil every so often, and fold down when not in use. Ha. It was Monday, so no worries. I wish mine had tubes, i...

If it's anything like my Model V, each idler shaft should have a divot in the center, which holds a wick that runs down inside and out to lubrication holes. If the idlers are really gummed up, remove them and clean them and the shafts thoroughly, then add a tiny droplet of oil to their brass bearin...

HI All, Its been a loooooong time since I have been able to work on restoring the lathe I have, almost a decade in fact. Anyway I have it all apart and I'm wondering about the General Industries motor that spins the idler wheels. It spins ok, but I'd like to lubricate it, and I don't see any obvious...

You will save a lot of money finding someone close by. There is a plastic company in pretty much every major city I'd imagine. There are like 10 within 50 miles of me. That stuff is expensive to ship. I generally go to local shops and dig through their scrap bin for a buck or two a pound. If you wa...

Hi All, So … where do you get your acrylic discs at? Are you using an online supplier, or someone local? Are you just cutting acrylic discs out of sheet at home? I've been researching online suppliers, but they all seem to be about the same … which is I contact them for a quote on 50 12 inch pieces,...

Ok, damn. That thing went crazy. Congrats.

FYI.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rek-O-Kut-Master-Pro-M-12-Record-Lathe-Cutter-/230642409807?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item35b35be14f#ht_644wt_996

derp.. I know.. but if you put the vu on the line your going to get a false reading coz mic pre's add something like +10db.. he needs to bypass the mic preamp, coz it will only add distortion.. Haven't you said you have a meter tapped on the line between your amp and your cutterhead? This would giv...

So I guess I'll begin considering and looking for an amp to replace the original one. Since the groove width issues appear to be a plate vs cd issue, I guess I'll stick with cds for the time being - they're certainly cheap enough. There are still plenty of knobs and screws I havent played with yet o...

Thank you both for all the suggestions. I already need a VU meter as the one on the front of the amp isnt working. I'll get that one replaced, and perhaps an inline backup going this week. I also have lights, just didnt use then since I was cutting on such soft material(s) the first day. I'll work w...

I'll update this as I figure things out.

The wire from the head goes to the back of the amp labeled cutter. A connection is available for for different ohms, and since this is an 8 ohm head, thats there the wire went. The other wire is attached to the terminal marked "C", as its the common wire.

Hello All, I got my Rek-o-Kut unit (m-12, R-8A amp) up and running this weekend, did a few tests and now have a few questions, hopefully those of you with more experience can help shed some light on whats happening. I started by cutting on plastic plates, as I figured I couldnt ruin too many things ...

Hello All, Just picked up a M-12 cutter on a TR-12H turntable along with the R-8A amp via local auction. It was disassembled, so I need some help wiring it and getting it going again. Does anyone have wiring diagrams or schematics for these? I've got it just about back together; turntable is on and ...

Yeah ... I was watching that. Of course, now it's gone. That makes 2 in two weeks that show up on ebay for a few days, then disappear before the auction ends. They really need to crack down on people listing things, then selling them off the site.

GrobbingThistle wrote:...

Thanks for all the info. I guess I'll begin scouring craigslist and local shops for a Presto or Rek O Kut unit.

I didnt realize I needed an amp. Any suggestions on type / where to begin looking for one?

Thanks again.

Hello All, I'm looking for a bit of help getting started with recording and getting a lathe. I've been doing quite a bit of research lately and have pretty much confused myself, so I'm hoping you all can help sort me out. I'd like to get a lathe set up for cutting on the most durable substance I can...